The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-02-22
WEDNESDAY. FEB. %. 1898.
CRUEL FRIENDS.
How Dear and Loving Woman Tried
Mothers Patience.

How Dear and Loving Woman Tried a
Mothers Patience.
In no respect are the friends outside
thesanctuary of home crueler than in act
ing upon the conviction that what Mrs.
Stowe defines as terms of undress init
macy" with us justifes them in parcel
ling out our time to suit their conven-
fence and pleasure. Women are most
unconscionable in this species of torture.
Men have been slaves to business for so
many centuries that the masculine guest
or neighbor, albeit favorite crony, has
a giimmering appreciation of the fact
that his associates must have time in
which to earn living. The cruelest of
friends is the woman who does nothing
in particular and at no particular time
and is so fond of you, who have a spe-
cific occupation and set hours for carry
ing it on, that she cannot be happy away
from you and finds the day sayorless
which has not been sailed by comfort
able talk between you and herself.
A very fiend of affectionate barbarity
was a rich and idle woman who chose
az her bosom friend the busy wife of a
city clergyman and the mother Of five
children OF these children she was also
the governess until the boys were ready
for the college preparatory school and
sent her three girls from the family
schoolroom to Smith and Vassar. She
judged rightly that she would lay the
foundation rudiments of thorough schol-
arship more conscientiously than hired
instructors and enjoyed the noble task.
Her husbands pensioners were cog
infant of her expressed desire that that
part of the day lying between and
/ o'clock should be devoted to her pupils,
and, to the credit of those who did not
aspire to the honor of such intimacy at
the rectory as might warrant reversal of
household arrangements itmay be stated
that her eccentricity in this regard was
generally respected.
The wealthiest vestryman's wife, by
virtue of her peculiar attachment to the
industrious housemother, spurned regu-
iations not of her own making and de-
clared her independence by word and
deed. The rector's wife loved her for her
many excellent qualities and valued her
answering esteem. think, neverthe-
less, that Mephistopheles would have
been more welcome apparition than
the smiling yisage that presented itself
twice or thrice each week at the study
door with the coaxing apology:
II know you can't bear morning calls,
but I was actually furnishing for
glimpse of you. Ill just sit over here in
the corner with my fancy work and new
er lisp syllable-just feast my eyes and
ears. The children don't mind the pres
ence of mammals dearest friend"
The children did mind, and mamma
more than they, an intruder who dis
tracted eyes and thoughts and embar
raised recitations none the less for the
frequency of the visitation. A gravel
stone in the shoe is one of the minor ills
of the daily walk to which the flesh is
slow to become reconciled. A common
acquaintance could have been denied at
the outer entrance, or had she reached
the penetralia could have been bowed
out into the drawing room. An uncom-
mon friend grappled with the sufferer at
fatally short distance. Marion Har-
land in Harper's Bazaar.