Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-12-26
There May Be Knowledge Not
Worth the Purchase.

mot happym cried Mrs Secor, in
genuine amazement, as she sat look
ing ut the pretty rose-cheelked bride
who had been her graduating scholar"
six months before. and who had now
attained to the dignity of a wedding
ring and the prefix Of Mrs"
''Im the most wretched creature in
the world" said Lally Vane, crushing
back a great historical lump out of
her throat, so that the dry-goods clerk
who stood on the opposite side of the
counter showing Mrs. Secor some
domestic sheetings," should not sur
mise her inward disturbance.
"Lally,n said the good lady pre-
ceptress of St. Sigmund's Academy,
''are you in earnest?"
"Never was more SO in my life, "
dolorously answered Mrs. Vane, pre-
tending to be absorbed in the fringe of
pile of toweling. I've only come
up to town because / couldn't be happy
down in the country"
But your husband?"
ooh, he's all right, responded the
bride. ''Only, of course, he can't re-
spect me- now that he sees what a
wretched nonentity he has married. "
Mrs Secor paid for her goods, wrote
out the address to which they were to
be sent, and hen. taking Mrs. Vane's
arm, led her out into the bright, spark
ling autumn air, and looked her full in
the face.
Now, Lally," said she, tell me
what all this means"
The young creature threw her arms
passionately about the old lady's neck.
''Oh, dear! Mrs. Secor!' she cried
out, 'why didn't you teach me to make
bread and pies, and churn butter, and
weave rag carpet instead of loga-
rithms, and guitar practice, and an
cient history? I'm failure, Mrs. Secor
"a dead failure in life My mother
in-law says that I'm no better than
wax doll, and she's right. And if l
knew of any way to help Joe to a di-
vorce, I'd do it. y
oh" said Mrs. Secor, beginning
dimly to comprehend matters, II see.
You don't succeed as a housekeeper. /"
That's it. exactly" said Lally.
The griddlc-cakes burn, and the bread
is scorched, and the rice pudding
tastes smoky, and the recipes aOont
come right. and my plum pudding
looks like mud. Oh, dear!-and Joe's
cousin, Melissa, is impertinent, all be-
cause she knows what little silly stu
pid l amir
''My DEAR" said Mrs. Secor, ''all
this IS very foolish of you. There is
no reason that you should not acquaint
yourself thoroughly with housekeep-
ing. The same brain that conquered
mathematics and mastered history
need not quail before few details APP
pertaining to porcelain kettles and
spice boxes"
"Ah! but" sighed Lally, you don't
know how hard it is. y
Try" said Mrs. Seeor. Put your
whole soul into it. Determine that
you WiU succeed.
So Mrs. Vane went back, "deter-
mined to succeed!''
Meanwhile. Joe Vane. the handsome,
warm hearted young Hercules of
husband, was pleading his wife's cause
with the domestic Vehmgericht at
home
"She is so young, you know" said
he"
"She's twenty said old Mrs. Vane,
Medusa-like female, with high check
bones, and light blue eyes like balls OF
steel; land when / was twenty | did
the whole work of your fathers farm.
Joseph, and had twins into the bar
gain"
"And sho's inexperienced, too"
added Joe; 'just out of boarding.
school. you must remember. -
''StutT and nonsenseP" said Miss Me-
LISA, the elderly cousin, who had been
disappointed when Joe married the
pretty young girl instead of her au-
tumnal self lis woman expected to
be set on the mantel-tree and covered
up with a glass shade? Folks has got
to work. say |, if they expect to eat"
ave are none of US human butter
flies, " said grandmother, mildly; land
if your wife really loves you, Joseph,
it will be her greatest pleasure to save
your money and study your interests. "
Joe whistled in an unconcerned sort
of way Lally was Lally, he thought
not Melissa, nos grandmother, nor yet
old Mrs. Vane.
I'D rather hire a girl" said he, ITO
help her"
Hire a girlr' shrieked the three
women in chorus. Hire girl to do
the work of this small family Is the
man crazy? Why shouldn't your wife
work as well as Deacon Peabody's wife
or Captain Zeke Johnson's wife, or
any other Of the farmers wives around
bere?"
"She's different, you know" said
Joe, somewhat abashed by the general
outcry of rcmonstrance.
Hes setting up an idol, and falling
down to worship it," groaued Miss
Melissa.
Its downright sinful sighed
grandmother.
Joseph. do try and be little res-
sonable." argued Mrs. Yane.
And between them all. they so be-
wildered poor Joseph that he had not
a word of remonstranee to utter when
Lally came home and put on a huge