Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-12-31
REFORMING OF A MAN:
BY GADSpEN klLLlAN.

Mrs. Lawrence came back from the
woman's club with firm determine
ton that her husband should reform
This feeling had been aroused by q
very remarkable paper by Sarah Jane
Hutchinson of Boston. who had map
ped out an elaborate system whereby
husbands could be reduced to their
proper subservient and helpful state
In the household. r.
Mrs. Lawrence's husbands reform,
was to begin on Wednesday. Mrs.
Lawrence wisely refrained from men
tioning the fact to him. Sarah Jane
Hutchinson had said that the more
subtly one acted in the matter the
better would be the results. MIS-.
! Lawrence was thankful that the pre-
gc~ip5icn didn't call for an opening
conversation with the patient. Her
husband Lad III awful temper and he
might not understand at first just
how good the treatment was going to
| be for him.
The plan was going to be very
easy one to work. According &c
Sarah Jane Hutchinson, IL the artl-
cles Of wearing apparel which the
husband filings about in the morning
are left undisturbed until his return
! In the evening his chagrin and the ef-
feet upon his clothes will be so great
that he will be a model Of neatness
from that time on.
Wednesday morning Lawrence
strewed around the fat the usuai
number of collars, neckties and shirts
He got out his macintosh and UNI
brella and then, having decided that
the day would be clear, took down his
! new fall topcoat. On discovering that
the temperature was too high for TINS
garment he dumped it into the Nor
ris chair and made a hurried exit
rom the house, tossing a couple OF
soiled handkerchiefs on the divan as
he went out Of the door.
For the first time Mrs. Lawrence
surveyed this scene with satisfac-
ton. Nothing could be a better OBJ
iect lesson for her husband than the
fat In it's present condition. She de-
cided to do the breakfast dishes ana
he leaving for her sisters house.
| She preferred that her HUSBAND
should face the confusion alone on
his return.
In the course of an hour she set
! about dressing for her visit. She mao
to put away some Of the necktles ID
order to find her toilet articles. She
was obliged to put the collars In the
drawer SO that she could make the
bed. The clean shirts which had
| been rejected in favor of the one
which Lawrence wore that morning
could never ba left on the window
seat, for a shower might come up and
soak them. The laundry was paid lci
out of the house pocketbook, and II
wouldn't be good policy to be SO en-
travagant in this reforming business
Before she realized it, the bedroom
was quite neat and free from the orig
inal appearance of disorder. She up
braided herself and then reflected
that the parlor and dining room would
be bad enough to teach the desired
lesson. She had to take the hat and
raincoat off the sewing machine III
order to sew up rip in her skirt and
really the easiest thing to do was to
hang them up to get them out OF the
way.
When she left the house there were
Just three of her husbands belong
ines still misplaced-the two hand
kerchiefs and the new topcoat. This
last would be an awful example tc
him, for it was in a nice little heap Ill
the seat of the chair and would wrin-
kle beautifully.
Mrs. Lawrence made a long days
visit and returned home at $50 in
the evening. Lawrence was due home
at 5 and his wife thought how touch.
/ ing the scene would be when James
should take her in bis arms and say,
dearest, I see the error Of my ways.
Never again will I be so careless"
She didn't know whether to say,
Darling, I forgive you" as her heart
would prompt her to 90. or to re
mark coldly. 81 hope you viii remer'
! Der this lesson" as Sarah Jane Hutch
| inson had suggested.
I She walked into their apartment
and looked about anZiously. There
wasn't soul in sight The coat waa
still in its EefcrmatcrE bean. tn: