The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-02-03
MABIE'S TROUBLES.

~ interested IN whatever she might happen
to be doing and that he was fertile in the
matter OF suggestion. One day, for instance,
he found her engaged on some embroidery
and at once proceeded to question her CON
corning every detail of her method of stitch
ing. Then he proposed an improvement.
and, failing to explain it to the lady to her
entire satisfaction, gave her a pract cil dem
onstration, with the result of running her
work of art. That was rather trying, but
there was worse to come and it kept coming.
They kept no servant when they were
first married. They had the tiniest box of
a fiat and there would have been no place
TO put a girl even if they had needed one
and had been able to afford her. Besides,
Mrs. Mabie had been given one of those old
fashioned educations that include courses
of cooking ami scientific %scrubbing and mar
keting, and they got along very well in
deed. But Mabie, while his admiration of
his wifes accomplishments knew no bounds,
could not help feeling that there were many
things in the domain of domestic economy
that required the application of a masculine
intelligence for their successful execution.
Il don't pretend TO know about these
things" he would say, and know that
you do know all about them. If l thought
that you considered me ~oficious or med
ding"
Ronald! As if | could think such a
thing!"
Il know you don't. That's exactly what
| say. You understand that we are all likely
to fall into a rut. ! am myself in my work
and there is nothing more likely than that
you might be able to give me valuable point
ers. It's just the same about this kitchen
work. From the very fact that | am ig-
norant of it | am more likely sometimes to
perceive the obvious thing to do than you
are with all your training and experience.
The beauty of the thing is that when / point
1t out you at once understand my motive
IN doing soto make it easier for you-and
you don't fly off the handle as a narrow
minded woman might do. Now, as to this
dishwashing. | observe that you take every
separate dish, wash it in the soapy water,
rinse it in the clear and then wipe it with
your disheloth. You do that because every
woman you have ever seen washing dishes
does it in exactly the same way, As the re
suits are fairly satisfactory, you don't pause
to consider that it might be done far easier
and with great saving of time"
Il believe you are getting tired of help
ing me with the dishes" said Mrs. Mabie.
well, tell me how you would do it."
- NHON yOAp N0A0 AhAdbAt+ Adht
a batch of thom, this way, and" ?
Take care of that cake dish"
You dump them into Well, who'd
have thought they'd have smashed as easily
as that?'
The batch had slipped from his. soapy
fingers and had fallen in a crash of frag-
ments into the sink. His concern over the
accident was so genuine that his wife had
not the heart TO scold him, though the cake
dish was a wedding present and one of the
most valued OF their possessions. She gath
cred up the pieces carefully and poured balm
on his wounded spirit by assuring him that
the disa could be mended by an expert that
she knew Of so neatly that it would be al
most as good as ever.
Let ME look at it, ;" said Mabie. II guess
that's so. / think ] could mend it myself"
"Oh, / wouldn't bother, dear. III take it
around to the little enina shop tomorrow"
He persisted in his intention and went out
that evening and bought a bottle of china
cement. After about an hours hard work
he succeeded in getting the dish pieced to-
gether and sticking the tablecloth to the
table, though be was not aware that he had
lone this until his wife tried to remove the
Goth the next morning and pulled out a
leaf and upset some more china on the floor.
Tne fabric stuck so firmly that he was CON
vinced that the dish must have set" al
though the directions said the mended ar
ticles should be allowed to remain in a cool,
dry place for three or four days. 1t certainly
looked as if it had ''set," but when he tri-
umphantly knocked it against the mantel-
piece to prove it the dish fell apart on the
hearth and smashed into bits.
So it went on for years, Mabie always full
g - L.. r Al
hold toll and prodigal in his expenditu,e for
patent household devices of every descrip-
tion, daunted by no failure and e~xulting in
the ~faintest measure of success, and Mrs.
Mabie forbearing and sympathetic, but with
premature lines Of care on her pretty face
that may have been attributable to her hus-
bands ~idiosylcrasy.
Then the Mabies grew prosperous-that is,
they enjoyed a fair measure of prosperity
and Mrs. Mabie no longer wore a kitchen
apron and cooked little dinners. There were
servants to attend to all that. In the. first
days of the change Mabie hardly seemed
TO feel as if the Joys of life had departed
from him, but a realization of the fact came
upon him by degrees. He strayed down into
his kitchen now and then in an aimless sort
OF way, but somehow he felt that he was
not welcome and that his tentative efforts
to make life brighter for the help were not
appreciated. He began to lose flesh and
have fits Of depression that worried Mrs.
Mabie, and she made him consult three or
four doctors, who prescribed various rene
dies, none of which did any good. Not until
nearly six months after that did Mrs. Ma
bic guess her husbands complaint. He came
n one evening with an air of having some
thing on his mind and see ed several times
on the point Of speaking. but apparently
thought better of it. At last he pulled from
his pocket a small package from which after
a curious hesitation he produced a mysteri-
Gus arrangement of cog wheels and langes.
81 saw tnis in the store to-day" he ex-
planned, as he began turning a little crank
that made a strange buzzing sound. "a
man was demonstrating with it, and the way
it beats an egg is simply marvel. / should
think that our cook might like to have it.
She probably uses a fork, as her great-grand.
mother did before her. Let me show you
how it works, my dear. know you would
have liked IT," He sighed and turned the
crank again.
Those were happy days when I used to
help you around the kitchen, weren't theyg"
he askod an,1ftno hr;vht1, =, A.. AF-l.