Year: 1871

I anpie time, Oi course, lOr tnaflie ana
to find that we We're not exempt from the
frailties and failures of every day people.
But if we had missed reaching the per-
feet happiness which had been the fan
cied dream OF my girlhood, I had become
wise enough to know that ours was not
an isolated case, and had no disposition
to complain.


Sometimes | had more to do than l
could accomplish satisfactorily to myself,
and Charlie would wish I'd be more care
ful and look after things little closer.
Housework and house duties were all
new to me, for | had been drought up"
by bachelor uncle, and had boarded ev-
er since could remember, and don't
think | took up the care and responsible
ty as readily as some would; but | was
honestly trying to do the best | could,
and if Charlie did find little fault with
me, | was sure of his love and that was
almost everything to one who had had
such loveiess childhood as T.


Then there was my frankie, an active
robust boy, and my blue,eyed pet of three
months, just the prettiest, dearest and
smartest children that ever gladdened
the hearts of fond parents.


Charlie and | both firmly believed
there were no babies in the neighborhood
but that would suffer in comparison with
them, and still think they were quite
marvellous in their way.


Charlie was very orderly and methodi-
cal. Wouldn't have owned then, that he
was bit too much so; indeed / quite
prided myself upon those prominent traits
of his character, but it certainly did re-
quire some pretty skillful management
on my part always to have the meals
ready at such moment, and the children
and myself to be in apple.pie order to
partake of them. Then he wished to find
every article of clothing in its proper
place and invariably in good repair


OF course | failed occasionally, and
then it would seem to Charlie that twas
the rule instead of the exception, and he
would tell me in a grieved, tone how ait
panied him to find me so careless about
things so essential to his comfort" and
would add that "his mother always made
it point to attend to such important
things first, and if anything had to be
neglected. why let it be some of the min
or duties, and then tenderly, as though
fearful! of wounding me.


"But darling, / know you wish to
please me, and it is only from ignorance
that you make such hard work of doing
what little work you have"


The dear fellow, he little thought was
silly enough to think that the unkindest
cut of all it made me recall regretfully,
the time when he called my ignorance
charming"


When the glamour of our early love
was upon me / used to have seasons of
intense humility, and / would be troub-
led because / knew so little, while Char
lie seemed very god for wisdom and
knowledge, but he always comforted me
with the reinsurance that be wouldn't have
me one bit different from what / was, for
in his eyes was perfect" Could help
for the time being content, as he was all
the world to me.


As years went on he might have
changed his mind little. / think l
have heard that wise people do some-
times.


1t occurred two or three times that
| Frankie's hair wasn't curled when he
came to the dinner table, and the baby
refused to lie quietly in her cradle, while
filed my yaccustomed seat; and of course
this would happen at unfortunate times,
when Charlie had brought some friend
home to dinner with him. 1t really was
too bad and knew it mortified the poor
man dreadfully, nevertheless was pow
erless to prevent repitition of the same.


Things had been getting worse and
worse, the children must have entered in
to some kind of campact, for their faith
er's coming was signal for them to
commence, and they would bo assert
their rights to be heard in unmistakable
tones, especially if he had brought home
book which he desired to read aloud.
felt terribly guilty and tried to apollo
gize, but what was the use if we didn't do
any better. Charlie was too manly to
scold, and ought not to have felt griev
ed when he would put on his hat and
coat saying he "must look up some quiet.
er place to spend his evening" go out
and call on our friends.


II | had been as unselfsh as some no.
bier women, suppose ! should have re-
joiced that he could fud abroad what he
missed at home, but was poor, weak, |
miserable, loving wife, so 1 Just cried
over my babies while I coaxed them to
sleep. Charlie would come home look