The aegis & intelligencer., 1895-04-19
Miscell
AN ARCADIAN DREAM.

I =
said the young wife, sobbing. "Bere-
nice is a name for a princess or coun-
tess. Peggy or Polly would do we'll
enought for receiving orders through
the kitchen speakingtube. And what
was the use of making up my mind to
be an old mans darling rather than a
young mans slave when it turns out
like this ?''
"But it can turn out just as you
say, my DEAR said Mrs. Royal.
"Give me the particulars. More is to
be gained by submission than revolt,
especially when the husband is much
older than the wife,
Submit p cried young Mrs. Fisher.
| "No, | will never do that-never
Do you suppose l married a rich man
| to do the housework /"
LET me hear the particulars, Bere-
nice" repeated Mrs. Royal.
"Well, mamma" said young Mrs.
Fisher, "you know | went into Il
| house full of servants-excellento ones,
| too. Josiah was very affectionate, as
| he always is. and all he asked me to
| do was to tie his cravat, and pin a
rose into his buttonhole, and go to the
door and throw kisses to him of a
morning. And after while it was,
Get my slippers, darling. Run for my
umbrella. Where is my handkerchief
Very tiresome, but to be expected.
| Then very soon it was, Let us send the
| servants away atmeal times, and wait
on ourselves at table. 1t is so deli
cious to be quite aloner OF course
| agreed and now comes this astonish-
| ing proposition-dismiss all the SER
| wants live for each other! Pm to do
the cooking for him, iron his shirts
| black his boots, for all | know Not
| for economy's sake, but to make life
| beautiful Oh, sha'n't endure it.
cannot, mamma | shall quarrel if
he persists | did not marry rich
man to be cook and laundress. /"
| BE quiet, darling said Mrs. Royal.
| Listen to me little while. Let him
have his own way, that you may have
yours in the end. 1t is an amiable
caprice ; humor it"
| A long conversation between moth
er and daughter followed, and the re-
| suit was that when Mr.. Fisher return
ed to his home that afternoon he found
his wife fairly beaming with smiles.
well, Berenice, my pet, have you
been thinking of the ideal life / pro-
posed You did not seem to appre-
ciate the notion quite as thoroughly
as expected this morning"
I'm afraid did not, darling" said
| Young Mrs. Fisher But ran over to
mammals, and she was so enthusiastic
| over it,"
WAS she was she p cried the hus-
band in amazement. Il fancied that
she would rather oppose it,"
oh! you don't know mamma"
said Berenice. Josiah, while you
/ 4 OF rrat tnr nd
a COW and chickens | would like to
milk, and make butter. and hunt for
eggs. And we might have a few pigs. :"
well begin by degrees said Mr..
Fisher.
II suppose We'll have to, Josiah" "
said Berenice but I'm wild to take
things in hand. Pay the servants up
to the end of their months tomorrow,
and pack them off, and you'll have
nice, homemade cooking right away"
| "Dear me - said he, Il shall spend
most of my time watching you at
| work, in a little white apron, with
your sleeves rolled up"
"Oh, how nice ~ she cried, kissing
| him. "Oh, make haste about it, Jo-
siah''
Josiah obeyed. BY the following
night the servants had all departed.
| Only Berenice remained in the house,
| though she had visit from her moth
er. The table was set for a grand
dinner, and as Mr. Fisher opened the
door small figure appeared at the
head of the basement stairs.
"Who's that" he cried.
"Your little wife" was the reply.
Berenice's face was adorned with
smears and smudges, so were her
hands, so was her white apron.
''Some accident, darling - he cried,
in alarm.
mo, love-" answered Berenice
why do you ask ?''
He did not like to tell her that she
had dirty face, so he laughed, and
as she threw herself into his arms EN-
braced her like very knight of cour-
tesy.
Retiring to his own room to look in
the glass, he found that the three
kisses that she had imprinted on his
cheeks and brow had left their mark
there. He put his hand to the polish
ed space on the top of his head, and
found it sticky and his usually imma-
culate shirt bosom had the marks of
ten tiny black fingers upon it.
1t took him some time to make his
toilet, and when he descended dinner
wason the table, and Berenice wasstrik-
ing the gong in ear-splittinS fashion.
Il was so afraid you would let your
wifelet's first dinner grow cold" she
said.
mot likely, love-" he replied. 'But
don't you need glance in the mir
ror ?''
"Oh, l shall put all vanity aside,
my dear she answered, "and simply
be domestic. Ifyou are pleased, there
is no one else to see, you know be-
sides, l must wait on you. Will you
carve ?"
81? Oh, certainly p said Mr.. Fish.
er. Certainly This is"
''Soup, love-" said Mrs. Fisher.
''Of course we have soup. | served
everything at one time. But we have
courses all the same"
The fluid which Mr.. Fisher tasted
somewhat resembled dishwater; but
he forced d smile, and thought he
would try the fish" The next instant
creature of the sea Jay before him,
much as it came from the water, save
that it was covered with very rancid
butter sauce. 1t had not been opened