The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-01-18
MIR. FORD'S ADVICE.
Hilda Richmond.

MY dear Helen, il you would take
my advice for once these things
would not happeni" said Mr. Ford.
coming home to find his wife tear
fully ironing some wrinkled, dried
garments in the hot kitchen. She
was wiping anxiously at the rough
surface with a wet cloth, but her
tears made large wet splotches on
the goods that only added to the
trouble. II suppose 1t is the usual
condition of affairs. You saved some
fine pie. es out of the regular wash
ing, and when you commenced iron
Ing, callers or an agent or some
other interruption resulted in this
discouraging work. If. as l have so
often told you. you would buy only
such garments as could stand the
ordinary laundress, or else employed
a competent helper here at home
instead of that irresponsible Goldie,
you would have time for your legiti
mate duties, and wouldn't be re-
duced to tears by every small hap
pening."
Mrs Ford, on other occasions
when her husband offered his advice
unasked, usually went into the de-
tails of the servant-girl problem, and
the difficulty of getting good washer
women, and the fact that her gar
ments were not all of her own choos-
ing, and the increased cost of living
that made life something of burden
to a woman with a fixed housekeep-
ing allowance, and a few other
items of daily life, common to most
wives and mothers; but today she
said nothing. She did put the iron
on the stove with "a little more force
than necessary, and take up a fresh
one with a. jerk, but Mr.. Ford was
back in the comfortable sitting-room
unfolding the daily paper, SO these
demonstrations of what was going
on inside the mistress of the house
were lost on him.
The next week Mr.. Ford was I'M
usually busy at his office, and he did
not notice that there was a danger
signal in the bearing of his wife, but
she was grateful for that fact. She
was planning complete surprise for
him, and she feared lest by look or
sign she might betray the secret. One
hour before dinner time, asking if it
would be safe to bring friend with
him, and he received, much to his
surprise, an instant and hearty af-
firmative. In spite of the short no
tice Mrs. Ford met them at the door
in her most becoming frock, and that
night at the delicious dinner that
was served there were no domestic
telegraphic signals. Nobody pressed
his foot gently under the table to
indicate that the helping OF peas
must be small, or that there was no
chicken in the kitchen; nor did his
wife set him good example by
politely declining things as they
reached her. Everything was smooth
and harmonious, and the guest
heartily praised everything, for he
was a genial. old-fashioned gentle
man. So the evening passed very
pleasantly.
'I was timid about coming out
here tonight, Mrs. Ford, at such
short notice." said the guest, 'but
see my fears were groundless.
have often wanted to ask friends
home with me, but my wife has such
difficulty keeping help OF any sort
that I have to fall back on the hote
many times. 1t Is only by the most
careful management that we are able
to keep incompetent servants, and
long ago we save up all idea of any
thing like peace and comfort alons
that line"
MRS: Ford has her difficulties
too" said the host, seeing his wife
slow to answer. 81 often tell hel
that nothing but system will solve
the problem. When want my Office