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Show for (ear of his w ife's critism. "How did w omen manage a great hunk of greasy meat like that, anyhow?" he asked h.m sell in disgusr. "Vour fiv-pan is burning Percy" said h s wi!e,"w hy don't you put your bam 10 fry." I don't know how to go about getting it cut," he said helplessly. tVny.put it on a platter, there is one in the edge f the box." To be sure. Whv.had he not thought of it before. The ham was soon frying, (ending out a delicious smell, mingled with the blue, pure, chilly mountain air. Jut then the teapot began to boil over send tig up a cloud of ashes, ai d as Mr. MeiPKuld attempted in haste to remove it with his hand least the ham should be coated with ashes, the inevitable result was a very painful skin burn 011 bis left hand. Of course he threw it down and spilled the water, and swore. Oh sons and daughlets o' Adam! what principle makes it depravity for a woman lo swear in an emergency, and perfectly riht.or at least admissible, lor a mar.? The tea pot was reti.led and in order to facilitate mailers the tea was ihruwn into ;he cold water, that the lid m ght not have to be lifted when the water boiled again. Although Mr. Merrigold scornfully rejected re-jected his wife's offers t.. b nd up the wuund, he Could scarcely endure the pain when the 'ull glow of the tire rell lull up, .11 the all but blistered cuticle. The horses that had been grazing about now came up to the wagon and whinnied for gra n, and the cock had to stop arid wan upon them. The children began fietting for their dinner, and their Papa was nearly frantic fran-tic there seemed to be such a complication complica-tion ol small matters needing his attention atten-tion It was not the fun, ease and luxury to be a woman that he had thought Half frantic by the unaccusonied duties du-ties and the length of time it took him to "do nothing" Mr. Mernguld finally g. 1 the dinner dished up. The ham was covered with ashes, the tea was smoked and the bread cut in slices thick at tue end and thin at the other. 'I ake it all around the dinner was not a feast even altera can of honey had been added to it. Mrs. Mernguld sipped her tea, and fretted because the children were soil iug their clothes so recklessly "This tea has a very peculiar flavor," said Mrs, M. continuing to sip it with a disgusted face. "fa, I want a drink," said one ol tlte childien seizing a cup and plunging it in to the same bucket Itotn winch her husband hus-band had taken the water to make the tea. "Not that," said her mother, "that is the bucket Papa uses to water the horses in." "Well, its the bucket he made vour tea out of," said the little gill not at all cou-vinced cou-vinced that she might not drink. "My tea!" exclaimed the lady setting down the cup andjookingieiiquiriugl) at her husband. Why, the water is perfectly clean ae you can see." "That accounts (or its peculiar taste," remarked the lady; "a horsev flavor. I didn't expect vou to be as nice about everything as I would, but I don't care To eat and dunk with the horfes. "Have 1 done ai.ythmg else wront:?' he asktd in an exasper.ued tone, :u,d ris ihg has i y, managed to tip the honey c.n over in his lap. To be Lonlinutd. HE HAD HIS CHOICE (continued) Their next days travel lay through a strangely beautiful region. Mr. Merrigold Merri-gold loved all in nature that Nature's most ardent lover could admire; but to day, her husband pointed out in vain the reniaik.ible, and maiiilicent in the scenic efl'tcls that she had been wont to go into dreamy ecstacy over; a stone in the road, a sharp declivity down which the wagon was obliged to go, had more attraction for her than the lov eliest things in hie. Poor human nature doomed to walk in the dust! The struggling spirit strives .11 vain to free itself of the obstacles in .he path, the frost in the air. .Scarcely does the soul catch one glinipss ol hea en, until un-til a stone under the fi ot hurls them headlong in the dusi; hardly have thry realized the fathomless warmth of the waves ofgolden atmosphere in this upper deep tl ey dwell in until frost dissolves its radiance. Poor Mrj. Merri,s;ttd, realized that at some time she would lerei that she had been ut ahle to enjoy the beauty surround ing her; but the weak Dulse refused to bound in admiration, and the d.seased nerves seemed only capable of acute agony. Mr. Merrigold had not taken cold from his