At Home with the Jardines

a rosy view of their virtues and to pass lightly over their obvious faults, I know now that I prided myself on the one thing in my make-up conspicuous by its absence.

and who is moved to follow the fortunes of the Jardines further. Also this conversation took pla

e beginning, marriage is supposed to p

s," sai

egin life with the determination to make it oil the wheels of daily existence? Why not bend

l," said

er, most people become slaves to the sma

uppose, that if he did not give the conversation a fillip, I

rivate house, except abroad. Now even when people bring excellent servants over fr

" said

be in one of those smart apartment-houses, where everything is done for you outside of your four walls. Then with Mary,

t finished,"

! Another of the trials of my life ha

ers mailed?"

ering fear when one doesn't hear promptly that the letter was lost or never went; the danger of somebody covering them up with papers and sweeping them off to be burned; the impossibility of running to

at had a mail-chute," said my husband,

e only difference between a flat

and a sideboard built in, and

most respectful janitor I e

one who was

gentle and deferential. I have often noticed that persons who are afflicted in some painful way are

heart is set on that

unt them in the rent," I said, "for instead of going to the theatre as we have been doing, I want to give little dinners-real dinners to people we love, and give t

that you won't be called upon to do much of that sort of thing t

o conventionality simply as a matter of dignity. It is the privilege of your friends to make the first advances to me because I am a stranger to most of them. But I want to make a practice of hospitality for my own sake. I wa

d at me comp

e the stage. But in my case, I am in the position of one who doesn't want the stage to lower her. I don't want to grow cold, Aubrey, and I hope never to allow a frie

think your definition of a friend would be 'a man

red, stoutly. "As long as I have respectful servic

would allow yourself to be stamped upon just about as humbly as a cha

ter we had moved in and we had been settled by th

overlooking the park from the front windows, while the back gave upon a stretch of neat little flower

ool pale green. The woodwork was daintily carved, the dining-room was panelled in oak with two handsome china-closets built in. We had eleven closets with an extra storeroom for trunks in the basement, and enough cabinets in the kitchen and butler's pantry to stock a hotel, an

ead like a

a flood of gratitude and pride of home

y feel lik

t it had in it a waiting quality, as of a knowing one who intended to give thanks after he had tested a meal, instead of a reckless wight

ghter were cleaning the last of the windows, and such was the genius of fortune and Mary that at three that same afternoon, when the best man called to see how we were getting on, there was nothing left to do but to hang pictures, so we set him to doing that while we sat around in

st man. "There are six siphons on the ice now, and six mo

stopping a day or two in each room, and all finding a resting-place except one, which will not look well in any colour, any spot, on any wall, nor in any light. It was a wedding-present from some one we

full of interest and possibility to us, and if we ever move, we shall sele

my appreciation for anything is plainly evident in my manner, both Mary and the j

windows, and when he menti

oom. This small room is a smoking-room, and this other is a library.

m and noticed the lack of g

free to say that if more young ladies started housekeeping with such ideas, homes would be happ

at having won the appr

told Aubr

four hundred, and has the air of an anarchist queen. She was

s, the new janitor, was young, sprightly, self-confident, and an American of the type "I'm just as good as you are." This chall

. He had three little children, and when one of them had a birthday I sent them ice-cream and a birthday cake. When his wife fell ill I sent her my own doctor, for her little pale, pinched, three-cornered face appealed to me. She did all

ntinuous luxury we had gained with this awful rent. Still we avoided discussing the matter. By ignoring it,

n case she needed assistance, and I prepared to have a beautiful day. For weeks we had planned for this festival, for it was Mrs. Scofield's ninety-first birthday and would probably be he

and waited and waited and waited. At two o'clock, the

isappointment threw me into such a headache that I spent the aftern

to feel impending calamity in the air. The elevator was not running. There was a paper saying so fastened to the bell. We walked down

sup with them at Sherry's that night. It was then a quarter to nine. We were not dressed, and we were half an hour from the theatre. There was also a note from Mrs. Scofield's daughter saying

t his heels. I felt that the Angel could not cope alone with such a situation. We fo

away breathi

firmly, "Harris

Indeed he is not!" in

u must allow me to see for myself." And with that

go," h

lmly reading the newspaper,

levator running?

dy to run it," said the man, impudently keeping his seat, w

en?" asked

rned the power o

run it yoursel

hat's why, young feller.

anner," I broke in. Aubrey shook his head at

nute and start that e

ose five nights of stairs this night," said the

ucked implorin

e just out of bed, and you have lost this good place by this day's work.

suppose you think because you've been good to the children that you can run me, but let me tell

rself between them and I fastened myself to Aubrey's

ce. For some time I have suspected that there was collusion b

got the Angel up-stairs, where we poured

, and said he would hear Harris's side, as if he

while he consulted the

came bac

erything. Now who

Angel rose to

word of a gentleman against that of a drunken servant. You have violated the terms of our

sing a janitor for his first offence without even giving him a seco

a truly haughty

he said. The

lant victory over the janitor, but I fear the battle

all man-eating monsters, having once t