The Press., 1894-08-30

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 Mrs. Howard pulled off the dress waist she was fitting, threw it impatiently uHs the cutting table, and removing lot of pins from lser mouth thrust them violent. ly into the pineushion.
 II despise trying on dress even when I have a dress-maker, but it's ten times- worse when haven't. know I'll never get that shirring right if I work al it a week." she said, angrily.
 A knock at the door interrupted her.
 ''Come in.'' she said, in voice far from amiable. "Oh, I'm so glad it is, you, Mrs. Thayer. You're such an ext pert. I am sure you can tell me just what to do with this aggravating dress. | declare feel as if"-but her face bright ened as she saw her friend.
 Mrs. Thayer took off her gloves, and with skillful fingers soon had the refrac-' tory shirring in perfect order. E
 "There." 7" she said, cit is all right now, and looks as neat as pin. I'd fit the collar on for you, too, but Pm in hurry. Pm on my way to our w. c. T. U. meet ing, and want you to go with me. Won't you?"
 ''Really can't, Mrs. Thayer. I'm so rushed with my sewing hardly have time to breathe properly"
 "And you probably don't know how, even if you had time," said Mrs. Thayer, smilingly.
 "What do you mean ?" Mrs. Howard asked, rather resentfully.
 "Just what I said, my dear, and my mission is to take you where you can learn to breathe correctly and to live right gen. erally. Its hygiene day, you know"
 "Oh, dear! how foolish you folks are. Just as if breathing isn't part of our ex- istenoe. And, as to regulating my living, I'm sure few of you are better housekeep- CTS than I. Cleanliness and fresh air are hobbies with me, you know, so you'd bet ternoon. Besides, I'm too nervous to sit still at meeting. I've worked with that dress till I'm ready to fly all to pieces."
 That's the very reason you ought to put your sewing away and go with me. The rest would do you good. Then, too, you would gain information aside from cleanliness znd ventilation. There's J6 be 8 paper on child-culture. Every moth- CT ought to be interested in that"
 "Now, Mrs. Thayer, it's no use urging, Pm not going to your temperance meet ings. I don't believe in them. I think the best place for women is at home, at tending to their own business. I teach my boy not to drink, nor lie, nor swear, and that's as much as any of you do. There's plenty of women who need re- forming, but I'm not one of them"
 Mrs. Thayer's beaming face clouded as she said: "There are few of us who do not need reforming in some direction"
 At that moment the door was thrown open and eight-year-o Roy rushed nois- fly into the room.
 Mamma, can't bring Earl Evans in- to the sitting-room l want to show him
 
 full of pleading.
 'No, you can't! Pm not going to have everything upset and tumbled about by 8 lot of boys."
 "But, mamma, we won't upset things. I'll put the game away when we're thro' with it. Please, mamma, let us!"
 "Indeed, I'll do no such thing. There would be mud all over the carpet, even if you did put your things away. Not an- other word! Go right along out of the house and play. You can't hurt anything on the streets, unless it is yourselves" :" said Mrs. Howard, irritably.
 The boy opened his lips as if to speak, but his mothers threatening looks intim- idated him. Slamming the door, he call- ed back, angrily: "You never will let a fellow have any fun, for fear of upsetting the house or spelling the old carpets"
 Mrs. Towards face turned scarlet. "Td call him back and spank him, if he hadn't run off so fast," she said, as the sound of clattering feet down the stair way was followed by the banging of the hall door.
 Mrs. Thayer's heart began to thump violently, for she felt she must speak, even though she vexed her friend.
 "Yet you said only few minutes ago that you taught your boy not to tell lies. "
 "Well, and so I dol" Mrs. Howard said, sharply.
 'Then why punish him for telling the truth? You do seem to value the order and tidiness of your house more than your child's happiness. I scarcely ever come here that you do not send him out of the house to keep him from upsettfng things. And when you thus deprive a boy of home happiness you defraud him of his most precious heritage. If he finds his pleasures on the streets or in worse places he is almost sure to come under pernicious influences, so while you are keeping youl house so immaculate your child's soul may become soiled and pol | luted.'
 Mrs. Thayer spoke rapidly, in her earn estness saying more than she had intend | ed
 Mrs. Towards face turned from scarlet to white heat of anger. 'fY.ou let your fanatical ideas run away with your good sense and your politeness," she said, | frigidly. "When I desire your advice concerning my household affairs and my child's training, I'll ask for it."
 Forgive me! could not help It." l Mrs. Howard drew herself up haught- | fly. Perhaps it would be well to drop this conversation before 1t becomes too