The Young Wife CHAPTER 5.
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"I don't think you try your best, Rachel," said Mrs. Lawton, in no very kind tone, one day, near the close of her cook's first month. "This is the second time this week that we have had dinner too late, and no dessert into the bargain. I don't see any reason for this, for it is just as easy to do a thing right, as wrong."
Rachel knew that the dinner had been badly cooked, and she knew that Mrs. Lawton was not pleased at her for not preparing a dessert, for neither of which she was, on the score of carelessness or neglect, to blame, and she felt a good deal chafed in mind.
"I do the best I can, Mrs. Lawton," she replied, in a tone that was rather sharp.
"Come, now, I don't want any of your impertinence, Rachel," Mrs. Lawton said, indignantly.
This somewhat cooled, at the same time that it deeply wounded the feelings of the cook. She had not intended to be impertinent, and did not wish to bear such an imputation. She therefore responded, in a calmer tone,
"I did not mean to be impertinent, Mrs. Lawton, I only said — "
"Well, I don't want to hear what you said! And I won't be answered back by any servant in my house!" Mrs. Lawton replied, in an excited tone; "I complained of the dinner's not being cooked well, and I shall expect you, hereafter, to give more attention to what you are doing. You can cook well — that I know."
And so saying, the young mistress swept out of the kitchen. As she closed the door after her, poor Rachel burst into tears, and sitting down upon a chair, covered her face with her hands, and sobbed long and violently. At the age of ten, she had been left an orphan. Up to that time, none could have been more tenderly raised, but thenceforward she knew little of kindness, beyond the orphan's limited portion. Still, the remembrance of earlier days ever lived like a green spot in her memory, and modified her whole character and feelings. It acted like a conservative principle in her moral nature, elevating her thoughts, and keeping her free from the too many contaminating influences incident to her condition in life. Her feelings had always been exceedingly sensitive, so much so, that the least dissatisfaction on the part of anyone for whom she was working, made her unhappy.
After sitting for about ten minutes, during which time the agitation of her mind gradually subsided, she rose up, and went about the performance of her duties as usual; but there was in her countenance, a thoughtful and resolved expression.
In the mean time, Mrs. Lawton had her own thoughts and her own feelings, and they were by no means of the pleasantest kind. She had allowed herself to become excited, and this state of excitement she had exhibited before her servant. She felt, consequently, but did not allow the feeling to arise into a thought, that she had lowered that servant's estimation of her, and this worried her. And besides this, there was a consciousness that she had not acted with justice towards that servant; and still further, a consciousness ofdiminished self-respect.
It cannot, therefore, be supposed, that she was in a very happy frame of mind, when Frank returned home in the evening. Her troubled looks at once attracted his attention.
"Is anything the matter, Julia?" he asked, tenderly.
"Nothing," replied the young wife, "except that I have been tried out of all patience with Rachel."
"I am very sorry to hear that, Julia. I was much in hopes that, with some looking after, you would find in Rachel, all that you wanted."
Now, those two little words, "looking after," had a specific meaning when uttered by her husband, and Julia felt that they had. And this annoyed her still more. For there was in them, it seemed to her, a rebuke for not having given the required attention to her domestic concerns. Not that such a rebuke was really intended to be conveyed — the object was, merely to utter a truth, in the hope that it would be rightly appreciated. She, therefore, replied with some warmth,
"I don't know that I could have looked after her any more than I have. I am sure that I have made all the pastry and such things for her for the last ten days, though I got no thanks for it."
"I didn't say, Julia," Frank responded in a soothing tone, "that you had not looked after Rachel sufficiently; I only said, that with a little looking after, I had hoped you would find her all that you desired. But don't let so little a thing worry you. Try to bear with her, and excuse her faults. I think she means to do the best she can."
"Well, I don't, then," said the offended young wife, "for when I tried to talk with her this afternoon, she was as stiff and impudent as she could be; and that is what I am not going to put up with from anyone in my house. I am resolved to be mistress here, and when things are not done as I want them — I shall speak about it."
"In that you are right, Julia. Only you must use this right with discretion. But I see that I am worrying your mind, and so I will say no more. Your own good sense and discrimination will, I am sure, cause you to do everything for the best. So brighten up now, and forget all your little annoyances."
The presence of her husband, with his cheerful air, and ready power to interest her, soon chased the cloud from the brow of Julia, and she was again the happy young wife. But this cheerful temper was not to remain long. Towards the middle of the forenoon of the next day, she descended to the kitchen, under the impulse of the idea, that if she would prevent trouble, she had better see a little after the movements of Rachel.
"Get me some flour and butter, Rachel," she said, as she entered the kitchen; and these articles were promptly brought to her. Several other things that were named, were also supplied, while she stood, inactive, until the various articles she had named were laid before her. She then proceeded to compound some article of dessert, with a daintiness of manner that indicated her true thoughts, that such an occupation was entirely below one in her condition. While thus engaged, Rachel approached her respectfully, and said —
"I think it right, Mrs. Lawton, to tell you, thus early, that I cannot stay with you longer than this month."
"Very well, Rachel, you can do as you please!" was Mrs. Lawton's reply, made in an offended tone, for she still felt unkindly towards her cook; and though she did not wish her to go, she instantly resolved that she would not ask her to stay, or give her the least intimation that she entertained such a thought.
The reply of Mrs. Lawton touched Rachel, and made her feel still more uncomfortable. But it had the effect to increase her desire to be away.
After Mrs. Lawton had finished what she was engaged in, she retired to her chamber in no very pleasant mood of mind, which was not improved by reflection. When her husband came home, he found that there was a cloud upon her brow. He of course inquired the reason.
