, 1884-02-03
WOMAN AND HOME.
A Happy Family. Though Not In q
Geological Garden.
Gall Hamilton and the Cariyies---
Decorative Hints. astronom
zeal Suggestions and
Fashion Notes

MN. M l. Payne In Detroit Free fressJ
1t was Sunday. Mr.. Skinner was tired,
and thought he would Lie down on the sofa In
tho back parlor and rest. People never
learn by experiences, and he was no exception
70 the common rule.
He lay down, and crossed his feet with q
parade hardly justiiable under the circum-
stances His wife came In and saw him.
@why, Lot Skinner shs exclaimed. @If 1
ever heard of the liksi Lying down on that
new sofa with your boots on, and oh, my
goodnessi your head on that lace tidy j had
done up only Last Yor are the rsc=.
inconsiderats mnn I ever saw In my lifei-
Mr.. Skinner got up and his wife srnoothsd
out the tidy and r~earranged it
"The Idea Of anybody putting a head on
that tidy" said Mrs Skinner, who bad no
Intention of using slang. Ibid suppose you
bad more sense"
II used to have" said Mr.. Skinner, good
naturally. ]Ya-a-a-h- I could take a nap II
I could find a place 10 drop down. Ya,a-ah.T
you had better read your bible" said Mrs
Skinner. Shs was a good, uncomfortable
woman. 20 clean and neat and orderly that
she made her family wrstehsd with her do
mestic drill
Something called Mrs.. Skinner off then,
and when she came back Mr.. Skinner was
gone. She sat down and took a book, when
q thought struck her, and che bounded from
her chair as II It had been n cannon ball.
Yes, It was just as she had feared; her hus-
band had gone up stairs, and she found him
stretched out on the bed, on top of q white
eounterpane, his grizzly gray head sunk deep
into q white. SEARCHED pillow-sham, with
these words embroidered in the centre:
"Sleep sweet, belovedfT
he was not only asleep, but snoring, with
a look Of sweet content on his wide-open
mouth.
ILo-t Skinner"
He got up In a manner that would have
done credit to a gymnast, and stood staring
at the fearful hollow in the bed and tho
wrinkled dent in tho piIiow+ham-
II d. Glare / forgot" be said, looking very
foolish. -Alice, haven't Il plaes where l can
lay my headr
Don't talk nonsense" said his wife
sharply. THE idea Of . sober man going to
bod with his boots on"
would you rather I'd get
sd rather you'd get some common sense
she said. III you must sleep In the day time
why, there's IN old lounge down : In the
kitchen; no one will disturb you there. Dr. /
suppose ungraciously II can take
of tho quilt, and g. the shams, 3 and
let you have your nap here.
though It's wicked, that's what It is; to sleep
Sunday. It's a bad example TO set to the
children, Lot. and you know it"
But I am 50 Sleepy answered her hus-
band; 4my head is as heavy as lead, and l
cannot keep my eyes open"
@LAzinessi sheer lAzinessi- said his wifs
sharply. g. ..n -l.st
Mr.. Skinner went down stairs and dizap-
peared. The last words his wife heard him
say were that there was rest for the weary,
but she was picking up the embroidery on the
misused sham with = pin, and did not heed
him When she went down stairs be was not
in sight and she busted herself with getting
dinner, which on Sunday took the place Of
supper, and thought no more about him.
She was . distinguished woman; distin-
guishsd In the town where she lived, as being
the clsanest housekeeper In it No girl could
be found neat enough to live with her; all the
notices In her house were to thu effect that
cleanliness Il akin to godlinesa- She busted
every article of furniture in the house several
times = day; she scrubbed 20 often that the
children had chronic diphtheria she scrubbed
90 clean that at last abe scrubbed through
her kitchen floor into the csliar, aud was
nearly lost 70 the community. 1t was a per
petunl warfare between her and dirt. The
front parlor was never opened to the family
and although Mr.. Skinner had furnished II
be had never sat down In 1t a moment since
It's air was that of 4 tomb. After 1t had
Deeu Optncu 70 Con1pAny IOf an AFTERNOON,
the children went round with fiannels about
their throats and drank ginger tea It was
the handsomest parlor in the community,
too, and had the family pictures and theil
marriage certificate framed and hung VI
there.
When dinner was ~ready-and II was a good
dinner, too, for Mra Skinner was q notable
cook-shs asked the children where theii
father was.
They did not know.
This seemed strange: she questioned them
closely. but they had not seen which way hi
went when he passed through the room.
@Didn't be say where he was goingf' she
asked, wo~nderingly, for Nj. Skinner never
went out on Sundays with his family.
II said he was going where he'd hav,
more peace" said little Harry Skinner.
-Well. we won't wait dinner for him" said
his wife, and they sat down to cot
But a spell seemed to nave fallen upor
them, and when the dinner was over and
cleared away. and they were In the sitting
room with their books, there was a sense OF
dreary loss. and Mrs. Skinner sat with ths
bible open on her lap. and wondered why hs
had gone out and remsmbered that he hac
looked queer.
It was In c-onsonsnce with her habits Of
living that she got up In the middle OF thes,
tptSuihlAonh W ChtSn Whuuti luR hnu Do
lated Hy and induce him to be annihilated.
stranger she said, as It grew dark. III
take the children and go down to bis mother
and Zee II he Is there, and II he Is, I'll JUS
give him a piece of my mind"
But he was not there, and his mother sale
Lot had looked badly the last time sho raw
him. and she thought he seemed worried
hoped IL wasn't business troubles.
No, 1t wasn't business troubles; Mrs Skin
ner knew that, and she began to wonder Il
she had cleaned her husband out Of his mind
1t came over her with sudden force that shs
had been In the habit of driving him from pill
lar to post at railroad speed, and at tho enc
Of a broom or d~ust-bruxh. He actually
found no rest for the sols OF his foot In his
own house. 1t might have worked upon hi
nervous system until he had become suddenly
insane. Horrible thought He might have
committed suicide. -
She hurried home with the children AL
was gloom, She went to his bureau to lool
for his razor. II was the only FIRE arms h,
possessed-it was gone,
Then Mrs. Skinner broke down and cried
and the children cried, and 1t was indeed 4
scene Of Oscillation, when suddenly tho dooi
c6 that horrible parior opened, and an up
~paridon-it wss Mr.. Skinner himsclf-stood