The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-09-10
MABIE'S TROUBLES.

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 practical 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
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 and scientific scrubbing and mar
keting and they got along very well in
deed. But Mabie, while his admiration of
his wife's 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 thought
that you considered me officious or med
ding"
Ronald! AS if l could think such
thing!"
Il know you don't. That's exactly what
| say. You understand that we are all likely
to fall into 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 dishcloth 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"
i believe you are getting tired of help
ing me with the dishes" said Mrs. Mabie
Well, tell me how you would do it,
III SHOW YOU said Mabie. you take
batch of them, this way, and"
Take carSof that cake dish"
You dump them into Well, who'd
have thought they'd have smashed as easily
as that"
The ba'ci had slipped from his soapy
fingers and rad fallen in crash of frag.
ments into the sink. Ills concern over the
accident was so genuine that his wife had
not the heart to scod him, though the cake
dish was Il wedding present and one of the
most valued OF their possessions. She gath.
cred up tne pieces carefully and poured balm
on his wounded spirit by assuring him that
the dish could be menGed by an expert that
she knew of so neatly that it would be al
most good as ever.
Let me look at it," said Mabie 81 guess
that's so. | ttink / could mend itmyself. /"
"Oa, | wouldn't bother, dear. III take it
around 10 the little CHINA shop tomorrow.
He persisted in his intention and went out
that evening acd bought bottle of china
cement. alter about an hours hard work
he succeeded in getting the dish pieced to.
gether and sticking the tablecloth to the
table, though he was not aware that he had
done this until lis wife tried to remove the
c 9th the next morning and pulled out
eai aud upset some more china on the floor
lge fabric stuck 80 firmly nat he was con
WINGED that the dish must Fave set" A.
| NANHSAi AH1 VIZ tNtlOlts Sdlu I.e menCeQ
ticles should be allowed to remain in cool
dry place for three or four days. 1t certainly
looked as if it had set. but when he fri.
umphantly knocked it against the mantel.
piece to prove it the dsr fell apart on the
hearth and smashed into bits.
80 It went on for years, Mabie always full
OF new ideas for the Tightening of house
hold toll and prodigal in his expenditr, for
patent household devices of every descrip
ton, daunted by no failure and exultine in
tne laintest measure of success ard Mrs.
Mable iorbearlng and sympathetic, but with
premature lines OF care on her pretty face
that may have been attributable to her bus-
bands idiosyl casy.
Then the Mabies grew prosperous-that is
they enjoyed fair measure of prosperitvI
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 il the joys OF life had departed
from him, but a realization Of the fact came
upon MN by degrees. He strayed down into
ms Kitchen now and then in an aimless sort
OF way but somehow he felt that he was
not welcome and that mis- tentative efforts
10 make HE brighter for the help were NOT
appreciated. lie began to lose flesh and
10y MS VI depression that worried Mrs
Mabie, and she made him consult three or
TOUR doctors, who prescribed various RENE
dies none of which did any good. Not until
neariy SIX months after that did Mrs Ma
bic guess her husband complaint. He came
one evening with an air Of having some
thing on his mind and see d several times
on the point of speaking, but apparently
thought better of it, AT last he pulled from
MS pocket small package from which after
curious hesitation he produced mysteri.
Gus arrangement OF cog wht els and aanges
Il saw this in the store to-day he er.
planned, as he began turning little crank
'hat made a strange buzzing sound. "A
man was demonstrating VITA it. and the wav
y beats an egg is simply marvel. l sbould
thnk that our cook might like to have il.
she probably uses a fork, as her great. grand.
mother did before her. Let me show Won
now it works, my dear. | know Won wouIJ
nave liked it, He sighed and turned the
crank again vac
Those were happy days when I used 70
help YOU around the kitchen, weren't thew"
ne asked, smiling brightly, as Mrs. Mabie
exclaimed in an ecstasy of delight at tbe