"Rachel is going away as soon as her month is up, and I am sure I do not know what I shall do!" was her reply, in a gloomy tone of voice.
"She is? Really, I am sorry to hear that. What can be the reason of it?"
"I am sure that I don't know. Though I suppose it is because I talked to her yesterday about her negligence. But that is just the way with them all. If you let them do as they please — all will go on to their satisfaction. But the moment you say a word — it is all over. They will either give you impudence in return — or look out immediately for another place."
"I wouldn't let it disturb me, Julia," Frank said, soothingly. "Rachel will, no doubt, change her mind in a day or two, and then all will go on well again."
"And if she does, there will be the same trouble to go over again every few weeks. If she doesn't do as I want her to, and I speak about it, there will be another flare up — and so I will be kept in hot water all the while. I declare I feel almost discouraged at the prospect. How much better it would have been, Frank, if we had taken boarding instead of going to housekeeping."
"I thought, myself, it would have been better; but then you said that you would prefer housekeeping."
"I know I did. And foolish enough I was! But I hope it is not too late yet. How much pleasanter it would be, Frank, if we were clear of all this trouble of servants, and the care of a whole house."
"It might be pleasant in some respects, Julia, but unpleasant in many more. Now that we are comfortably settled in a house of our own — it would be a great folly for us to break up. We would not be half so comfortable in any boarding-house in the city."
"I don't know how that would be, but I am very much inclined to believe, that I would find it a great deal more pleasant. I would be relieved of all the care and responsibility of having the meals well cooked, and ready in time, and have no trouble with servants."
To this kind of argument, Frank Lawton had in his mind some very decisive answers — but he could not utter them, without deeply wounding the young creature he had taken to his bosom, and vowed to love and cherish; and therefore he was silent. But in that silence, was a fixed resolution not to yield to Julia's wishes in regard to breaking up housekeeping, should she go so far as to urge upon him a compliance with those wishes. He could not conceal from himself the fact, that a great part of the difficulty and trouble which his wife had experienced, arose from her indisposition to enter into, and faithfully perform her duties. This indisposition, he had no doubt that time and reflection, added to the necessity of circumstances, would, in the end, correct.
Contrary to the hope of Mrs. Lawton, Rachel showed herself to be in earnest in her resolution to change her place. At the end of the month she gave up her situation, and Mrs. Lawton was left, with Sally, in care of the house. Now Sally had no more affection for culinary operations than her mistress, and therefore did not exhibit the most amiable temper in the world, when she was told that she must turn cook until another one could be obtained.
"But I don't know anything about cooking, Mrs. Lawton," she said with a clouded brow.
"Still you will have to try, Sally, for I cannot do it. Rachel leaves today, and until another cook can be obtained; you will have to take her place."
Sally went grumbling about her work in the kitchen after Rachel left, resolved to do nothing right, unless it should prove too much trouble to do it wrong; and further resolved, not to find a moment's time to make Mrs. Lawton's bed, or clear up her room. About eleven o'clock, her mistress came into the kitchen, for the purpose of sending her up into her chamber, but found her still washing up the breakfast dishes.
"Why, Sally, is it possible you haven't got the breakfast things washed yet? How in the world do you expect to get the chamber and parlors cleaned up this morning?"
"I don't expect to get them cleaned up at all, Ma'am!" Sally replied, tartly. "If I've got the cooking to do, I'm sure I can't be chamber-maid at the same time."
"But how do you expect the upstairs work is to be done, Sally?" Mrs. Lawton asked, in a tone of perplexity.
"I'm sure I don't know, Ma'am, unless you do it."
"Me do it!" exclaimed Mrs. Lawton, in profound astonishment.
"It's your own work, Ma'am," Sally replied, with the utmost coolness.
Here, then, the young wife found herself in a narrow place, and how to get through it, she knew not. To go to work and clean up the parlors, and then to make up her bed and put her chamber in order, she could not, at first, think of doing. But time passed on and Sally showed herself to be in earnest in the matter. Under the impulse of a fear that someone would call in and find her parlors in disorder, did Julia at last go to work and sweep and dust them pretty thoroughly. She then proceeded to her chamber, and restored everything to order there. This occupied her for an hour or two, at the end of which time she returned to the kitchen, and, from appearances there, perceived that if her husband got any dinner that day — she would have to cook it, for Sally was just placing the breakfast things in the cupboards, having, at last, concluded the process of washing them.
"Indeed, Sally, this is too bad!" she said, in an excited tone. "It is nearly one o'clock, and nothing done towards getting dinner."
"I've hurried all I could," Sally replied, tossing her head. "I did not hire for cook anyhow!" was muttered in a lower tone, but distinct enough for Mrs. Lawton to hear.
Finding that nothing was to be gained by endeavoring to make Sally more active in her movements, and perceiving that she was in no very gentle temper — the young mistress made a virtue of necessity, and proceeded to the preparation of dinner, with the trifling assistance Sally felt disposed to give, herself in no very amiable mood. About the regulation of the cooking stove, she knew little or nothing, and Sally pretended to be far more ignorant than her mistress. Between them, however, they at last managed to get the dinner cooked, but it was 'after a fashion,' as they say.
The interview between the husband and wife at the dinner table, we will not sketch. Julia filled his ear with complaints, and declared that it was impossible to get along. But Frank was firm in his resolution not to give way. He soothed, and comforted, and tried to encourage his wife all he could, but would not entertain, for a moment, her renewed propositions to break up housekeeping.
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