Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-12
Copyright, 1908. By Thomas II. Mckee.

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Her husband for a moment en-
barrassed.
"I-lt you don't mind" he hesitated
"I-mind?" she wondered. I'm delighted that the
card club no longer bores you. You were growing
tired of the meetings when went out SO much be-
fore my tyrant arrived" She glanced at the baby
sleeping in the small bed. MRS. Prixton was very
eager to have YOU Did she say It was to make out
bridge table7'
mot exactly" Pique contended In his tone with
certain satisfaction. "she called me up again this
afternoon to ask IL would around for Mrs Will
ingham Wingham's out of town, you know"
rs heY" Mrs Essington's voice was non-com-
initial
so" her husband continued "if you won't be
lonely"
"ob I'll be quite comfortable What you look
ing forf"
Another t,e-this" fnging 1t far from him, "s
the third"
wait moment-they are In this box Let me
lie It for you. I've tied them for Ted times out of
numberi He very particular"
Ted was Mrs Essingtons brother.
"He doesn't seem very much so nowl saw
him with one slipped under his right ear the other
day"
"oh. we'll. this was before he was married-you
know. when he was going to see Lusie'
81 thinks-Essington commenced twtching his
fourth tie into position with sigh of satisfaction
that It's positive insult to mans wife when he
stops being particular about his appearance It's
reflection on her"
Certainly" Mrs. Essngton agreed brightly. "its
mans duty Just it's his wife's. to make the best
of things at all times"
It couldn't have been said by her enemies-if she
had possessed any-that Mrs Essngton hadn't made
the best of things She charming. and she had
even made the most OF that for her attraction was
greatest in the way she made herself attractive In
teigence, grace sympathy perfectly fused into
a harmonious and perfectly poised personality.
No one had ever recognized this more completely
than Fssington 10 whom she continued to illustrate
to paraphrase perfect line
And the charm of all the muses. finely Towering in
lovely self
Not that Tssington poetic he was sober prose.
but he depended on his wife's furnishing the rhythm
of daily fe and he hadn't, in their three years to-
gether depended in vain.
Other men less fortunate than he offered the Es-
sington menags to their wives object lesson OF
the much to be achieved with little and the wives
strange to say, didn't resent 1t in their to
Mrs. Essington. For she was never superior! su-
periority being that unforgivabe crime from one
woman to another. She shared the virtue OF any
housekeeping secrets she possessed with frank
friendliness and all freef they could-to imi-
tate the simplicity of her charming home Her sit
ting-room to the casual eye, luxurious and ex-
ouistea setting to which her personality seemed to
h.vs ,ta natural reevance And yet any of the Mount
v,ew wives could have analyzed its component parts
four pale green walls FTench-windowed to lawn
of darker green; wicker chairs with numberless
cusb,ons an open piano. books of her own without
tho library stamps which ornamented the usual liter
atnre of the suburbanites; few water-colors-Done
bv band9" one of her neghbors had questioned once
and great many ferns
Only one extravagance--the piano. She didn't play
herself and Mountview could scarcely understand
sondness for music that kept her ready to receive
fugitive pleasure from musical friends
put when the baby came Mountview. lost hitherto
n fr,enav but enSious wonder drew its breath deep
w. as II to say Nov win see!" 1t had seemed to
bar easv before-however hard to them!-to keep
bouse beautifully to cook if need be, perfectly, to be
a charming hostess ana Il ueSllou Bueo1 A'us INV
rbe had their trials they had dropped out of func-
tons they had cared for because papes were hoe "
be left to themselves and the vexation OF the servant
probem had all the fuller freedom the more I'M
perious weight common to suburban colonies II one
nossessed the doubtful luxury of nursemaid 1t was
only for the hours of daylight; they all demanded
with trade-unon avidity freedom for their evenings
The two things for which the elect OF MountView
really cared we're nght-blooming affairs: the young
married peoples whist clubs and the literary society
Whist was played with all the science of their souls
and they pursued literature with seriousness that
had its bumor to the trivial-mnded outsider.
The two clubs met on the same day of alternate
weeks. and were entertained in alphabetc rotation
: Az ,ootbod of the special Mrs So and So in the