Show 4 I 1 the pattern wife A NIN SIG G commentary solomon was certain certainly las a very wise man said A aunt nan nancy 1 I 1 aud has left a d description escaip of a pattern wito wite hard bard to heat beat yet I 1 have in in my my inin minds ds eye a modern wife e my fr friend ind mrs alis john smith who pd id wager a silver thimble would have been a model to I 1 cheva the doiy y best of solomons seven hundred the lad 1 idy v of the olden time seems to have had bad a smooth sea and I 1 air saling for instance when she consi dereth a field abid d blyeth it Y 1 we tire not told that her husband puts astop a stop to the operation by insisting that he can make a better investment of the money and when by the fruit of her hand she planted a vi vineyard nevard I 1 we have no intimation that tb it ho he orders it t to 0 be plowed up tor for patch atch now with mrs john smith just let ter her undertake any a ny such speculations 1 she friseth while it is yet night so does doe mrs smith and that not after a comfort t ble sleep but after rocking and walking 1 the floor with a sick baby till three in the morning and without having once called upon mr air smith to take his bis turn with a hint that he hb was qui quite teas as strong as she was and that the baby was as much his as hers bers but 1 on the contrary making the suggestion that he be had bad better go into info the spare room where the little things meanings would not disturb him h and id first stepping in herself to sap see that there were soft blankets on the bed and pillows blows to his hiis liking g I 1 she bri ngeth her hei food from afarin afar so also does mrs smith after calling two to maids maide ahe sets one to watch the baby rind and to wake and dress the older children and nd goes gobs with the other a milo mile to market in in quest of a kb shilling illing steak mr smith making ifa ib a point to havo bavo a hot steak for breakfast and i repudiating anything ba tender win loin chic ft sen cills ts at I 1 mr S smiths servants et cin n adver get in iii shilling quantities when they g go 0 alone I 1 she birdeth her ber loins with strength and strength eneth her arms 1 mrs smith tries to do so go too therefore she never complains of those early marketing mai expedit expeditions ioAs heat beat or cold anin or sunshine but considering them pretty much lier ber only op port unities of getting the air she takes them and is thankful ul even tho a good deal of the air does blow over the butchers stalls and abro the fish macket and to strengthen her arms she would be perfect ly IY will willing ing to carry amri y the basket herself of if any great weight indeed only that mr smith has cert certain ai n scruples about appearances I 1 she opened her mouth with wi wisdom doin and on lier her tongue is the liw law of kindness NV when lien mrs ir 3 smith coi comes nes home from ma market arket and meets her hei husband just going 11 out oi of the barb barbers ers bavi havin n discovered that keeping razors and su so furuli costs as buob li as it comes to thol tho she sees him pick up the d damp amp moiling moaning journal journ r ill and slips it i in n 0 bi his s pocket for safekeeping safe sale keeping till his bis return because lie never likes nn any J one to unfold it before she does docs not observe that lie he need not 0 give himself the trouble as there is I 1 nob nobody 1 ody to open it but herself bers elf and shi ae has no time to read the paper goodness knows she on only y smiles sweetly and hopes he has had bad a good nig nights lits rest also controlling not only her t tongue but her whole boda with wisdom when after finding the ma maid 1 id srawl sprawling ing on the nursery floor asleep and none of the children up she has busied her one on to comb cab and azid brush five little heads and to fasten a gross of buttons and lots of strings and arrange arran e her own hair and straighten the washed breastpin breast pin in her collar after all this on going down mr smith hails her with pretty time for breake breakfast ast going to eighth seven being their hour he ur she carefully avoids turning I 1 her hoad or evin her eyes e ye s towards the clock lest he might perceive that it has bas onh been going ino to the condemned figure lor for tyro t 0 min utes and a half she well ell to the ways of her house bouse hold and leateth not the bread of idleness 5 1 when mrs smith his has sent off the larger children to school and provi provided sled the smaller ones with ra rag dolls and bail building ding blocks and attended to t the he baby she takes a lok lo 10 k out front to see that th the steps and pavement and window shutters are in in a proper condition and aleo de n the d doorknob door knob doorplate door plate and bell handle then she visits the parlors and brushes away a quant lt T of imperceptible cep tible dirt and an d it raigh tens chairs and ana cater eater corner otton ottomans ians I 1 next she mikes the tour of the chambers in particular attending atten attending din to the spare room the seclusion of alii which mr ir smith may want in the night again taking off the ruffled pil low wisely kept for show and the best counterpane which must sulter suffer from mr smiths system of tucking the kitchen breakfast is over by this time and she goes down to give orders about dinner which she does doe with dignity no notwithstanding 0 minerva ann screws het he aad glances at her coadjutor clarissy jane when she hears bears that a hash bas h is to venade be nade of the remains of the boef best which served for foi i a soup yesterday tj after aate r s serving erv i i ng iks alj a roast the day before and po bauld suspect from her bearing how ha hard rd mr smith had stared that morning when she al asked tor for a little market in money on ev to get something for dinner nor thit she had bad felt the least disappointed d i sap pointed at bearing he had ano no change chano e 1 perhaps