Year: 1865




81 wisb husband, you would not milk in th'
strainer pail. don't think it is a neat prac
tice, because dirt is so liable to get into th'
straiuer 10 that way. Besides, it isn't neces-
sary you can milk in the other pail and pour
into that Just as well for aught 1 see," said
Mistress PuffeF.


Possibly Mistress P. had fault il so, il
was the fault of saying too much. On the
other band, possibly Mr.. P. had fault if &c
it was the fault of saying too little One
might think that, as in the case of the distin-
guished eaters, Jack Sprat and his wife, these
opposite imperfections would prove nightly
harmonious in tkeir meetings; but not SO.


Talking too little is, of the twain. though
less oppressively tiresome, think fraught more
heavily with evil for if one will not speak
how is one to know wherein and wherefor an
ofense arises, and haste to make due apology
and reparatioL So while the talking partner
is rattlng on in all innocence, the silent part
ner is brooding over some unmeaning slip Of
the unconscious tongue.


Thus his wife bad no means of knowing
whether or not Mr.. Puffer had any reason for
preferring to milk in the strainer pail. Posi-
bly, he had on which would have amply con-
/
unreasonable dame. But being, like his fel-
low boards, nightly autocrstic, he considered
| that his doing it should be sufficient proof Of
the desirableDess Of thing /; although, being
like them, also fallible, this was not always a
true test and the dame, who was a woman
of common feminine sagacity-I claim no
more-knew it.


Therefore the pail came in next evening
/ bearing the usual unmistakable indications OF
having been within the forbidden palings Of
the stable; but not accompanied by the grace
of simple apology, which so easiy-especi-
alv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, like charity, q
multitude of sins. Now you and know that
| if Mistress Puffer had not attained to a sufi-
cient degree of sanctifcation SO that she took
the offending pail with heart serene as sum
mer morning, as doubtless was her bounden
duty, yet, she ought most surely to have taken
it with sanity smile, and quietly do the best
she could toward making bad better with a
cloth strainer. But you remember her besat-
ting fault was an overflow of words, SO not
content with having entered a remonstrance,
she must needs enter another. Still no apollo
gy or reply, but look OF stolid Indifference
upon the countenanee of her legal head, which
presented as much expression as a pair OF
| topgs or an ironing table. So, detecting no
sign of attention, the dame added line upon
line, and precept upon precept, until at last,
the legal head getting exasperated out of his
defensive and offensive silence-as you have
seen mosquitoes drive hog from his corner
opened his mouth, and, in voice no smooth
er than oil, spoke to the effect that milk pail
was small matter to waste SO much breath
and feeling upon. The tone, more than the
words, came like dividing-knife upon Mis-
tress Puffer's last sentence, leaving one-half
forever unsaid, and the other half, which would
bear dwelling upon and repetition no better
than other wasp stings, constantly ringing in
her ears. She felt somewhat blameworthy and
selfdisgusted for it is rare indeed that any
act shows out quite without flaw to the actor
when in stern and conscientious review but
neither did she love her husband very much for
half day.


All! what, indeed, is a milk pail to waste
! feeling upon! What, in itself considered, was
the bit of fruit plucked and eaten in the Gar
den centuries ago? For my own part I must
say 1 never saw any Inconsistency 10 the quar-
rel of children over grasshoPper as sufficient
first cause for the Shawnee and Delaware
tribes meeting in deadly combat that is, if
any object is worth fighting for. 1t is the
principle of the thing, don't you see? And, if
a person is disagreeably inclined, clover bios
som or a cambria needle may serve to show up
his ugliness as well as anything.


Not being then socially impelled by quite
the usual warmth of affectionste feeling toward
her husband, and conscious, also, that she had
already said, too much, Mitress Puffer entered
here upon long projected and often-attempt-
ed reform. She did not talk much for two
days; and the partner of her sorrows, inferring
that she was sulkiDg upon one of the rare
occasions when he waxed coDfdentiaI-told,
her SO. This misconceptiOn did not tend TO a
healthy healing of the wound, and, long after
it was apparently closed and forgotten, there
remained pain and sensitiveness where it had
been.


Having shown you whence the cloud arose
and in what manner the first rain fell, you can
imagine how the first rain pattered down, drop
by drop into the pelting comfortless shower.
"rve been thinking, perhaps, you would be
full as happy by yourself; you with your
things, and 1 with mine. 1 can't seem tC
please you nobow," said Mr.. Puffer at last, il
q pdSSlOQlSSS lOnSs


Just as though he had ever tried to please
her las though he had ever had any thought
excepting to mould her, and every body else
with whom be came in contact, into q, fac
simile Of himself, angle for angle, hump fol
hump, end wrinkle for wrinkle. Though as
for that this is only what we are all continual
ly trying to do more or less, to our fellows
and joy to US that we do not spoil the world
by succeeding


These cOld-blooded words, from which every
drop of manifest feeling had been carefully
wrung before leaving the heart, fell with q
sickehing paralyzing weight upon Mistres:
Pufer's brain; but in the midst OF dumb des
pair and selfreproachful misgiving, she was
almost frightened to feel a certain relief. New
they were likely to be loosened she perceived
how heavy and CALLING they had been; those
chains which are Of roses and lilies while they
are welcome, aud of unwrought iron as soon as
we weary of them.


Il think you are right. think we shall be
happier apart" replied Mrs Pufer after ter
] minutes silence.


This was the first time in year the hus'
band and vile had been fully agreed, and il
was the beginning Of better days Couragel
The sunshine is coming; but before we see the
3 bow of promise there must be, to bring out its
vivid brightness, cloud of exceeding black
r ness.


. The dav wore on: he husked corn and the