The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-08-29
TheEpening Story
-----..-s,
When He Was a Bachelor.
'ccpyrfgn, isis. By W. Werner


~Certainly," assented Smith
h shousework IA like any other EN-.
D1oyment- noDotonous But it's ne
\ csssary and must be done. Now
K when was a bachelor" He got
10 fnthcrs
Mrs. Smith could not conceal her
Irritation She easped Then she
y slapped both hands 10 her ears 20
shut out the sound and fed from
the room. Smith looked after her
"a astoniEhment. Now. what in
8amhiil Is the matter with Mary,
he wondered She seems to be out
OF patience"
But Mrs. Smith knew. when he
was a bachelor" She almost wished
, Smith had remained In his former
state OF bachelorhood She flung
herself upon the bed. her nerves
Keyed up to such a tension another
word would have snapped them
She was six years a wife and during
the six years Smiths continual ref
erence 10 bis housewifely skill dur
g1ng his days OF bachelorhood had
become a bug.bear to his inexperi.
4 enced wife No matter what was
\ the cause of vexation--failure OF
\ The bread TO rise as II should, the
boiling over of the coffee, steak
over or UNDERGONE. butter that re
4 fused TO gather" or the jelly that
wouidn't jell-anything. everything.
no matter uhat. brought from smith
reminisoence OF something that
had happened 20 him when ne was
& bachelor" and kept house FOR him
self. The worst OF II all was--to
hear him tell the story-he invaria
bly, came of conqueror in whatever
!. trouble he had TO struggle with
His pies always came from the over
tellcately Drowned on top. his bread
r--well, he could make the best
hread---um-m And when IL Came
10 buckwheat cakes and smothersG
5chicken-mother had nothing or
hirl: not on your life. And talking
about butter--he had once taken
prize for butter making at the coun
~ fair-yes. really.
Mrs. Smith Lay ON her bed and
stared up at the ceiling. II her
Z thoughts turned regretfully back 20
the tiny country school house with
IA salary OF $50 a month. and no
I, Ghastiy cook stove looming darkly
a the background TO mar her peace
on hot summer day, who can
blame herr OF course IL was all
lxlght that John should know how 20
cook. His mother. having no girls.
had always taught her boys house
wifely knowledge, while she had
gpne constantly TO school until her
graduation. and thence to a country
ochoolroom To teach. On her mar
rage the art Of housekeeping was
70 be learned. and John taught her
Whatever her thoughts were,
sharp wrap upon the door brought
Il her TO her feet. Before she could
sCry out the door few open and Bet
~ Deane, Johns cousin from TIE
city. breezed in. In the dumps. |
40 believe" cries Mistress Betty.
putting OF her wraps What's the
matter now? Out with the trouble"
Mrs. Smith smiled, though she
WIS stili In a nervous tremor. It's
really nothing" she denied, moth
ing at ALL" Then she burst out
~only-- you see, John was bache-
1or long while before we were
married. and bis mother had taught
him how 10 cook. Somehow he
eeems never 10 have had any fail.
ures, can't manage f. A new
Eproblem comes up every day am
70 failure as a housekeeper and John
reminds me many times a day Of
how he managed when he was a
bachelor and kept house for him