The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-25
Too Many Wedding Presents

, couples, namely, seeing home grow
| daily in beauty and sweetness before
their eyes, while they worked and
saved and denied themselves to procure
this or the other coveted treasure.
They went away on their wedding
| journey and were gone four weeks. At
the end Of that time they sat down to
their first dinner in their own home.
Jeanie at one end Of the table, Tom
opposite her. Jeanne g mother had sent
her own cook and waitress to prepare
! that meal and serve it properly. From
the little cold oysters to the final sweet,
thru the several courses, it was din
| ner to satisfy an epicure. -
| The trained servants left in the eve-
4 ming and Jeanie's new maid-ofall-
work arrive at 10 O'Clock. From /
that moment trouble began. Pandora $
box was opened with the entrance Of
Swedish Julia on the scene. She
proved wasteful, ill-tempered and in
competent. She was followed speedily /
by colored Harriet, who could cook
very well, but could do nothing else.
As Toms salary did not permit their
having parlor maid, waitress and
laundress, and college-bred Jeanne did
not care to spend all her time In the
details Of housekeeping, Harriet was
soon dismissed and French woman
named Hortense was installed in the
vacant niche. Things went better for
a while, until Hortense disappeared one
dark night ana with her part Of
Jeanie's jewelry and contribution
from the table silver. Thru the coming
and going Of arriving and departing
domestics, Jeanne tried to be cheerful
and Tom looked resigned, but his tenn
per gave signs Of thin places where
danger signals were in order, and hers
was frayed at the edges. It Is pro-
voking to have ones dainty table
linen scorched, one's teaspoons bent,
and ones finest china clipped, and then
to intercept plying or amused glances
from tho relations-in-law.
Jeanne being plucky American girl,
u eventually found a solution for her
problems and worked out her own sal
walton, bringing to bear on her kitchen
the faculties Of reasoning and the sense
Of proportion for which she had been
noted at Smith. Tom learned patience
and, like the good fellow he was, pock-
eted losses and disappointments with
out satirical comment. But before they
did this, most Of the wedding presents
safe deposit vault. Jeanne laid aside
her costly linen and used something
palmer for common. The best china was
left on the shelf and something that,
altho pretty, was inexpensive, became
,Io&s &p{a mi
occasions for solicitude. The course
dinners were abandoned, as, on the
: whole, too elaborate for health, and
Tom thrived on an appetizing soup, q
: roast or q steak with two vegetables,
. and dessert Of fruit, biscuits and
], cheese. By the time the first baby
: came, Jeanne had reconstructed her
. theory Of life, and had determined that
8 she would not attempt living up to the
q wedding presents, until her husband had
Q an income experimenting that Of her
8 good father.
!, It Is almost pity that SO many
3 young married people are embarrassed
: by the number and variety Of the gifts
: showered on them. Candlesticks and
: lamps are always welcome, but no small
!, = house requires them in great profusion.
:, 1t is quite possible to have too much
;. silver, too many dishes and too many
Z chairs and tables. The greater the ar
: ray Of things the harder it will be to
! have them cared for properly by heed
less hirelings, who, while never having
:. known anything Of luxury in their
= = homes, take scornful pride in de-
7 molishing it in the homes Of their EN-
. ployers.
II There has been discovered at Green.
ock, Eng, an old-fashioned umbrella
e, with whalebone ribs, which must be
le unite 100 wears old When opened il