The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-11
The EVENING STORY
MOfher-iu.Jaw-
By Michael J. Porter

-
/ MT George Griscom, twenty-three
years old, and married less than four
months ago to Miss Dorothy Dayton,
took sip of his morning coffee and
/ scoWIed. Then he took another and
seowled. Then he started to take a
| tniro, but replaced the cup in it's saucer
and made use of the single word:
/ 'Slopsr'
| Then he helped himself to a slice of
itoast-surveyed it-nibbled at it and
laid 1t contemptuously aside and made
use OF the compound word:
Hen-food,"
Then he reached for a fried sausage
ana held it up for examination on the
tines or his fork. 1t was raw on one
size and burned on the other.
Dog meatp said Mr.. Griscom as he
replaced the sausage.
Then he folded his arms and looked
at ms wife. She hadn't exclaimed. She
hadn't hurled the coffee pot. She hadn't
burst into tears. There was a bright
spot on each cheek, but she was con-
ironing herself wonderfully well. For
Two or three minutes the husband
looked for her to say something, but as
she maintained silence he clapped on
MS hat and left the house. An hour
later she was with her mother, trunk
and all.
Mr.. Griscom went to his work feeling
tnat ne was a martyr. He had married
wife that couldn't cook-a human doll
she couldn't cook, sew, clean windows,
polish the stove or sweep. He could
flgure that half the provisions brought
into the house were wasted. He had
married for a helpmate and had been
deceived. And it irritated and injured
him that she hadn't talked back She
ought to have wept or become defiant.
She had given him no opportunity to
relate the story of his long sufferings
through her incompetence
nj
mony, wanted to relate his sad sad tale
in full. even though it made him an
hour late at the office and brought
him reproof, but if a wife wont talk
back what is the use of wasting breath?
1t was long day, and the husband
had not come to any decided conclusion
when he reached home. He came to
one then in about half a minute. It
was that neither the bride nor her
trunk was in the usual places.
The usual farewell note did not re-
pose on the table. That was another
injury.
Mr.. Griscom went out and bought
him some cheese and crackers and re-
turned to dine. AS he had finished his
mother-in-law opened the door and
walked in on him.
Excuse me. George" she said, "but
I fear 1 shall have to take up a few
minutes of your valuable time You
don't like Dorothy's cooking, do your"
"Cookingr' sneered Mr.. Griscom.
Very we'll. I want to read you a
few extracts, from this little notebook
When you asked Dorothy to marry Won
she replied:
IT love you, George, but I can't cook
We will buy everything at the deli
catessen store, deary, and now and
then go out to restaurant was your
reply"
But can't sew"
wi ire
table"
IT can show you how. darling"
who will make the beds?''
That will be easy to manage. Any
one can make beds"
Mamma thought yr:1 would get a
hired girl for me until I had a chance
to learn these things
You can have three or four of them
if you wish, sweet ANGEL
George, do you recall the words?''
asked the mother-in-1aw as she looked
up.
''Um,' grunted the husband.
Two months before the marriag e;'
continued the woman, as she consulted
the note book, 81 had a talk with you,
so that everything might be plain. I |
told you that Dorothy had been away
to school for three years and mad had
no chance to learn Homework. Do you |
recall your reply?''
Num-
81 have it here in black and white !
You said:
g" That makes no difference. She need
never put her hands into dishwater. It |
will be romantic for me to do all the |
cooking
There you are. George, and how
much cooking have you done?'
George didn't say
How many hired girls have you HAD !
here to give Dorothy chance?"
But how am | going to pay hired |
girl out of my salary"
Let us figure a bit my son. You1 |
cigars cost you so cents a day. That is !
s2.1o a week. Your street car fare is the |
same, although you had much better |
walk. You have club dues of so cents 2 |
week. That makes s470 a week, or more |
than enough to pay girl"
But you see began George when |
she stopped him with:
"Oh, yes, you are a man and a hus-
band. but what moral or legal right does
that give you over your wife? If she
spent one-third much for candy or
flowers there,d be an awful kick Do you
He was wondering why she hadn't
added his beer money in with the other
I'm our talk told you that Dorothy
loved to go out to the theater and other
places, and here is what you said in re-
i" so do I. and we will go somewhere
almost every evening. Oh, I do not pro-
pose to make prisoner of the dear girl.
These are your very words, and how
many times have you been out since your
Thousands, was the sulky reply.
Not on an average of one night a
week, sir!'
But my salary
"Oh, la, la Your smokes for a day
would at least take you to a picture
show in the evening. Let's come down to
brass tacks, George. You are a book
keeper. If you should lose -FOUR present
job you'd find it hard to get another.
Suppose you had no trade or profession?
You might hunt for months and not finc
work. You know that is so, and yet you
marry a young girl who has had no ex-
perience in housekeeping, and then raise
L. IA flnir p, !