San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-11-23


Dorothy always, always made the
tripe, and sausage-meat and corhed
the ham herself; and she cleaned
house four times year. She was a
masterhand at quilting, and she III
ways made her own bonnets, A wo'
man can save so much for her hus'
band in that way. As for the butter
and cheese, l think if she hadn't died
so suddenly, poor thing that she
could have beaten any record IN the
country II,
Alice sighed deeply. How could
she, slender, inexperienced girl OF
twenty, hope to cope with these
marvellous attainments? -. ;,
Henry never told me all tms'
said she. :,
u suppose he has thought OF 1t
many time" said Mrs. Perry senior
But perhaps he didn't like to allude
to it while you were playing on your
melodeon and reading your books;
Dorothy never got any time to read
But if you'll teach me, pleaded
Alice, Il will do my best to learn.
She locked the melodeon, put away
the looks end portfolio, and her bas-
kst # fancy needle-work, and set her
sell resolutely to work to fill the place
Ct tie departed Dorothy. s .e
,"U'hy, what little housewife you
are; SAID Henry, laughing when she
showed him the tray Of golden butter
that she had churned, and succeeded
in burning her fingers at the ironing
fire and reducing her pretty complex
ion to scarlet, in cooking buckwheat
cakes for breakfast. .g.., .-,.a ..
Il want to be one, said Alice,
wistfuly. u co.
She cut up squares of bright colored
calico into patchwork, she studied
the cookery book until herhead ached,
she caught heavy cold working over
butter in the damp dairy house, and
sprained her wrist washing clothes,
which after all looked dim and dirty.
She rose early and went to bed late;
she counted eggs, mixed whitewash,
made herself sick chopping up sau-
sage-meat, and strained her back lift
ing kettle of pickles off the fire, and
still she strove resolutely on,
II should like to do just what Dor
othy did," she said to herself. Il
don't think Henry is quite pleased
when am so busy in the kitchen of
an evening that l cannot spare time
to come in and hear him read the
Waverly novels aloud. And my feet
ached so this morning with the cream
Swimming that l could not walk with
him. to the haying ground. But l
am doing my duty, and that Dug hit to
be reward enough!"' r.
That same afternoon, however, poor
Alice was forced to flee to her own
room with. sick headache, and seek
the refuge of her pillow. There, Mrs.
John Bonney, a cheerful little neigh
Dor, found her. -
sick, are you? asked Mrs. Bonney.
I'm not very well" acknowledged
Alice.
All, 4 thought sol" said Mrs Bon
ney.r- ~ ! iE.Sa
What do you mean?" asked Alice.
why, you We been killing yourself
by inches!" said Mrs. Bonney, "as
fast as you could. I've seen it all.
I'm not your next door neighbor for
nothing!" -.
Il am trying to do my duty" plead
ed Alice, with filling eyes. I'm try
ing to be like my husbands first
wife!" 81. s..
"Fiddlestlcks said Mrs. Bonney.
Like Dorothy Parker, indeed! Why
she was nothing but a household
drudge, and she finally drudged her
self to death, without anybody being
particularly sorry for her. She never
visited, she never read, she never
kept up with the progress of life
march around her. Any machine
could have filled her place.
Mrs. Bonney, you ought not to
| talk So" said Nus. Perry uneasily.
It's the truth said Mrs. Bonney.
"Howeyer, do as you please. Its a
privilege which people generally claim
have observed; XIII yourself if You
like. Perhaps the third Mrs. Perry
will be little more sensible.
So Mrs. Bonney put the boquet of
tea-rose buds, which she had brought,
into water, ana tnpped laughingly
home. while Alice, clasping her hands
over her throbbing temples, tried TO
! L LIZ Il ~, -. mint ln,.snlf ~.