The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-12
Maria'S Trouble Cured.

i Maria came along the shore through
the clear, cool air of the Maine seacoas
summer morning. Her sun-bonne
was pulled over her face she was cry
ing.
! "Well, Maria," said her aunt, as the
young woman entered. chow are you
and how is Ben ?'
"Ben has golie off mad" said Maria
tossing off her sun-b bonnet. "Ee
grows more and more cross every day
| begin to think | must leave him."
Tut, tut, child ! Don't talk sop
replied her aunt. Leave him, in
deed He is your husband, remember
and smart, good principled man he
is, too, and he was u quiet, pleasant
tempered young man when he lived
with us. What ails him now, my
! dearw
"He said he didn't know when he
married me that he married sloven," "
the young woman sobbed, then added
spitefully, land 1 didn't know that I
married a scold. He is Just hateful,
and / will leave him if he keeps on
So"
"Maria," said'her aunt gravely, "I
want you to listen TO me. You have
complained that I seldom come 10 see
you, to make any stop. l will now tell
you why I have not come. When ]
stayed with you while your uncle was
away, saw how you kept your house,
and | wondered how Ben, brought up
to such very different ways, could bean
it. But at that time, he was still too
much in love with your pretty face to
mind other thingo. | was sure, though
that this coul.l not always last. IGnr
uncle and / have often worried about
you, for we saw trouble was in your
future. 1t has begun to come, but if
you will bravely and faithfully do your
duty you can escape the worst of it,"
"I'm sure l don't know what you
mean, auntle. I've tried to be a good,
true wife, I am sure.n'
ayes, my dear; you shall be cred
tied with that, but you must become a
good, neat house keeper, too, if you
would have the respect of your hus-
band. Now, let me tell you how you
keep house. You leave open your
closet doors while you sweep; you
neglect to hang clean towels on the
rack; you set your milk anywhere,
subject to dust and all sorts of smells /;
you do not keep Ben in plenty of clean
clothes, well mended his buttons are
all off; he can seldom find comb or
brush, nor an empty chair to sit down.
He never had a. real, relishing break
fast and his supper was when he could
catch it. The dishes felt rough, and
often smelled of sour dish cloth. for
you use little water you don 't/Scrape
your dishes, nor even your milk-pall,
that is set first in the barn yard and
next into your sink; you hang your
dish-cloths and wipers all unrised,
anywhere to dry, or not to dry, as they
are stiff and sour. You cook tea and
coffee till they are unfit to give even to
pigs, and you kill your bread and
cakes with soda. In your sleeping
room you have ribbons. and laces, and
gloves, and shirt-colIars, and stockings
and combs, and handkerchiefs, face
paint and powder, soap and letters,
brushes, wash-rags, wet towels and
hair pins, well mixed with feathers,
fans and other things Oh the table,
the stand, and in the drawers, while
hats, manlles, and silk and muslin
dresses are flung Oh the unmade beds.
| could not stand this two weeks,
Maria. How can man, brought up
as Ben was, stand it for years ?"
Not one word of answer made Ma
ria, whose bright cheeks and brighter
eyes were flaming. She caught her
sun-bonnet, clapped it owes her eyes,
and away she fled.
"Provoked enough ~ said auntie,
gazing smillngly after the hurrying
form "but hope the truth will do
the child good. ''She's good d-hearted
girl, after all"
Maria made all haste home. Her
first move was to set on the stove q pot
full of water. Starting the fire, she
drove out the flies, brushed out and
closed the closets then after gather
ing the dirty dishes in piles, she swept
the floor. BY this time the water was
hot. When she had faithfully washed
scalded, and hung out in the yard her
,lish-wipers, she ran upstairs, made
her bed and set everything iii the
room in order, putting her husbands $
things all byl themselves. FahjamlE
took his dinners away from home, so
Maria had plenty of tinae to carry on
her reform.
When he come home that evening
she had an excellent supper ready for
him, and as he looked round the we'll
ordered room in much surprise, she,
seated on a lounge, said in low tones
that slightly rembled, 81 mean to ~.
better Maria Mus"rave, Ben, than |
have ever yet been" His handsome
face frightened like u sun burst after
storm, as he seated himself beS,lc her.
N. Y. Evangelist.