The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-11-17


mouth; so that were not my duty
superior to all other considerations with
me, | should give up in despair"
'And you are sure you are pursuing
the best method?" asked Aunt Baker,
quietly.
Sure? Positive ma'am. Only way
in the world-only way in the world,
ma'am. BE II perfect child all her life,
if / don't. Good morning, ma'am.
Amina, be sure thattrunk is ready, pre-
cisely mt three"
Amina sank down on a footstool and
buried herself AGAIN in the depths of her
handkerchief. Aunt Baker waited till.
from the window, she had seen Mr..
Boabdil quite out of the gate. Then
she seated herself beside her neice and
drew the pretty little auburn head down
in her hap.
Snow, you little goose, what Is it all
about, and what has become, of the
honeymoon that was to shine oyer your
gravesP"
''Oh! don't, please don't, Aunt Ba-
kerr" shifted Amina. There is no
honeymoon at all, and it's perfectly
dreadful, and it gets worse all the time.
AiC VIII ~ stNuN IhlS llIIt, L kuOW iC
will. never have seen him so dread
fully IN earnest before, and | shall die
if he doesr'
mo you WON'T" returned Aunt Ba-
ker; '.you are worth twenty dead wO-
men yet. But why is Mr.. Boabdil
going away?"
"1Oh! everything goes wrong; and I'm
such a silly, foolish thing, ! can't help
it; and he likes his steak just so; and
the cook says there must some of it be
done; and he hates weak coffee, and
three tablespoonful isn't enough for
that dreadful urn, and he won't allow
four. And then you see, Aunt Baker,
this is a dear little place, with a lawn in
front, and creepers, and vines, and
things, but the rooms are so small You
cant turn round in them; and though
the kitchen is rs romantic as can be,
and looks out in an arbor on the top of
rocks, the cook isn't satisfied and is all
the time giving warning; and Arthur
isn't half rs kind and attentive Us he
used to be. You know how he used to
be at parties why, he never ate a thing
himself, he was so busy helping me;
and only two days after we were mar
ried. there was 4 plate of c~hicken-salad
right in front of him; and l HAL to ask
him for it three times before he helped
me, though he knows that is my weak
ness. But l bore it in silence. and
wasn't going 10 tell it, even to Lizzie,
because | know it is q woman's duty to
suffer, and there are some griefs that
are sacred. But wasn't it hard?"
.INo,lx,l - .u AM, Dale.
gravely.
And then went on Amina, warming:
'.He wouldn't even let me write to
Lizzie, but took away my pens and pa
per-; and he says u married woman
oughn't to have friendships; and that the
less you have to do with anybody that
you ever knew or liked before marriage
the better; because, he says, "a woman
must leave father and mother, and
cleave to her husband Is it so in
your Bible, Aunt Baker? can't find
it i'm mine"
1--WE will look for it by-and-lyo said
Aunt Baker, with difficulty preserving
her gravity. '.But is this allgr
"All? oh! dear, no! l was so silly 1
cried when he scolded; and then he
said ] was a child and didn't manage
the house rightly; and he goes into all
the closets and finds such dreadfulthings;
and he says | am so ~eXtravagant | am
running him; and that he has made up
his mind not to try to live with a wo-
man who can't make him happy; and
he has had his trunk packed, oh! so
many times; and | have had to cry and
90 down OF my knees to keep him.
But | never saw him 80 determined as
he is now; and I'm sure he will 90 this
time-and D, Aunt Baker, what shall |
do?"
"Burn all your handkcrchicfs, or
make a vow not to use them for the
next six MONTHS returned. Aunt Baker
with sudden energy. 'Be blind, dumb,
deaf; do anything but cry. Your hus-
band wished you to be a woman; prove
that you are n by listening TO his ridi-
culous and unjust accusations in un-
moved silence"
AUNT Bakerr'
Eyes, | say ridiculous and unjust,
Mrs. Boabdil. This man comes and
takes a little silly thing, just out of
school, with neither sense nor experience
and expects her at once to assume the
responsibilities of a woman-to have
more tact, discretion and patience than
himself, to forget without an effort all
the ties of her Cir. life, and to bear with
his whims with the %equanimity of a
woman who had learned to despise them.
Because you can't do all this he storms
and packs up his trunk, and ~you-dear
little fool that you arc--cry!- | declare,
/ lose all patience when | think of it,
| and would like to take you both and
whip you soundly."
..But, Aunt Baker, what in the world
can l doP"
'Do you really want to knOwP"
'.Why, of course l do"
"And will you try it if tell you a
method to cure your husband of pack
ing his trunk three times a week"
"Yes."
'Well, then, pack it for him."
"Aunt Baker!!"
.'Go up stairs and pack it for him.
Put in the coat and %pantaloons first.
Don't leave out so much as u cravat be-
longing to him. Strap it up and have
it ready for him by three O'clock" said
Aunt Baker deliberately.
"But he will 60"
"No, he won't. He amt such a little
goose us you are"
Amina looked doubtfully into Aunt
Bakers eyes for a few moments.
81 will 90 and do it now," she e
claims, starting up suddenly.
Aunt Baker nodded and followed her
upstairs. There stood the trunk. Amina
seized a coat and pitched il in.
"Bravo!" said Aunt Baker.
Half a dozen pairs of pantaloons fol.
lowed. Then Amina was seized with
~relentings.
Aunt Baker, if he should go l should
never forgive myself.s
:.You little simpleton, go on, l tell
you. You won't lose your precious
treasure"
In went the rest of the things, and
with a sigh Amina strapped and locked
the trunk. Then commenced Aunt
Bakers troubles. Twenty times the
soft-hearted Mrs. Boabdil started to IN
pack it, and AS often Aunt Baker held
her back.
Three o'clock came at length, and
with it MI. Boabdil, to her intense re
lief and the secret CONSERVATION o.
Amina, who quaked inwardly us she sa1
on the sofa in a peach blossom dress
with her hair neatly arranged, and EN-
broidering as diligently as though the
chief end of her life was to finish the
tip of st. Anthony's nose before supper
time.
'.Is that trunk readyP" demanded Mr.
Boabdil, with a quick, amazed glance
"Yes; here is the key and John il
waiting at the door with a wagon" sale
Amina, with a tolerable affection OF in
difference.
"Oh! ali! hum! Did you put in my
gray suit?"
II packed everything that belonged
to you. VIII you have lunch before yo'