Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-10

crosby Lbdb even 1Oul Hlulecli Was llhCu d
great deal better than he ever had been be-
fore, they were sitting together one stormy
evening in the library, before the fire.
Mrs. Wilson had been reading Tom the
letters which had come to him by the
nights mail. There was long one from
lis sister in Nagasaki. which had been
written with good deal of i'll disguised
reproach. She complained OF the small
ness of the income of her share In her
fathers estate, and said that she had been
assured by American friends that the
smaller mills were starting up every where,
and beginning to do well again. Since SO
much Of their money was invested in the
factory, abe had been surprised and sorry
to find by Toms last letters that ne had
seemed to have no idea of putting in a
proper person as superintendent, and going
to work again. Four per cent. on her
other property, instead of eight, which she
had been told she must soon expect, would
make a great difference to her. A navy
captain IN foreign port was obliged to en-
terrain a great deal, and Tom must know
that it cost them much more TO live than
it did him, and ought to think of their in
terests. She hoped be would talk over
what was best to be done with their moth
er (who had been made executor, with
Tom, Of his fathers will.
Tom laughed little, but looked dis
turbed. His wife had said something to the
same effect, and his mother had spoken
once or twice in her letters of the prospect
of starting the mill again. He was not
bit of business man, and he did not feel
certain, with the theories which he had ar
rived at of the state of the country. that
it was safe yet to spend the money which
would have to be spent in putting the mill
in order. They think that the minute it
is going again we shall be making money
hand over hand, just as father did when
we were children" he said. 1T is going
to cost us no end Of money before we can
make anything. Before father died he
meant to put in a good deal of new ma
chinery, 1 remember. 1 don't know any
thing about the business myself, and l
would have sold out long ago if had had
an offer that came anywhere near the value
The larger mills are the only ones that are
good for anything now, and we should have
to bring a crowd of French Canadians
here; the day is past for the people who
live in this part of the country to go into
the factory again. Even the Irish all go
West when they come into the country,
and don't come to places like this any
more"
"But there are good many of the old
work. people down in the village" said
Mrs. Wilson. "Jack Towne asked me the
other day if you weren't going to start up
in the spring
Tom moved uneasily in his chair. "I'l
put you in for superintendent, if you like, :"
he said, half angrily, whereupon Mary
threw the newspaper at him but by the
time he had thrown 1t back he was in good
humor again"
"Do you know, Tom," she said, with
amazing seriousness, 'that | believe L
should like nothing in the world so much
as to be the head of large business? l
hate keeping house-I always did and |
never did SO much of it in all my life put
together as l have since / have been mar
.ried. / suppose it isn't womanly to say
SO, but if l could escape from the whole
thing believe should be perfectly happy.
If you get rich when the mill is going
again, | shall beg for housekeeper, and
shirk everything. L give you fair warning.
/ don't believe l keep this house half so
we'll as you did before | came here"
Toms eyes twinkled. 81 am going to
have that glory-I don't think you do,
Polly but you can't say that have not
been forbearing. l certainly have not told
you more than twice how we used to have
things cooked. I'm not going to be your
kitchen.colonel."
"Of course it seemed the proper thing
to do, said his wife, meditatively ; but
think we should have been even happier
than we have if l had been spared it. l
have had some days of wretchedness that
| shudder to think of. / never know what
to have for breakfast and l ought not to
say it, but | don't mind the sight of dust.
l look upon housekeeping as my life's great
discipline ;" and at this pathetic confession
they both laughed heartily.
"Tve a great mind to take it off your
| hands," said Tom. 81 always rather liked
| it, to tell the truth, and ought to be bet
ter housekeeper-I have been at it for five
years though housekeeping for one is differ
emit from what it is for two, and one of them
woman. You see you have brought a
different element into my family. Luckily,
the servants are pretty well drilled.
do think you upset them good deal at
first p
Mary Wilson smiled al if she only half
heard what he was saying. She drummed
|
tently at the FIRE, and presently gave it a
vigorous poking. "Well?o said Tom,
after he had waited patiently as long as he
could.
60 Tom! I'm going to propose something
to you. l wish you would really do as you
said, and take all the home affairs under
your care, and let me start the mill. l am
certain could manage it OF course L
should get people who understood the
thing to teach me. | believe | was made
for it l should like it above all things.
And this is what shall do: will bear the
cost of starting it. myself think have
money enough, or can get it and if have
not put affairs in the right trim at the end
of year l will stop, and you may make
some other arrangement. Ii l have, you
and your mother and sister can pay me
| back.
$50 l am going TO be the wife and you
the husoand," said Tom, little indig-
nantly; at least, that is what people say.
It's a regular Darby and Joan affair, and
you think you can do more work in day
than can do in three. Do you know that
you must go to town to buy cotton! And
do you know there are a thousand things
about it that you don't known
''And never will p said Mary, with per-
feet good humor. "Why, Tom, l can
learn as well as you, and good deal bet
ter, for l like business, and you don't.
You forget that was always fathers right
hand man after l was a dozen years old,
aud that you have let me invest my money
and some of your own, and l haven't made
blunder yet"
ITO be Concluded neat Week