Year: 1876

A very cosy sitting room il was tha
Frank Merwin entered as he returned
from a long and wearisome day in the
law office. A soft glow was diffusec
from a fire of sea coal in the CRATE; the
eat lay doing on the rug, and the fitfu
CLEAN of the freight flashed on & book.
case well filed with elegantly bound
volumes, on a blooming camellia par
TALLY veiled by the heavy lace window
curtains, on choice pictures suspended
from the walls, on handsome stuffed
easy chairs, and every now and ther
disclosed, resting in shadow, child''
shoe, that lay in one corner on the
Brussels carpet. Near the CRATE wa'
drawn up the lounge, with Frank
dressing gown thrown over it and hi
embroidered slippers just peeping from
beneath.


.'This looks like comfort" said Franl
as he put on the gown, thrust his fee
into the slippers, and threw himself OF
the lounge in a restless attitude: -
wonder where Mary is 2"


At this moment Mrs. Merwin entered
with the lamp in her hand, and founC
Frank enjoying the quiet freight.


.sWhy, Frank" she exclaimed, "wher
id YOU come in2 l didn't hear you,
and placing the lamp on the table she
sat down beside him.


.'Only moment ago." he said, "but
its so pleasant to get home and rest L;
dinner ready? I'm very hungry"


just then the tinkling bell announced
dinner. and they were presently seated
at the table, Minnie, the little two-years-
old, was already in her high chair, and
no sooner did her mother appear than
she began ''TatO, tato, bread, milk,
butter"


A shade passed over Franks face, but
he said nothing as he helped Mrs. Mer-
win, and Mollie, and Henry, and Willie
to the roast before him. For minute
or two at a time Minnie was still, but as
soon as her eye rested on any dish she
had not seen before she began, "Cake,
cake, raisins, sugar." and nothing else
could be heard. Mrs. Merwin, intent
on stopping her clamor, gave no atten-
ton to any one else at the table. Frank
drew long breath, and said, in an un-
dertone. as if to himself:


81 do wish she could eat before we
do, and be asleep when l come home"


In response to this, Mrs. Merwin
said, in petting tone. to Minnie, "Ittle





and 90 TO bed fore papa comes, does
she?''


The other children were all over four
wears old, and had been trained in table
manners by their father so well that
their presence was no annoyance; but
this little Minnie he couldn't manage,
and cunning and pretty though she
was, she was real torment 10 her
ha hnrna anF
tired with the business of the day.


At last the dinner was over, and the
baby put TO bed to Franks great relief.
ssNow can talk with Mary" said he
to himself, "and forget the fatigues and
cares of the day;" and he went to his
overcoat and drew from its pocket the
last new magazine to show her when
she came in.


Entering with work basket in her
hand, Mrs. Merwin began, "Such q
time, Frank, as I've had to-day; i
wouldn't tell you before, you looked 50
tired; but Bridget went off this morn
ing to see a sick cousin, and did not get
back until dinner was ready, so that
had everything to do, and Minnie to
take care Of beside. She has got dou-
BILE tooth coming and is awful cross.
Right in the midst of my work Mrs.
Kingtisher called, and l had to leave
everything and dress to see her, and she
staid SO long that my kitchen fire got
low, and thought 1 never should get
dinner in time; then Henry came home
from school with the earache, and /
thought 1 never should get him quiet,
but did at last. Oh, dear, such a day
as I've had"


.'I've brought home the new maga-
zine. Mary" was Franks only response
10 this long catalogue of ills; but his
mind ran back over the tolls the day
had brought to him, heavy business
arxieties, annOyances that pierce to the
uick, disappointDents that involved
more than he cared to compute, and he
looked on his pleasant surroundings
with a wistful air, and half wondered
why they brought him so little pleasure.
If he had not taken off his coat and
boots, he would have made an errand
into the street, and dropped into his
club, where he was sure of meeting half
a dozen jolly fellows, and hearing only
cheerful and pleasant things. But only
that night, as he walked through the
gathering twilight, the days of his
courtship and early married life, the
long evenings he and Mary had spent
in reading Milton and Homer and Scott
and Plato and Bacon and Thackeray
and Dickens; how he had dreamed that
she would always be his chosen intel
lectual companion, no less than the
partner OF his life; but now she seemed
settling into a mere nursery maid, a
humdrum housekeeper, a good seam
stress, with no other thought than to
provide for the physical well-being of
her household. What could he do about
IL? He would buy the new magazine
and read aloud to her, and see if they
couldn't have taste of the old, sweet
wine of their early companionship.


So, as she took up a new embroidered
sack she was making for the baby. he