MABIE'S TROUBLES.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 440, 8 September 1904, Page 6

MABIE'S TROUBLES.

Mrs. liable had noticed during their days of cuurt.si.ip that Mable was always intensely interested in whatever she blight happen _to be doing and thar-ire wasifemiein the matter of suggestion. One day) for instance, he found her engaged on some emhriidery and at once proceeded to question tier concerning every detail of her method f>\ siiic: - ing. Then he proposed an improvement, and, failing to explain it to the lady to htr entire satisfaction, gave hera practical demonstration, with the result of ruin:r.g her wurk of art. That was rather trying, but* there was worse to come and it kept c< ming. They kept no servant when they wen. first married. Tney had the tiniest box 01 a fiat and there wc::ld have been no piaoe to put a eriri even if they had needed one and had been able to afford her. Besides Mrs. Mabie had b-je:: given one c:" the^eoldfashioned educations that include couises of cooking acd scientific scrubbing and marketing, and they got along very weii indeed. But Mabie, while his adr.irati-jn of his wife's accomplishments knew no bounds, could not help feeling that there were many things in the domain of domestic economy that required the application of a masculine intelliger.ee for their successful execution. "I don't pretend to know about these things," he would say, "and i know that you do know ail about them. If I thought that you considered me officious or meddling—"

"Bonaldl As if I could think such a thing!" "I know you don't. That's exactly what I say. You understand that we are all like'y to fall into a rut. lam myself in my work and there is nothing more likely than that you might be able to give me valuable pointers. It's just the same about this kitchen work. From the very fact that lam ignorant of it I am more likely sometimes to perceive the obvious thing to do than you are with all your training and experience. The beauty of the thing is that when I point it out you at once understand my motive in doing so—to make it easier for you—and you don't fly off the handle as a narrowminded woman might do. Now, as to this dishwashing. I observe that you take every separate dish, wash it in the soapy water; rinse it in the clear and then wipe it with yr -r dishcloth. You do that because every woman you have ever seen washing dishes does it in exactly the same way. As the re suits are fairly satisfactory, you don't pause to consider that it might be done far easiei and with great saving of time." "I believe you are getting tired of helping me with the dishes," said Mrs. Mabie. "Well, tell me how you would do it." "11l show you," said Mabie. "You take a batch of them, this way, and—" "Take care of that cake dish!" "You dump them into— Well, who'd have thought they'd have smashed as easilv as that?" «• The batch had slipped from his soapy fingers and had fallen in a crash of fragments into the sink. His concern over the accident was so genuine that his wife had not the heart to scoid him, though the cake dish was a wedding present and one of the most valued of their possessions. She gathered up the pieces carefully and poured bairn on his wounded spirit by assuring him t:.at the dish could be mended by an expert that she knew of so neatly that it would be almost as good as ever. "Let me look at it," said Mabie. "I guess that's so. I think I could mend it myseif." "Oh, I wouldn't bother, dear. I'll take it around to the little china shop to-morrow." He persisted in his intention and went out that evening and bought a bottle of china cement. After about an hour's hard work he succeeded in getting the dish pieced together and sticking the tablecloth to the table, though he was not aware that he had done this until his wife tried to lemove the c'oth the next morning and pulled out a leaf and up:et some more china en the floor. The fabric stuck so firmly that he was convinced that the dish mui»t have "set," although the directions said the i.ieneed articles should be allowed to remain in a cool, dry place for three or four days, .'t certain'y k-oked as if it had "set," but w hen he triumphantly knocked it against the mantelpiece to prove it the di*h fell apart on the hearth and smashed into bits. So it went on for years, Mab."? always full of new ideas for the lightenirg of hn-ge-hold toil and prodigal in his exp.e:iditr>e for patent houseno'd devices of every description, Jaunted by no failure and exult ii ? in tie faintest measure of success, ami Mrs. M3bie forbearing and sympathetic, but with premature lines of .care on her pretty face that may have been attributable to her husidiosyncrasy. ) Then the Mabies grew prosperous—that is, they enjoyed a fair measure of prosperity—aril Mrs. Mabie no longer wore a kitchen ap:ou and cooked little dinners. There were Servants to attend to sll that. In the first days cf the change Mabie hardly seeaicd to feel as if tae joys of life had departed from him, but a realization o? the fact came upon him by degrees. He strayed down into his kitchen now and then in an aimless sort of way, but somehow he felt that he was not welcome and that his tentative efforts to make life brighter for the help were not appre< lated. He began to lose flesh ar.d have tits of depression that worried Mrs. Mabie, and she made him consult three cr four doctors, who prescribed various remedies, none of which did any good. Not until ne.'.rly six months after that did Mrs. Ma- »■■!? guess her husband's complaint. He cr-me in i.ne evening with an air of having something on his mind and set ;d several times en the point of speaking, bnt apparently thought better of it. At last he pulled fic:n his pocket a small package from which after a curious hesitation he produced a mysterious arrangement of cog wheels and flanges. "[ saw this in the store to-day." he explained, as he began turning a little crank ; at made a strange buzzing sound. "A n.an was demonstrating with it, and the way it heats an egg is simply a marvel. I should think tiiat our cook mijht like to have it. She probably uses a foik.a.s her great grandmother did before her. Let me show you how it works, my dear. I know you would have liked it." He sighed and turned the crank .--i.iin. "Thi -e were happy days when I used to help > .-around the kitchen, weren't t T c-r?" he aV.ted, smiling brightly, a.- Mrs. M h'e • - i ..td in an ecstasy of delight at t! c ■ i:y of the eg;t beater. "1 am afiaid ,-■ .- ..,-\ is rather a conservative woman, hj . -i c uught to be glad to have this. Don't you t auk she might?" *'' should think so, indeed," replied Mrs. M hie, enthusiastically. "I'mgoing :.->:.:ks ; .".(;••-i to her this minute. It's wonderful —atvi nothing like the |rork of most bt:*".e"i one Me*." She :•.-• urned after a shsrt absence and reported :. at the o>ok was cveijoyt-d a-.-: gra't":; 1 Leyund measure, at".*. Mabie nurf i...e his ohi cheerful seif t'-at evt::i ; . . :t i.-atl been for months, w. ■v ;.Irs. Mabie n&t *i'-'en him a ;•' . ; ■l. •■• ■ •'ist himself witc and t..<r; ;. r. .-.: .. .•;*>■ there r.o aior - l-übu- :.. :i an} w .ere t.:_:i Mabie.—Chicago : . \ In-".vs.