Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-03-05

You can imagine much better than / can
describe Mrs. Lawson's feelings when the
open door revealed to her astonished case,
not the familiar dirty visage of John
Grimes, but the handsome smiling counte-
nance Of their new minister She retreated
a step, then stood smiling in silent dismay
az the unexpected visitor Mr.. Lawson and
the boys scrambled up and pat on their
coats, while Mary Jane added to the general
interest of the scene by pouring a stream
Of hot water on the back of the sleeping
cat, which started in a straight line for the
door, Mr.. Dent involuntarily stepping aside
TO let her pass
At this critical juncture Mrs. Lawson's
wits returned to her Stepping forward,
she shook hands with Mr.. Dent, assuring
hlin that it made no difference, and that
she was real glad to see him-a breach Of
truth, by the way, for which she suffered
many conscience pang.
Mr. Lawson blundered promptly after
her, and was likewise called to account by
his conscience. Sam took the minister's
hat and coat and deposited them on the
dusty table in the next ROOM while his
brother obligingly moved along to make
room for the plate, knife and fork which
Mary Jane brought from the cupboard,
where she had run to take down her curl
papers
Mr.. Dent saw through it all at once. His
experience in boarding houses and as zone
of the family" had been wide and varied,
and included more than one presentation
Of the worst as well as the best foot He
felt sorry for them all, especially the pretty
young girl, whose red face and downcast
eyes told how keenly she felt the awkward
Qf ia in VIII 4
lessness had put them. Nevertheless he
managed to make a hearty meal. The
plain bread and fresh, sweet butter, the
cold, juicy meat and simple sauce were a
great deal more TO his taste than the
heavy, indigestible food to which he had
been accustomed Of late.
Little it mattered to him Just then that
the tablecloth was awry, besides bearing
the marks Of several days usage; that the
cup which Mary James trembling hand
passed him had lost its handle in some past
conflict; that the butter dish bore evidence
of having been used at the two preceding
meals, and that the meat dish had cracks
enough to render it almost sacred in the
eyes of the china collectors.
Their embarrassment and efforts TO keep
up conversation were so evident that Mr..
Dent concluded it would be an act of mercy
to shorten his visit as much as possible; SO.
shortly after tea, he shook hands all round.
and was escorted to the door by Mr. Law
son, who, for the first time in his remem-
brance, was heartily glad to see guest out.
The next morning the boys saw that
their mother and sister, who had sat up
talking the night before long after the
Others were in bed, both had on clean
dresses and aprons; also that Mary Jane
had forgotten to put her hair in paper, and
that her eyes and nose were red and swollen
as though she had been crying.
With presentiment of something they
hardly knew what, they hurried home the
moment school was out. They found the
kitchen empty, but the door between it
and the dining room was open, and going
in in search of their mother they saw. much
TO their establishment, a pretty. white
draped table, with a row of chairs placed
invitingly round it. A second glance re-
vealed the fact that the best dishes were
all there, even to the cherished celery
glasses.
Il wonder who's come? Not the minis
ter again, hope" and Sam tiptoed about.
and then peeped cautiously into the hall.
faint a man anyway, for there's no hat
but fathers old straw, that's been hanging
there since Kingdom Gomez
Continuing his investigation, he crossed
the hall and glanced round the parlor A
fire was burning pleasantly, but the cat
was the only occupant TO be seen.
Meantime johnny had been counting the
plates, and when Sam returned from his
tour he was met with the
information that there was nobody coming
after all, for there were only five plates.
''What does it all mean, anyhow" was
the question which the boys lips and Mr..
Lawsons eyes asked as they all gathered
round the table.
cit means" said Mrs. Lawson. with a
glance at her daughter 'that Mary Jane
and have talked it over, and have deter
mined that we will never he caught again
as we were last evening So from this time
forward we are going to regard ourselves
as company We win use all our house in
stead Of the kitchen only. eat the best food
and wear the very best clothes that we can
afford, and when our friends come they
shall have as good but no better than we
have ourselves. l think we'll all be hap
pier for the change, and We'll have no fear
of last nights experience being repeated"
Presently the gossips of Woodleigh be
gan to say among themselves that the
Lawsons were getting some high notions
in their heads They always sat in their
parlor in the evening, so it was said, and
their dining room carpet was getting badly
scuffed 1t was also a settled fact that
Mary Jane put on her brown cashmere and
white apron every day when the work was
done up, and that Mrs. Lawson managed
to be neat and tidy even on wash days.
SO different from what it used to be, you
know. These bits Of gossip, carefully
gathered up and neatly put together, went
from lip to lip, and in the course Of time
made the circuit of Mrs. Dodd's tea table.
Mr.. Dent listened, smiled knowing smile,
and said something himself which l won't
repeat though ! know very we'll what it
was.
A year later he had tea with the Lawsons
again. A few friends were also gathered
around the table, and beside him, blushing
and lovely in her simple white dress, with
orange flowers in her hair and a wedding
ring on her finger, sat Mary Jane, who had
taken the vows of wife one short hour be-
fore.
At first Mr.. Lawson thought the mar
riage of his only daughter must be a grand
affair, and talked Of invitations and orders
to the florist and confectioner. But Mary
Jane, in whose mind the lesson Of a year
ago was still fresh, begged with hot cheeks
and burning eyes:
DON'T please don't, fatheri never could
look John in the face again il you made all
that fuss.n
And so it happened that the rooms wore
their old homely, pleasant look, and that
the table, with the exception of the huge
BRIDES cake, with a pair of clasped hands,
presented no unusual appearance on that
pleasant autumn night, when the Lawsons
gave away their daughter and John Dent