The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-10-17
REFORMING or A MAN
BY GADSDEN klLLIAN.

WOMAN CluU WIFI Il uTH uctcTml0a-
ton that her husband should reform.
This feeling had been aroused by a
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 subscrvient and helpful state
in the household.
Mrs Lawrence's husbands reform
was to begin Oh 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. Mrs
Lawrence was thankful that the pre-.
scription didn't call for an opening
conversation with the patient. Her
husband had an 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 a very
easy one to work. According to
Sarah Jane Hutchinson, if the arti-
clos Of wearing apparel which the
husband filings about in the morning
are left undisturbed until his return
in the evening his charrin and the ef-
feet upon his clothes will be 50 great
that he will be model of neatness
from that time on.
Wednesday morning Lawrence
strewed around the fiat the usual
number of collars, neckties and shirts.
ne got out his macintosh and UNI
brela 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 this
garment he dumped it into the Nor
ris chair and made hurried exit
from the house, tossing a couple OF
soiled handkerchiefs OH the divan as
he went out of the door.
For the first time Mrs. Lawrence
surveyed this scene with satisfac-
ton. Nothing could be q better OBJ
iect lesson for her husband than the
fiat in its present condition. She de-
cided to do the breakfast dishes and
the 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 had
to put away some Of the neckties IN
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 be left on the window
seat. for a shower might come up and
soak them. The laundry was paid for
out Of the house pocketbook. and 1t
wouldn't be good policy to be so ex'
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 in
order to sew up q 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
lust three Of her husbands belong
ings still misplaced-thc two hand
kcrchicfs and the new topcoat This
last would be an awful example to
him. for it was in nice little heap in
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 6 and his wife thought how touch
ing the scene would be when James
should take her in his 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 do. or to re.
mark coldly, II hope you will remem-
Der this lesson" as Sarah Jane Hutch
inson had suggested.
She walked into their apartment
and looked about anxtously. There
wasn't a soul in sight. The coat was
still in It's reformatory heap. The
mail was untouched Evidently James
had not returned. After all. it would
be rather fun to see just how he
took it.
At Z O'Clock she heard the familiar
sound of the latch key in the door.
Then in walked James with two men,
bcrs of the firm whom he had brought
home to dinner.
Mrs. Lawrence was excited. She
hurriedly made the Morris chair
ready for the corpulent senior mem.
Der and flung the new fall overcoat
on the bed. James followed her out
to the kitchen and demanded hurry
up dinner. He had to 60 that eve
ming with the two men to put through