plunge baih the day before, as every body had a right to expect he would, and the children were quite well and happy. At noon thev camped for dinner, and iustea 1 of Mis. Merrigold getring out of the wagon and looking after the children spreading a lunch and making herself generally uselul her husband had to wait upon her. He spread a blanket on the g,tcH!tf-took g,tcH!tf-took ol the spring seat ff her I,, sjt on l.fted the children cut and madfe a fIrei bef'ire he could even take tl'jrhari-ess "f t'te impatient hoists. f He was hungry and tirej aiKj atjOUt as rlumsv about wa ting 'him,ef nnd the children as a persyff Cl)U,d )e bul he must do 11 or go muvl II wumen wWffs c.'mU m,ly under-slati.i under-slati.i that the labor of love they peifoun so wiH;nIVjind so gladly Cut tiieTn" Was iiliil.iriiJ.'l.f-CTj; III and uliiselt. It is really real-ly one ol the tine arts, this h-'tisi keeping; keep-ing; t 1 be able to adjust all ihi' mmnie details of the house so hat thev move in peifect rythm and h.umony.is one of the fine aits, to he learned only hy patient practice Tis the one accomplishment wh'Chall women should have and which does n t detract from the manliness of men to undeistand tne rudiments of. Mr. Menigold's mother had ahvavs considered it degrading to allow her son to cut a sl;ce of biead or go to the cupboard cup-board f r a plaie, spoon, or condiments, and had apologized humbly to him il ever overwork, hurry, weariness.or even illness had made it necessary for her to Hsk him to bu kl a fire, milk a cow, bring a stick ol wod, or bucket of water; What wonder was it that Percy Merrill Merri-ll Id grew up to have a verv well developed devel-oped contempt for women's w ik, as a tnething degrading 111 it-elf, and re-q re-q i'riig nothing but veiy 11. let 11 intellectual intel-lectual ability, and a slavish ,uatk of imitation im-itation What wonder that he, in common with many other men lorgot to weij,h the heart and hand service of a devoted mother, and an intellectual and laitalul wife, bestowed upon him without money and without pnse in the scale with the srrvice given lor money. It whs a natural nat-ural consequence that he should not understand the amount of genius required requir-ed to bring about the Comb nafon Called a well regulated hume, since he knew nothing about it. rie is in common with many men valued the services, the lab. t the devoiion of his "women folks" at its market value only which is n' thing. Mrs: Merrigold had not patked the h miper that held the food prep red for the journey, so thai it was not at ail sur-orisiug sur-orisiug that he had to unload it to the last layer in order to hud a knife to cut the bread. which was a very inferior qual ity, Mr. Merrigold look the loal in his arms and sawed t fl several three corner ed slices, before the whole of the top crust came off which he threw away "You should not have d me that, Percy" yaid his wife, "now the bread will get so diy, that it will be impossible lo eat it. "Well why didn't y u say something before I threw it away?" returned the husband, looking at the dish like crusi that lay a rod from camp in the sage brush "1 could not possible tell you were going to do such a foolish thing as that, Percy," said his wife fretfuMv, Mr. Merrigold, d.d not reply, but placing plac-ing the bread he had cut on the horse blanket upon which he was kneeling, began to fish in the box for something else "Percy" said his wile in a tone of dis-gus dis-gus .who do you think will eat that bread af er it has been on your dirty old horse blanket " "Ii is n t dirty, dear" said Mr Merrigold Merri-gold picking it up and putting it on the lid ol the hamper. "If I was going to get dinner," said Mrs. Merrigold, I'd put the teapot on with some water to boil fur tea, and get some ham tocook before I cut the bread anyhow." Mr. Merrigold verv mildly accepted the siggestiou,and blowing the dt.st out of the tea pot, ins:ead of wrishug or wiping it out, he tilled it fn ma bucket ol crystal clear water that stood near whrle his wife's attention was drawn in au other d.tection, 'I he frying pan was I kewise blown fiee o( dust, Miid set on the glow rig embers. em-bers. Alertnjold looked at the huge lump v ham il dismay. I lo w ul I he lie able to take.hoid f il moidei locul it. He did n- l dale to take it into li s arms as he had done the biead least i soil his clothes, nor put it on the horse blanket |