The Progress., 1892-12-17
A CHRISTMAS IN The NORTHWEST



IA Christmas draws near am i'h''i'"-
ed of aCh, stmas dining "" gave severn
vaors ooo. witch has oTectnally enh'"'
the halIpved memories that were "on'
,o cliug.to this s.lcrod day, and which mas
,nade every Christmas siuce an uhp''"T
ant reminder 0f tlat day = ."inpar'ase
meuts.
!, ,yasai,o,,t thu time the newspapers
were giving writer's 'C's oi sVA ~ ''' ""
,,ssinp the question. is Marrisae rdn-
,,r,.s'. and,riy husbands bat"h"tor ii'e'''S
,.,,o s.rauely cougratulsting themselves
,,,., ,h.v ~, n, not personally iwplicateh
i'm the solution Of this .nomeu'"''s 9u'f-
tion. -,.,,,
.,d v.a must have those bachelors to
dinner aud prove TO them clat iha''''Se
was a grand success. the very ACME VI
human bliss-in our casss, at r'"e'
Thos. snntIemen had diued and supped
aud h.e,, "A, our house many, many tunes
h.fore nn,t we were fired with len III
.,,.half of uatrimSnv now, aLo this odi
,ng was tn kave special signlicance
4 fairly DNllltu WIN l''''
deuplated my part IN II all ! ""T
bapreforth Ia wear the laurels OF modei
.housaLeeper. wife afid mother, asd my
tb,sly,t ds devotion 10 me was III las'
ooinp To look fpasonsbe to Lhuse sen
.aatisti,,d. smiling bachelor friends "ho
,.yoraad their married rhums as untOf-
.unate a, ndsd lelncs. and altogethea'
Saw ltnlnous possibilities III aH tue ~
tails Of that days success
NV cook and my lrsby beth took SICK
weak before Christmas. and preparations
for that diuner hung like pail over me.
NV husband suggested ihat Se ORDER our
dinner from an bOtel, or resciud the III
vitatiop. b,n both of these arrangements
seemed 10 aanihilate our zeal in behalf
of matlimopy Those bachelors coul
and lid order all OF their meals at the
hest hotel In the city. aud 20 demonstrate
that marriage WAS an eminent 'sicrtss
ave must neither order that dinner nor
revoke our invitation. The m0del hoiIse-
keeper. wife. aud mother. should se su-
uerIor 10 pet,t.s difficulties. never had
aspined 90 that before, ooly IN my nus
bands estimation. aLd at auy other ihe
would have ordered that dinner hs a
matter Of course. But two days re-
manned now. aud told my husband not
20 he uneasy, nurse girl living -in the
peishborhood was coming TO help me.
She came and we mpde wonderful pre-
pre,s ON the dinner; got cakes. sauces.
geiatine, boiled ham, and such ~ that OH
of hand. and by Christmas Eve had
everything else all ready for tie NOR
rows cooking. Baby had sleepless
n,ghi and by morning required 10 oi
attention--so 80 did the dinner and my raw
recruit ofs servant. hut grew brave
as the difIleulih sdeepened aud gave my
self up 10 baby, maid aud the dinner.
ANYTHING was better than defent. Maid
and dinner got 60 where they seemed
sufiieIent for each other, 40 decided
now was my chance 10 rock baby TO
sleep. even sang soft, dreamy air TO
baby aud felt that faced victory over
manifold dscouragements, but ere long
the dreamy mir tusted bitter. and II
seemed 20 me needed some fresh mir 10
bellows that tune n meant to keep IL
going. Then IL dawned upon me that
that ,tiiirr odor come from NV dinner
which 50 excl ed me I almost dropped
poor baby in nv mad rush tO arrest any
further q. maze to thoss burning dainties
Baby came back from dreamland with a
yell of protest, but | kept right on 10 the
kitchen nor stopped 20 consider anything
tiil I had removed those precious eatn-
bles well on OF the stove: aud then
looked around foi my raw recruit who
was LETT there 10 protect that dinner
from the ruinous ravagos OF too much
fire. But she had run home for her curl
ing tongs and had repaired 10 the dresser
ana was coolly curling her bangs by n
lighted lamp. When | reproached her
for leaving the kitchen she said she
wanted 10 look nice so she could capti-
vate one of the gentlemen. who was quite
magnate and millionaire.
with some Of the dinner burnt. a cry
ing baby growing more fretful every
minute aud n sentimental servant girl on
my hands, I felt that some things weren't
a snceess after aIl-notably, white ser
want gifis and getting up dinners while
baby was cutting her eye-teeth.
didn't have time TO moralize, how
ever. the gentlemen would come now in
fifteen minutes. aud must hurry, 40
hurried, and was once more feeling that
things might be worse. when nv raw re
cruit startled me by saying that she
couldn't serve dinner. she ihcught had
better do that as she wanted 10 catch the
millionaire. she had. been nurse girl
among her own class OF people and knew
no dlstinctions between mistress aud