El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-26

I 4 y )
gestion. Mary Fletcher tried to
get a maid from the city. First
| of all she visited many employment
agencies. At each she was received
with a smile of welcome by the person
in charge, but that smile was replaced
! by a look of incredulous surprise when,
/ in reply to the question: What wages
do you pay2'> Mary responded: Twelve
dollars"
My dear madam" exclaimed one
! such agent. Excuse me, but you can
| not get any girl, white or cOlored, to do
| general homework for that price"
But" said Mary tentatively sup
pose 1 get green and inexperienced
| girl, and teach her everything, and help
her with the WOrk-what wages would
she come fOr?"
Certainly for not less than eight
teen dollars at the lowest" replied the
agent And if you wish one to go to
a lonely place in the country you will
, nave to pay more"
After many such fruitIess efforts
Mary ceased visiting intelligence OF
fees
You might advertise" her mother
suggested when Mary recounted her
experiences to her. u used to get good
maids in that way. But, then, 1 paid
very good wages: Your dear father al
ways insisted, You know, on having me
get the best of everything-servants
included"
Mary WINGED at the unintentional
thrust, then forgot her discontinue as
she saw the tears in her mothers eyes.
know, dear, she said hastily, and
ne was right for you deserved the best
of everything. But you must remem-
Der, mother, that father had more mon
ey than Bert has"
"Oh, 1 know. know" the widow
responded quickly: Dear child don't
fancy for a moment that 1 meant 10
CRITICIZE your husband. He has, of
course, derived many of his ideas from
MS mother, and pardon me, Mary
out she has not lived as we have so
she is to be excused if she has taught |
ner son 10 feel that woman ought to do
their own work. Naturally, as Bert Is
good son, he takes her tone. I do /
not blame him"
of course not" her daughter as
sented In her own heart she was |
wondering If she, this mans wife, I
could say as much.
our husband is very kind to me-"
remarked Mrs Danforth somewhat ir- /
reIeYantly. I ought to be happy"
But was she2 Mary pondered. Did /
she not think that perhaps her daught- /
er was not as content as she would like /
her to be? Did she not suspect that ]
Mary did not love the man to whom /
she was married? and, If so could she !
be happy-she, the mother who had 1
taught her child that loyeless mar
rage was sin?
As if reading the unspoken thought, /
Mrs Danforth took her daughters /
hand tenderly in hers. Tell me dar- 4
ling" she said wistfully, ARE you sat
isfled? Are you worried about any /
thing? Sometimes I almost fear that /
you are a little disappointed-about /
something"
The young wife put her arms around
down to her shoulder.
Little mother" she said, her voice /
oetermlnedly cheerful, what notions /
you do geti Why should I not be i
with the best mother that ever lived,
and the man I have chosen out of all !
the world? Dear mother" with a light /
laughl why should have married Bert
II did not want top
The mother laughed. too. and there
was ring Of relief in the sound
OF course, deari Why indeed? For
give your silly old mother-but I love
you so much that If you were not happy /
why, Just could not stand itr'
She ended with a little sob, and the
daughter held her closer.
You believe now that I an happy,
don't you dearF' Mary asked
"Oh. yes, I believe 1t now" said the
widow TREMENDOUSLY, and you don't
know. what comfort it is to be sure
Of it"
With her head still on Mary's should
er she did not look up at the sad eyes
gazing out of the window, nor did she
see the bitter smile that twisted the
young lips In a moment the wife's
face was again placid, and she smiled
on leaving her mother, making the
pretext that she had some work to do
downstairs"
She did not go downstairs at once.
instead, she turned into her own room
and closed the door. But she did not |
as she would have done in her girIhood !
days. fling herself upon the bed and (
give way to her misery Instead, she
went to the window and looked out I
into the July sunshine. But she was | ;
looking into her heart, not into the /
summer noon.
Good Lord" she whispered. what a
mar l have become! a liar both in I
speech and life!''
She stood motionIess a moment J
longer, then lifted her head with a |
gesture OF declsion-almost of def
But I won't look back. she nuttered. !
I have made my bed and must lie on Z
lt-eYen If it is made Of thorns. At all :
events, mother is comfortable and cared
Advertisements for domestfcs at the
price named by Herbert Fletcher and | {
MS mother proved useless. As a final 4
resort, Mary engaged one sOcalled ] !
helper" after another from the vii |
-age, but each was so inefficient that /
this trial was abandoned. The Young
housewife had learned that TO secure !
good service one must pay an ADEQUATE J
price Tor 1t-and that even then one |
might fail to obtain it
So it came about that at last Marv
Fletcher did the work of her own |
house, hiring a woman from the village
Tor TWO days a week to wash. iron >
and scrub and even then she had to
her at every turn. IT was !
taken as a matter Of course that the !
wife should help hang out the clothes | :
and assist with the ironing. She told
ner mother that she enjoyed the novel
ASK" in fact. that she tboUgb+ +be 7
exercise and fresh air good for her, !
Her husband did not protest. WHY J
should he? His own mother had al
ways done that kind of work. /
ITO he coptf1r,o7 \ 81