HOUSEWIFE S DEPARTMENT. 



279 



" There was u't too much friendship iu her 

 oall to-day," said Mary, shghtly vexed. 



" Do n't be harsh in your judgment, dear," 

 said Mrs. Hardy. 



" It is n't a judgment, but a fact. She 

 brought him here to lot him see that our 

 house was not as well furnished as hei's." 



" She took unnecessary trouble, then," said 

 Jane; " she might have told him about it." 



" I su])pose she thought that seeing is be- 

 lieving," said Mary. " If he is a sensible 

 man, I do n't think she has gained much by 

 bringing him here." 



" Let us talk about sometliing else, dears," 

 said Mi-s. Hardy, and the suggestion was 

 cheeifully adopted. 



Not long after this call, Mr. Foster present- 

 ed himself at the door, unattended by Phebe 

 Maria. "Are the young ladies at home?'' 

 said he to Mrs. H., who came to the door. 



" Yes, sir — walk m ! They are at home, 

 and will be ready to see you in a few minutes. 

 They are now helping their father milk the 

 cows, or rather he is heliiiug them. Mr. Har- 

 dy has so much to do that, when we can get 

 the cows home soon enough, we try to have 

 them milked before he comes ; that is, the 

 girls do, for they won't let me go out of the 

 house." 



'• You have n't them under very good gov- 

 ernment, then," said Mr. Foster, smiling. 



" It is n't the fashion now, you know. The 

 fashion now is for the young folks to rule and 

 the old ones to obey. However, I can't com- 

 plain of ray gu-ls — they try to do everything 

 they can for their parents ; only they won't 

 let me do as much as I wish to sometimes. — 

 I do n't like to see them do it all." 



The girls had new finished straining the 

 milk, and, as the labors of the day were over, 

 some slight changes were made iu their dress, 

 and they came in and passed the evening with 

 Mr. Foster. He had no such horror of un- 

 carpeted floors, or of industrious girls, as to 

 prevent his staying till the village bell " tolled 

 the hour for retiring." 



It appeared that one of Mr. Foster's uncles, 

 with whom he spent a part of his time, was 

 well acquainted with Mr. Hardy, and highly 

 appreciated his character. He had requested 

 his nephew to make his acquaintance, during 

 his stay in the village. Perhaps he thought 

 he was fulfilling that request liy becoming ac- 

 quainted with the daughters, for the nine 

 o'clock bell rung before he inquired for the 

 father, and then he had gone to bed. So it 

 was plain that it would be necessary for him 

 to call again. He did so, and the necessity 

 for repetition seemed to be mcreased, inso- 

 much that Miss Phebe Maria, on one occa.sion, 

 said that, if any one wisiied to find Mr. Fos- 

 ter, they must look for him in Mr. Hardy's 

 kitchen. 



CHAPTER III. 



" Mr. Duropus, our girls must have more 

 things. It don't signify ; they can't be any- 

 body unless they do." 



" What 18 wanting now? " said Mr. Duro- 



(567) 



pus, who looked thinner and older than when 

 we saw him last. 



" We must have an ingrain carpet, and 

 some mahogany chairs, and a looking-glass : 

 everybody has them now. Even Mr. Hai'dy 

 has got his girls a carpet." 



" He can afford to do so, but I can't." 

 " What is the reason ? Your farm is as large 

 again as his." 



" And my debts are as large again, and more 

 too, for I don't know as he owes a cent in 

 the world. When he owed eight hundred 

 dollars, I didn't owe much if anything ; and 

 now he is free from debt, and I have just as 

 much as I can do to pay the interest, and I 

 shan't be able to do that long at the rate we 

 are going on." 



" I do n't see how that can be. We have 

 not bought anything for the girls but what 

 was necessary. They have only had what 

 other folks have." 



" I do n't know how that may be ; they 

 have had more than I can afford. I ought to 

 have refused and put my foot down at the 

 first of it, and got only what I could atibrd to 

 get." 



Mrs. D. was silent. She was not given to 

 prolbund I'eflection, and hence had never 

 thought what eftect her demands on her hus- 

 band's purse might have in the end. She 

 was sorry if he was embarrassed ; and yet 

 she could not believe it. The girls had had 

 next to nothing. Old-fashioned folks were 

 prone to exaggerate, where new things were 

 concerned. He could surely afford the car- 

 pet and chairs. She would do without some- 

 thing herself The girls would be married 

 soon, that is, if they had suitable things to at- 

 tract husbands witli. With such thoughts 

 did she fortify himself in the resolution to 

 persevere in her application ; and who ever 

 heard of a persevering wife who was denied. 



The money was raised by a mortgage on 

 his stock, and the carpet, chairs, and glass 

 were purchased. Mr. Duropus excused 

 himself for yielding, by saying to himself, " I 

 shall have no peace till I do." 



About Xvfo years after tlie above-mentioned 

 purchase, Mr. Hardy came one day to the 

 field in which Mr. Duropus was hard at 

 work. '' Good morning, neighbor," said he, 

 " I have noticed for some time that you 

 have n't looked well. You work too hard ; 

 you can't stand it." 



" That isn't it; I 'm in debt, and expect 

 to have all my stock sold before long." 



" I concluded you must be in debt some — 

 and — I — was rather surprised at it, too." 



" That is, you thought I had too much sense 

 to give way to the foolish ways that are ru- 

 ining half the farmers in the country." 



" Yes, that is about it, seeing you have said 

 it yourself" 



•' Well, you see, I got into it by little and 

 little, and once in, it is hard swimming against 

 the tide. I shall never get out of it. I shall 

 see the last of my farm if I live many years 

 louder." 