indeed she being used to it she lie then puts aside soiled garments for the wash arranges arr angres closets and pres presses bes and sits down to it a heaped up basket fatiguing to behon beh olid and she has stife stitched bAd away with her foot on the everlasting rocker till dinner time no reasonable verson person scarcely mr smith himself would say that she hai had not earned her r share hare of that hash I 1 she Shela labeth yeth her hands to the spindle spind je her hands hold the distaff thos implements be being 1 ing pretty much out of the fashion since ce spinning jennys ahnie in mrs smith sn aith substitutes the scissors and needle 1 at which 1 r c she V is an adept I 1 acco accordingly after ftfe e i sho has ha s maae daae 4 a faill set of short clothes clothe s for the baby and a apply all round of coats sacks saas and trousers trow sers iq for tilie the boys and ot of frocks Hp ai props rong aa ao sup aun bonnets for the girla girls when mr smith observes that aishe as shei so seems aws pretty good at atit it and cant have roach much to do he believes he I 1 will let idt her try iri her hand bina at some vests and naj pants f for or himself her I 1 aes eyes fill with tears of i gratitude at the generous permission i I 1 she that her mo merchandise merchandize rehan dize isa 1 precisely isely mrs alts smiths practice he is an excellent shopper and haying having made her fall purchases pR eor or the six chU drien I 1 a few for her husband and very few for I 1 herself out of eight dollars and a quarter on which occasion mr lir smith always finds a 1 kink in his pocketbook pocket book boot clasp that makes it very hard hai d to open and draws out the greas areas iest ie an and d in most ost suspicious notes she u unfolds folda her r lit little de parcels abeels with careful scrutiny and when she finds ads that all is right she congratulates el herself that if she has not got a great quantity nor of the very best she certainly hasa has a good deal and very good for the mon I 1 ev her husband is known in the gates he among the elders eldero of tle tl e land 5 such is the caso with tair mr john smith when A an 13 invitation has h as been received to a wedding Z or a party to which almost everybody they know avow is ia going going and at which in her hear mrs sm smith eb who was wab gay once and something th ing of fi a bells belle like to be she never hints that she would go if she had any thing ft fit to wear but rejoices that mr smith at least has al always kays a handsome suit and brushes his coat herself and pulls down his black satin batin vest and arranges the tie of his cravat all the time fondly fancying him standing respectable irk in tho the door fathers who nho have bave da daughters nAters 11 I 1 to over oversee sep or batin eiting a plate of oysters or ter terrapin rak with respectable married men wlm live have left their wives at home I 1 iller her candle goeth not out at night 11 neither does mrs smith after she has closed ceased the door behind mr Smith she never sits mussing asing by the flicker flickering riu r flie firelight light thinking that marriage mairi age is a lot lottery after all that a wo man might be just as as hippy happy with any one of the half hal f dozen d 6 zen men she rejected as with the one of her choice and wondering il if she had bad taken ned who had bad turned outto out to I 1 ie e such buch a whole devoted husband he be might not have had a bril brighter smoother life of it no indeed she settles the light BO as least to try the eyes which have iong been weak eak and androes goes to work re lining and aid new ne pocketing coat tails and darning immense immense yawns in stockings till my mr smith comes coines home at one c complaining in 1 ining that the it h is made bi his head bead ache and insinuating thatis eliat it have answered as well to have let the lire fire go out at a sea seasonable son hour even if sheh she hd d to get out oui of 0 bed in in the cold to let him in she coverett cov ereth herself with tapestry her raiment is of silk and purple 1 most assuredly mrs smiths would be e the same if she could get it she is a person 0 o of if very nice taste if she hai bad an opportunity to in it when after a long con consideration considerate on i she venues ventures to say to mr smith sm ith that the gown she has worn woin five years begins molook to look a little old fashioned f and shabby and that h bar r bonn t of three winters use will bard hardly hold out another he be answers tho pho pho I 1 dont care about your being fine and as to other people wb who ever looks at an old married woman with a troop of children she only turns the dress the third time and oets gets 1 I clean strings for forthe the bonnet I 1 she stretches forth her hands to the poor i ei ea she ho rei ret cheth out her hand to the needy thol I 1 cant say that mrs smiths liano hand is often stretched out oat yet I 1 know that thal her good kind spirit delights in acts of mercy cold victuals victual 9 are not abundant ip in their p pantry y and if they were mr air smi h b has standing ng orders that no paupers haupers are to come upon the premises and prefers that the childrens cast off clo clothing hing should go to the old ann to lu tp r vie me annual breakage in pressed glass tumblers or even to the rag rag man in trade for shoe blacking I 1 9 I 1 yet wh w hen en a tale of wo reaches her ber if mrs smith is fortunate foi enona enough h to have alir three e shillings laid by to pure purchase gase a fi fresh esh neek neck ribbon one of octher them is brought forehand fort hand sho she weirs a cheaper ribbon above a happier hemi 1 flee children rise up and call her blessed so 0 o do mu mrs smiths her ber husband also he be 1 I mean mrs smiths rather resents that rb sha is is getting so thin and pale and tells her it is pl guey strange 0 married women cant keep themselves as good looking as when they were girls |