Year: 1875

Yes; but about that old Mrs. Otis.
Can't you 60 there instead of me? You
might"


cot course could But she is so cross
and so deaf | am half afraid of her; and
besides, if do it is you she wants to see,
not me-


''Let her take the best she can get, said
the unconscious egotst 81 can't go"


'Shall you be home to tea, Boswell?"
IL rather think not Mary said she
would leave me up at the Whites on our
way home; they are to have the choir up
| there this evening; they said something
about your coming, but told them it was
OF no use to ask you, for | knew you would
not leave the baby all the evening"
"Ot course l could not said the wife,
picking up her baby and the tray. You
will have a beautiful day; | half envy you
the nice ride; but I'm sure you need it,
and If | We're you | would not write
another word to-day. just lie down on
the lounge and take nap, and you viii
be all rested and bright by dinner-time.
| If any one calls, will say YOU are engaged
| (you are, you know, engaged for. .dinner),
| and I'll call you in time to dress, and
bring you some hot water. Now take
my advice" and nodding and smiling,
the unselfsh woman drew down the
shades and left him.


And this was but a sample of their daily
| lives


| Mrs Briant, Lucy mother was 4 widow
lady OF some property After the mar


riage of all her children she had broken
up housekeeping, and had been making
Il tn nt hnr m
| sons, and now she wrote to say, if it was
agreeable to Mr. and Mrs Holland, she
would come and make them visit of a
few weeks


OF course Lucy, who was the Youngest
child and only daughter, was delighted.
She came all tears and smiles and bushes,
to show the welcome letter to her hus-
band. of course he was not quite so much
elated at the prospect; it was not to be
expected he should be; and most wives
would have resented his unsympathizing
coldness; but Lucy had such pretty,
consciously. learned the habit of arguing
with him through his own interests.


''Mother is SO cheerful" she said, land
so pleasant, you will find her excellent
company; and then she is such splendid
housekeeper, and knows every thing, and
Katie and are so inexperienced. She is
Il capital cook, too and makes things 90
as far again as can. And such nice things
as she can make am only afraid, after
she has been here. YOU will think | don't
know anything; but | shall keep my eyes
open, and try to learn her way OF doing
things | did not think half enough of it
while lived at home. And then she has
had 50 much experience with children.
she is as good as a doctor; and | am such
little goose if anything ails the baby;
but | shall feel as if he is right if can
pop him into mothers arms, and | shall
not have to rout you up at night to 60 for
the doctor every time he screws his dear
little face up into q pucker; and then she
is so fond of babies dare say she will
tend him half the time and think how
much more time | shall have to read to
you and make parish calls"


In due course OF time Mrs Brant made
her appearance She was a delicate. pleas
ing, lady-likc little woman. with sweet
brown eyes and marvelously sweet
voice, that excellent thing in woman"
Never yet came Nemesis in genter form
more aluring guise; but it was Meme
sis all the same She was an acute and
observing woman; there was quiet but
keen penetration in those soft brown eyes,
but there was no bitterness about her.


She read her son-in-law's character at
once, the soft brown eyes went straight
through his shallowness down to his sell
iishness and incidence OF course her
mothery instincts We're all on Lucy side
who, she saw, was dropping under a bur
den OF care beyond her strength but she
never thought Of making her happier by
pointing out her husbands faults to her
on the contrary she always praised him |
whenever she conscientiously could, treat
ed him with marked Difference, and made |
him more comfortable in dozen little |
ways, while she was all the time quietly |
loosening his wife's bonds and tranetnrGins !
them to him


"Mr. Holland" she said to him one day
in her sweet, gracious way, "will YOU
have the Kindness to pick us some peas
for dinner to-day"


Me? ! pick the peas ?" asked the as
tonished sonin-law.


"Oh no, no"' hastily interposed Lucy
II will get them; | was Just gong"


My dear child no. The vines are
wet with last nights rain; and with your
thin dress. would not have you do it
for the world; and am sure Mr. Holland
would not hear of such a thing


.'No, no certainly not said the rev
course;;' though he remembered uneasily
the rain. but can not Katie get them ?n


Il do not think she can" said the gen
tie voice; ''she is very busy ironing your
Chi Ieho ~,
she is very slow. | could shell the peas
if had them; but it is no matter; it you
do not care about them, we will do with
out We have only plain boiled corned
beef to-day, and thought you would like
some vegetable besides potatoes with it
but please don't 90 if you don't want
them"


But Mr. Holland was an epicure in a
small way, and he did not fancy a dinner
OF beef and potatoes SO he went, and
from that day the picking of the peas,
beans, cncumbers, and tomatoes was with
out any talk, dropped quietly into his
hands


And so with many other little out-of-
door duties which usually deyolve upon
the master Of the house, but which Lucy,
in her loving eagerness to spare her hus-
band time and trouble. had indiscrectly
taken upon herself; Mrs. Briant, laugh
ingly accusing her Of oyer-otfcousness,
quietly took them out of her hands and
restored them TO their rightful owner
And all this was done so sweetly by the
amiable liver that neither party could
gainsay her, and the mystified minister
actually felt she was sustaining him in his
rightful authority. Indeed, he was NOR
ally and physically q better, happier and
more useful man for the healthy out-of-
door employments to which her sagaccus
had subjected him. He
dawdled less with his pen, and wrote bet
ter when he did write.


BY the time Mrs Brant's visit drew
near its intended close. the gentle little
tactician had her leviathan pretty we'll in
hand; for though quiet in her advances as
the incoming tide, she was quite as ire