Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-08-14

heart sensitive to sadness as to joy,"
encountered the sparkling face of his
wife, and saw her arrayed in the
freshest and most graceful costume in
the room. She was moving quietly
along with an escort in uniform.
"Pray don't stumble" said his
partner, petulantly, for at'that mo-
ment the grand repose of her manner
was gone, and the lady on his arm
might have been made of wax or,
any other ductile material, for all he
cared, now.
elbow the dickens came she here?"
he muttered to himself, as he led his
partner, absently to seat, deaf to all
her pretty words, blinded to her fasci-
nations,
at certainly is Alice-bu that dress
the prettiest thing here! And
left her quite determined not to come.
don't understand it. Dancing with
that military puppy, Guinette, too!
she knows / hate him!"
With these amiable thoughts, he
laid himself out to gain the attention
of his wife and make her explain.
1t was some time before he had
chance, so he was obliged to content
himself with following her graceful
motions, angry with himself, and
with her.
"Alice! Can believe my eyes?"
he said at last, in the pause of the
dance.
81 should think you might" was
the nonchalant reply.
"Pray, how did you Gomez"
"Pray how did you come? / rode.
Did you walk?"
"Well, but"
"Excuse me. l am engaged four
deep, already" and Herbert was
forced to move one side as pompous
acquaintance claimed her hand.
"Td like to knock that fellow
down." he muttered, angry in earn
est.
Another pause, and other tete-a-
tete. dissatisfaction given. Herbert
had hardly the grace to redeem all of
his dancing engagements. a
GLOW about the baby, Alice?' he
asked anxiously. r
She put her rosy lips to his ear, and
in subdued voice, exclaimed:
"Hang the babyw Uego
Herbert started and changed color.
To be sure, he had used the same Ian
guage; but from her it was too exas-
perating. How he got through the
evening hecould hardly tell. When
at last they were together in the car
riage, driving home, there might
have been an open rupture but for the
determined calmness of Alice, who
took everything as matter ofcourse.
One glance in the beautiful nursery
unsealed his eyes. There, by the
fire, sat Mabel, in all the abandon of
q negligee toilet, her luxuriant tresses
falling in glossy freedom over her
shoulders, while the little fellow on
her lap clutched at one long, shining
curl, crowed and laughed as we'll as
he could for aunty's smothering
kisses.
A sudden revulsion of feeling came
to the fathers heart at the sight of
sweet home picture.
"Aha! / know who contrived the
plotw he said. "But / am glad to
see you, nevertheless"
wasn't she the belle of the ball?n
asked Mabel, sacuily.
"There's no doubt of that. AT any
rate, l didn't get a change to dance
with her."
"Of course. Who ever heard in
society of dancing with ones wifew
she said, sarcastically. 81 see that
she followed my directions implicitly.
You must learn that a house divided
against itself cannot stand-that is, if
one half is flirting at party, and the
other half at home crying her eyes
out"
ooh, Alice-were you, really?"
81 should think she was. l can
assure you that myself saw half the
house dissolved in tears-and so
wretched that
"Oh, Mabel, do hushr' said Alice,
imploringly."
"Traitor, do you turn on me?" ex-
claimed Mabel, with mock displeas-
ure.
"My child" she went on, tossing
the growing cherub, "tell your selfish
papa, that he, also, has some obliga-
tons, and that, if you had known