Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-06-05
Did You ever Notice it.
Kate Thorn, in the New York Weekly.

haIe morn, In tlle New 1Ork weekly.
Did you ever notice that whenever you
try to do any particular thing, there are
scores of obstacles at once rising up to
prevent you?
The very newspaper you want to save
because it contains something of import
ance, will be the identical one that Bridget
will select to start the fire with just ten
minutes before you begin to search for it.
The especial handkerchief you are look
ing for, is invariably at the bottom of the
pile, and you will have to muss up the
whole business before you can get at it.
The cake which you are kindly request
ed to make for your church supper and
which you feel very anxious should be a
perfect gem of cookery. because all the
other ladies will be there with their cakes,
and everybody will know just how every
cake looked, and where it first saw the
light of existence-that cake that you
agonize over, and watch through its bak-
ing incubation with tender care, will
''fall' the minute it comes out of the oven
and it wouldn be safe for tramp of a
yaller dog, with the stomach of an ostrich.
to eat it unless he felt prepared to stake
everything on single die! And you have
made cakes for years by that formula, and
never knew it to fail!
When you start out for a few calls, and
want to look just your prettiest and sweet
est, it either rains, or else fog comes up,
and takes the crimp out of your hair, and
makes your nose shiny, and you have hold
up your skirts and walk over the muddy
places on tiptoe, and Venus herself
couldn't look charming holding up her
skirts, and in mortal terror all the time
lest somebody should see her stockings
When you dress your baby all up in his
finest things, and take him over to Mrs.
AS to exhibit him, confident that he is a
much handsomer and better behaved baby
than Mrs. AS baby-that is the occasion
your baby will to have colicky spell, and
he will yell like little tiger; and foil all
attempts at showing him off; and you will
cut your call short, and Mrs. A. will be
profuse in her expression of sympathy for
the poor little thing" but if you could
hear the account of your baby she will give
the next caller, you would never speak to
her again.
When you think you will rummage that
attic, and pick things up, and you tie
your head up in a towel, and put on your
draggled old wrapper, and get into the
business up to your elbows, then your
minister, or the first lady of your neighbor-
hood, will call, and you nave to keep the
unwelcome visitor waiting while you
straighten yourself out, and get yourself
into condition to see anybody.
But you Just 60 and dress in your pretty
tea-gown, and sit in the parlor with a rose
in your hair, and wait for company you
stand fair chance of being gray-headed
before any one comes.
Are you going to a picnic? 1t will
surely rain.
fare you looking for special bargain
in spring dress? Somebody has just
purchased the very thing you wanted,
Are you hurrying to 60 somewhere.
with Just FIVE minutes margin in which
to catch train? That is the time when
your boot buttons elect to come off, and
you can't find your bonnet pin, and your
vail turns up missing, and the man calls
to see to the cistern, and the pet cat has a
fit, and Bridget scalds herself and little
Jim cuts his finger, and amid the crash of
worlds, you hear the triumphant whistle of
the train, which seems to rejoice at having
gone without you.
Everything is at cross purposes in this
life. You will remember that one of the
wise ones of antiquity made the remark;
When | would do good, evil is present
with me-"
And what was true then, is equally true
to-day. And what are we going to do
about it?
There is but one way-take things as
they come, and be thankful they are no
worse.