The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-04
A DOMESTIC CHRONICLE.
How Mr.. Cavendish Came to Re-
alize the Error Of His WAYS.

alize the Error of His Ways.
"Well. my DEAR" said Mr.. Cavendish,
entering his wife's room, eve sent that
girl of yours about her business
Mrs. Cavendish looked up with start.
She was buttoning Bob's apron, patient
ly following him about the room as he
frisked after the cat
"What?" said she, in a dismaved
voice.
81 spoke distinctly enough, didn't L?
have discharged-Lucy"
"What for, James?"
"Insolence; that's all.'
''But Lucy never could have been in
solent," pleaded Mrs. Cavendish, twitch-
ing off the last button from Bob's apron
in her perturbation.
ooh, couldn't she, though? 1 just
wish you had been there, that's all.''
''What did she say, James?"
81 told her she was half an hour be-
hind with breakfast and asked her what
she meant by it, and she told me she
was doing the best she could and
couldn't do better if all the world de-
pended upon it,
''But, James, the poor girl is nearly
frantic with toothache this morning."
81 can't help that; she has no bust
ness to answer me impudently. It
wasn't the words so much-it was the
manner"
''Poor Lucy! And you have discharged
herr'
'That's you all over" said Mr.. Caven-
dish, angrily. 81 believe you'd take
anybody elses part against me. Yes,
of course l discharged her. 1 told her
to have her things outside of the house
in two hours or I'd fling them out of the
window"
"Bu1o, James, what am to do?" said
Mrs. Cavendish, who had by this time
captured Ethel, the second child, and
was buttoning her boots with nervous
rapidity. ''With one of my sick head
aches coming on, and Willie and Pen
down with the measles. and not soul
to lift hand for me!''
"That's pretty question to ask"
said Mr.. Cavendish, standing with his
hands in his pockets. zone would think
you women were made of sugar or salt
nowadays. My mother had ten children
-ten-and did every stroke of work for
'em herself year in and year out; and
here you make such a rumpus because
you happen to be left without servant
for twentyfour hours-because, of
course, l shall expect to stop at Virgins
and send you up a Swede or Norwegian
this afternoon"
81.
James," said she, "Lucy was the
best girl l have ever had. You should
not have sent her out of the house in
this way. How would you like it if 1
went down to your wholesale boot and
shoe place and discharged your clerks?'
81 should say you did perfectly right"
returned Cavendish, 'if they answered
you impertinently. Now don't SWIVEL!
If there is any thing 1 hate it is a scene.
I'll go downstairs and boil the coffee
myself-any one can make coffee-and
you hurry down with the children as
soon as you can. There's plenty of
bread and butter and cold boiled ham,
anyhow. Nobody ever starved on that"
MIR. Cavendish had 'camped out" a
good deal during his bachelor days,
and succeeded in preparing a remark
ably good pot of coffee. The bread and
butter and cold ham were not bad OF
their kind, but the children cried aloud
for milk. The Cavendishes kept cow,
and the milk had not yet been brought
in.
"And that is what kept Lucy!' invol-
unfairly cried Mrs. Cavendish.
CONDENSED milk is good enough for
anybody" asserted Mr.. Cavendish.
But Bob and Ethel declined to drink
1t on any terms.
''Starve 'em to it," said the father,
drinking his hot coffee in prodigious
gulps. Healthy children have no bust
ness to be dainty"
And he caught up his hat and ulster
and made Decline for the train.
Mrs.. Cavendish looked piteously
around at the disordered table, the ash
choked fire, the general desolation OF
the room. Her headache was gradually
working itself up to the supreme mo-
ment of desperation. The children
above stairs were crying for breakfast;
Bob was sailing his shoe in the cedar
pail of water; Ethel was feeding the
kitten from the can of condensed milk.
MA" piped up Bob, there's tramp
at the kitchen windery"
But it was no tramp. 1t was Miles,
the stableman.
sob, Miles, l am so glad!" said Mrs.
Cavendish. "You have brought US the
milk"
81 haven't that, num-" said Miles.
THE cows lost, an it amt mesef is go
ing to track her through tho swamps an
boys. If the master wants his COW took
care of he's got to pay me dollar week
more wages"
Got to, Miles?"
"Yis'mw boldly retorted the man. II
amt to be put upon no longer. DR..