Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-10-22
MRS.TRACY'S LESSON.

i
dinner dragged. Bridget had way OF
forgetting the coal :ire until it was so
far gone us to require lengthy petting
up in order to be in time for cooking.
Mrs. Tracy had to hurry to the kitchen
and do her best to hasten things for
ward.
"Never mind," she said to herself, as
she returned to the nursery, "HarYey
will probably he late. too. He usually
Is. I'm glad for once"
But, to her dismay, Harvey was even
then coming up the walk with q quick
step.
"Dinner ready, hope, Amy ?" he
said. "Business is pressing to-day"
"No, indeed, 1t is not" she said d,with
cloud spreading over her face. "It
really seems as though the only times
you ever come punctually are the days
when there is trouble in the kitchen"
1t did seem so. Harvey was so hab-
itually late at meal time that Mrs. Ira
cy felt justified in feeling very cross as
she again went to the kitchen, and af-
ter fifteen minutes of exertiOn, which
bore poor results in the ill-seryed din
ner, seated herself, hot and worried, at
the table, i'm mood which would have
prevented her enjoyment of much bet
ter repast.
"Did you get good seats ?" she ask
ed, after the children had been helped.
'Seats {? What seats 7? Bless me
if I've had thought of those seats
since I went away this morning. Pm
sorry, Amy, I'll step in on my way
down."
"Y'ou needn't. Mrs. Rice was here
little while ago, and she said every
good seat was taken two hours after
the plan was opened"
"I've been more than usually bother.
ed of late, Amy. I've been trying to
make arrangements to get safe for my
office, for / have a good many valuable
papers .and don't feel like risking them.
Fused all the morning, but still failed
of it. But I'll get the tickets for to-
morrow night"
@ "It will do no good. I had all my
arrangements made for tonight, and /
can't go out to morrow night"
The manner was more nngracious
than the words. Mr.. Tracy looked ap-
pealingly at her as he expressed bis real
regret for the carelessness which had
brought her such disappointment. He
had very tender appreciation of the
fact that his wife's cares were very
pressing and burdensome. She seldom
got out, and this missing of fine mus
ical entertainment was no light thing
to her..
There was no response to his apollo
gies. She was recalling the time, only
a few weeks since, when he had prom
lsed to 60 out with her, then had be-
come absorbed In business, sent her
hasty note TO say he could not dine at
home, and she had seen no more of him
until half-past ten at night. 1t is not
to be wondered at that the cloud on
Mrs. Tracy's face deepened. 1t reflect
ed itself on the faces of the three chill
dren, one of whom. after a few whimp-
ers of discomfort over the unsatisfacto-
ry dinner, was dismissed with sharp
words from his mother.
"Well, well ~ exclaimed Harvey a
few minutes later, impatiently pushing
away his plate, ''if man is to be treat
ed like a criminal because he has for
gotten some concert tickets, he'd better
look for pleasanter place than home. :"
He strobe away, leaving her, with
some reason, perhaps, to consider her.
self a very ill-used woman.
She was always busy about the house
or always trying to bring up arrears Of
sewing. Intervals of leisure for read.
ing or going out were rare, and always
becoming rarer. She was willingly CIV
| ing her best energies to the work of
making the most out of small means,
taking her full share in the struggle
which her husband was carrying on to
get a foothold in business. But she
was forgetting that husband and chill
dren should not be left to live by bread
alone-that they looked to her for some
thing more valuable than the mere
keeping of house. She was many a
time so wearied with her round of du-
ties i'm the care of their bodies that she
lost sight of their higher needs, not re-
alizing that smile or CHEEKY word
from her could 60 far toTard making
amends for much more serious house
hold failure than poorly cooked meal.
Her face was rapidly taking on look
of combined anxiety ard impatience,
and she was forgetting the sweetness of
loving forbearance toward little faults
and shortcomings.
"Tug, tug, tug" she said, fretfully
ssI'm tired of it all. Harvey has no
more thought of me than ii were
pack horse. How would he like it if
thought no more of his comfort than h'
does of mine, wonder"
The fretful mood and the fretful ex
preston fast coming to feel at home b.
lonr ;ndnloonco staved by her as tn