Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-04-05

matter on lady who lived not . hun
dTed miles from her street, about Nv
O'Clock In the afternoon. The lady hel
self came to the door, and Lily was q
bout entering, when she thought Oh
perceived the smell of roast beef in th
hall, and said, very politely. "perhap
1t is now your dinner hour?'
mo, indeed !" replied madam, will
indignation. I'VE don't due at thi
time ofday; we are not 80 stuck upi"
| Poor Lily !" exclaimed Mr.. Ashton
laughing. "What did she say ?"
20, she did her errand and retired
OF course. There was nothing to b.
| said.n
Mr.. Ashton turned to 60 into tn,
study. and as he did so his foot caugh
in the carpet and he was nearly thrown
down. Chrfssy started in alarm but hl
recovered himself and said pettishly-
II wish you would have that carpet
nailed down. have stumbled over 1,
twenty times in the course Of week,
really believe"
II thought Amy had fastened II
down." replied his wife, with mildness
II am sure / saw herat work there. The
door must pull 1t out Of place, tLink. y
20, OF course there is some excellent
reason for 1t being out oforder. It seems
to me that with all your ingenuity you
might find some way to make it more
secure"
He turned into the study, shutting the
door after him with unnecessary force,
and Mrs. Ashton returned to the fire and
arranged her work basket for the dsy,
with something of . cloud on her face.
She was not long left undisturbed, for
Mr. AshtOn's voice was SOON heard CALI
ing her in an impatient tone. She sigh
ed, but arose-and entered the next room,
where she found her husband before his
bureau, partly dressed, and with shirts,
bandkerchiefs and cravats scattered a.
bout him like q new kind Of snow,
while bis face bore an expression of
melancholy reproach, at once painful
and ludicrous.
"What is the matter ?" she asked.
20, the old story. No button where
it ought to be! Not shirt ready for
wear! l do not mean to be uureasona
ble," he continued, in an agitated voice,
as he tumbled over the things, to the
manifest discontinue of the clean linen,
"but really, Chrissy, think you might
see that my clothes are in order. I am
sure that would do more than that for
you; but here I am delayed and put to
the greatest Inconvenience, because you
cannot sew on these buttons l should
think little of the time you spend in
writing to George and Henry might as
well be bestowed on me-"
This address was delivered in q tone
of mOurnful distress, which might have
been justified, perhaps, If Mrs. Ashton
had picked his pocket Of his sermon as
he was going to church.
"What is the matter with this shirt p
said Chrissy, quietly examining one of
the discarded garments. ut seems to
have all the buttons in their places; and
this one, too, is quite perfect; and here
is another. My dear husband, how
many shirts do you usually wear at 3
time ?"
20, It is very well for you to smile,
my love, but do assure you that found
several with no means of fastening the
wristbands. We had break kfasted late !;
and now I shall be detained half an
hour when I ought to be away 1 know
you mean well but If you had served
q years apprenticeship to my mother
before you were married it might have
been all the better for your housekeep,
ing" =
ut might have prevented it altogeth-
er," thought Chrissy but the thought
was repressed in moment. She pick
ed up and replaced the scattered apparel,
folded the snowy cravats. warmed her
husbands overshoes, and saw that the
beautiful little communion service pre-
sented by lady of the parish, and con-
secrated to such sufferers as Maggie Car
penter, was in readiness. Before he left
the house Mr.. Ashton had forgotten
both his fretfulness and it's cause He
kissed his wife. thanked her for her
trouble, and proposed that she should
send fol. Lily to spend the day with her,
and strCde away with his usual elasticity
of step.
Chrissy watched him from the door
until he turned into the next street, and
then went back to the fireside and her
own reflections.
His fretfulness and tendency to be
disturbed at little matters was almost
her husbands only fault. He was self
sacrificing to the last degree; faithful
and indefatigable as an apostle, almost,
in his professional labors, liberal to
fault, and In his administration of parish
matter, wise and conciliating to ALL
He could bear injuries, real injuries.
with the greatest patience, and was new
er known to show resentment.
But with all these good qualities, Mr..
Ashton had one fault-a fault which
to disturb and finally destroy
the comfort of married life. If his wife
by extravagance or bad management
had wasted his income and involved
him in difficulties. 1t is probable that he
would never have spoken an unkind
word to her; but the fact of a button be-
ing missed, or book removed from its
place, would produce q lalnentation half
indignant and half pathetic. which rung
in Chrissy's ears and made her heart
ache after Clement had forgotten the
altogether. Strange as IL
may seem, Mr.. Ashton never thought
of this habit, of which he was but i'm
perfectly conscious, as to its being
fault
He thought, indeed, that it was pity
he should be sensitive, and sometimes
said that he wished he had not such love
for order and symmetry, for then be
should not be SO often annoyed by the
dlsorderly habits of other people. He
said to himself that it was one of his
peculiar trials, that even Chrissy, per-
feet as she was, did not come ND to his
ideas in this respect; but that the temp
er with which he met what he was
pleased to call his peculiar trials ever be
came trial to other people he did not
imagine. He had indeed remarke ed, In
spite of himself, that Chrissy's face was
not as cheerful, nor her spirits as lighf
as when they were first married, and he
regretted that the cares ofhousekeeping
should weigh so heavily upon her; hut
nothing was further from his thoughts
than that anything in himself could
have produced this change.
Mr.. Ashton, exhausted with his days
work, turned towards home with his
mind full of what he had seen and felt.
He said very little during dinner, but
when the table cloth was removed, and
he sat down In his dressing gown and
slippers before the fire, he related to his
wife, all the events of the day, describ-
ing with all theenthusiasm of his earn
eat nature the patience and holy resigna
tion he had witnessed, and ended by
couinn.