The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1891-03-28
She Resigned.

"You see how it is, my dear" he sal,
taking her soft hand which had neve
done very hard work, and patting it 70.
assuringly. "im poor-only thousand {
year, desr-aud we shall have q struggle
to get along at first
II don't nina that in the least" she in
terrupted, stoutly.
"And." he pursued, graciously having
allowed her interruption, I'VE shall have
to come down to strict economy. But il
you only manage as my mother does, WI
shall pull through nicely"
"And how does your mother manage,
deal? 7" she asked, smiling. but very happy
at the notion of the mother-in-law crop
ping out already.
Il don't know" replied the lover, radi-
| antly, "but she manages to have every
thing neat and cheerful, and something
delicious to eat-and she does it all her
self, you knowl So We always get along
beautifully. and make both ends meet. and
father and | have plenty of spending
money. You see when woman is al
ways hiring her laundry work done, and
her gowns and bonnets made, and her
scrubbing and stove black ng done, and all
that sort of thing-whv, it just walks into
\ man 81 come and takes his breath away"
The young woman looked for . moment
as if her breath was also inclined for a
vacation; but she wisely concealed her
dismsy, and, being one of the stout hearted
Ut the earth, she determined to learn q
few things of Johns mother, so she went
to her house for long visit the very next
day. Upon the termination OF this visit,
one fine morning John .received-+e his
blank amazemant, q package containing
bis engagement ring, accompanied by the
following letter:
II have learned how your mother man
ages, aud am going to explain it to you
since you confessed you don't know. l
find she is wife, . another. q housekeeper,
. business manager, hired girl, . ]aun-
dress, . Seamstfess, member and patcher,
. dairy maid, cook, . nurse, a kitchen
gardener, and general slave for = family
of Eve. She works from Eve in the
morning nil ten at night; and almost
wept wht kissed her hand-it was so
hard and wrinkled and corded and I'M
kissed! When saw her polishing the
stove carrying big buckets of water and
great armfuls of wood, often splitting the
latter, asked her why John didn't do
such things for her. 'Why-John'-she
said in trembling. bewildersd way-'he
works in the Office from niue until four,
you know, and when he comes home he is
very tired: or eise-or else-he goes down
town. Nov, have become strongly i'm
bued with the conviction that do not care
TO be SO good manager as your mother.
''If the wife must do all sorts of drudg-
cry, SO must the husband; if she must
cook, he must carry the wood; If she
must scrub, he must carry the water: if
she must make butter, he must milk the
cows. You have allo we'd YOUR mother to
do everything, and all that you have to
say of her is that she is an excellent man
sg-r.' do not care for such reputation.
unless my husband earns the name also;
and judging from your lack of considera-
zion for your mo her, am quite sure you
are notlhe. man Thought you were, or
Dne whom would care to marry. AS the
son is, the husband is,' is the safe and
happy rule to io,lOv. =
kAo6S6e letter closed, and John pondered
-SAd he is bordering yet.-Selected