Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-11-18
CUR6p.


here it Is supper time, and you are still il
your morning wrapper said Mr.. vii
liams as he came home from his work
and found his wife still en- deshabilc
Yes, but do you not know that WON
ans work is never done:' There is Tho
baby too
Yes, Ella, but do you not know thai
all women have so much to do. If yer
would only hurry the least little hit, yor
would accomplish all the work i'll "a much
shorter time | could do it all in one
half the time.
"Oh. John,'
"Well, you Just go off somewhere and
order when you come back Thus end
ed the evening chat.
The Tuesday following she received a
note saying:
Dear EIls-Comc Immediately. I am very i'll.
Your mother, T. F. p.
When John returned from his work and
had read the note. he said: Go, by all
means. | will attend to the housekeep-
ing" added he, with confident air.
John, | shall he obliged to leave the
baby at home. In case | should not be at
home again tomorrow will you see that
he is fed?'
"Of course. Do you think | would
starve him?'
The next morning. while Mrs W. was
on her way TO her mothers house, John
was at home, introduced into the nyste-
ries of the kitchen.
About dinner time he went down into
the cellar and soon returned with large
bowl of sweet cream. After placing this
on the table he put on his hat and coat
and sauntered down to the butchers aft
er steak for dinner.
In going out he forgot to shut the door
after him, and on his return home he
found FIVE cats tapping the cream lie had
left on the table.
Well" said he Il shall say nothing of
this TO Ella, but III brol the steak, and
that will quite make up for the loss of
| the cream
He then seed one of Elias aprons
around him, as he had seen Ella do when
| she was about to engage in some sich
! kind of work: put the steak into Il frying
| pan and covered it over with pot lid,
| fully expecting to find the steak nicely
done when he should again raise the lid.
Alas. however, the steak was burned to
cindcr.
THAT is strange" said John. ''Ella's
br0ied steak never reSembed this cer-
| tainly"
BY this time he was quite hungry He
was not quite so boastfu as he had been
that morning
There is at least, one thing I'll have
for dinner. I'll warm up the potatoes
that are left over from yesterdays din
ner."
So John put large lump of lard in the
frying pan and soon after the potatoes.
The potatoes were soon warm. hut as he
sat down to eat them he was surprised at
their greasy appearance, as well as at
the amount of lard left in the pan.
How many times he had wished Ella
back again that day. In thinking of his
many disaprointments. together with the
fact that he had not vet had his dinner,
poor John knew not what to do with him
self
The ringing of the doorbelI aroused
him, and he. forgetting his ridiculous ap-
pearance, rushed to the door.
Il have come TO call on Mrs. Will
liams,' said the lady who rang the bell.
Mrs. Williams is not in at present.
''Then | should like to see Mr.. Viii
liams if he is in
Il am he, madam.
''You?" said the lady, trying in vain TO
keep from laughing.
Then poor John, suddenly recollecting
his ridiculous appearance, felt ready TO
die of shame. There was no help for it,
however. He invited the lady into the
close front parlor. in which the fumes of
the burned steak and hot fat were still
distinct.
Scarce knowing what he was doing. he
led her to the sofa, and she sat down,
not upon it. but into the pan containing
the lara.
John started back, not knowing what
to do or say
In the midst of these troubles the baby
began to cry, and John, now terrified be
yond everything. rushed into the ,other
room, mentally resolving that if Ella did
not come soon he would put an end To
these trials
The lady in the front room kept very
quiet. She thought she heard some one
crying. She listened. 1t was John He
was talking to himself. He said. "Oh.
dear Ella, come back to me again and
forgive me, and you shall never hear me
boast again.
Then the old lady in the front room
slipped off her wig, her old black veil
and her dress. and in very few mo-
ments his Ella. for il was she. stood be
fore him.
"Oh, Ella, forgive me"' We're his first
words on recovering from his surprise
She forgave him, then told him how
she had planned all to cure him of house
keeping.
"You have done so. darling" said he
New York News.