REMOULDING

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 18

REMOULDING

The following quaint little sketch. appeared in the "Tasmanian Mail" recent-

"Babs," said the Reverend Marcus, very gently, "it's nearly half-past one, and I distinctly said lunch at a quarterpast. Don't you think, dear, you might keep the servants up to the mark a little better?"

Not angrily, you must understand, not even reproachfully, just quietly and rather sadly.

And at lunch there was an alleged pudding that Babs had tried her hand at for the first time. The Reverend Marcus said, with great sweetness : "Not quite a success this time, darling. Don't you think you might attend some cookery classes? I want my little Babs to be a splendid housewife!"

And he added, still more sweetly and a little pensively : "I remember, dear, mother used to make this pudding so

Yet—and this is the amazing part of it—he had married Babs because she was as unlike "dear mother" as possible ! Because, if he had Teally wanted to marry that type, the domesticated, dependable, competent, housekeeping type, there were half a dozen of them at his vorv elbow.

The parish bristled with sweet, gentlo girls with an infinite capacity for making- omelettes and keeping servants up to the mark and mending socks. The ability to make splendid wives and mothers was written large across their virtuous, shiny foreheads. Their large, capable hands alone showed the high state of their principles. Their sensible boots sufficed to show their supreme worthiness.

Did he even glance in their direction? No! He went to London, met pretty, feather-brained, incapable but adorable Babs, and married her because he loved her. Ever since then he has been trying to alter her.

Her enchanting inconsequence, which was one of the things that co enchained him, he is now doing his uttermost to root out.

Her unpunetuality, her contrariness, her delicious vagueness, all the thousand and one things that so refreshed his routine-wearied spirit, he is now moving heaven and earth to change. He has begun the re-moulding process before they've been married six months, and if he has his way he will murder all thosa wayward charms that gave her to him!

It's_ ridiculous, and rather heart breaking as well, but it's human nature. Some people's, at all events.