At Home with the Jardines

in Europe, and had never, therefore, paid the Angel an

ll-bred calm, which characterize Bee's visits to her relatives, you would excuse our somewhat flurried preparations to entertain her. In addition to our natural desire to do our best for

first for op

elcome to come and stay as long as she likes," he s

ly, I am Bee's sister. "She will come prepared to make radical changes in our mod

ne small unpr

mooth and plausible about it, that you wi

l gave m

do you think that will be t

will be because as a host or as

iplomat, as his ne

of knowing just how we must make ourselves over to suit her, and as Bee is never quite happy unless

red the height, climax,

ticize about Bee is that she makes such a coward of you. Remember when she tries to browbeat you, that I consider y

gly near, and my blissful married independence was rapidly dege

d hers. I had almost forgotten this, but the second she stepped from the train I was invisibly informed of the distance between us. I had p

horses were too fat, and that, while old Uncle Amos might be a comfort,

taposition for the country to enjoy without a Mark-Tapl

city comforts. So we had put bathrooms in here and electric lights there, and, by adding city improvements to a country estate, we had made of Peach Orchard a d

ose estate adjoins. She spoke of the butter, which so filled me with enthusiasm that I sent down to the dairy and had Mary bring up Katie's last churning

hurried whispered instructions before we go

Bee

oming out

where?" I as

don't dine here alone, ju

ubrey, and he

o bored by each other that we send to New York f

, I thought perhaps, now that I am here, you wo

k to you and s

, I felt the same way when I called her attention to the length of

ere to-night," I said, rising to the emergency. "But

aptain Featherstone from Fo

," I said. "He has

-by telephone," su

l ask him," I s

hand with a meaning twinkle in his eyes

to see old Featherstone

can get him,

have it all arranged, and that Featherstone won't go beyond

had forgotten

t as Aubrey predicted-

cepted with sus

odest mode of living was proving agreeable to Bee's jaded European palate. I wondered if she had noticed my housekeeping. She had not expressed herself in

that I couldn't keep house, and the Angel would starve. And once when I wrote home for a recipe for tomato so

ust sho

ical look around, I said, unable to wait anothe

o you think o

the thought in my mind

ay, I get a bu

me eagerly, and I sm

eally wan

do!" I cried,

you know," she

id. Go ahea

to find a sensitive spot for her blow to fall on. "Well, I think

at

is!" I e

ent on, "you have degenerated into a mere house

order to be mo

nce that I bit my tongue. As I put in no defenc

aid to myself: 'Now they will rise to the occasion.' But have you? No! I come, fresh from those gorgeous house-parties in England, to find

's what it is!" I i

Such a state of social stagnation as you exist

rgot to bow at this u

es, perfectly contented with fat, lazy horses, an old negro coachman in a green coat, and carriages whose simpl

ight to live in Bee's eyes only by

or myself," pursued Bee

dy Lombard will s

ing here, are they?"

r all they did for me, and I thought possibly you would ask them here for a fortnight, but s

distinctl

u suggest?" I

er throat in

not be embarrassing you," she said, politel

y pleasure in the ad

wo excellent Englishmen can be got. Then you want all this made into lawns. You want to e

I was going to surprise you w

Bee, standing up and

arn, but

d she laid her hand kindly on my arm. "And please say 'stab

ge red structure by the word "stables." It sheltered the lovely, soft-eyed Jerseys, a score of sittin

and gave me a welcome after their several kinds, and stood in

's what, even if you don't. Now I can tell you what has been in my mi

bulldog, came at a wo

victoria with a white bulldog on the seat with you!" she said,

to run behind with his

place?"

e. "My simplest, my smartest, and my least expensive! This wo

st what sort of attention we would attract if t

ggested Bee. "Will you have

d her to consider them as her own. I always think that a hostess who neglects to make her guests feel

with much getting under our feet and many hearty

my position at the r

ly correct ways of sitting in a victo

ortable, but I i

you sit straight like this. If it is afternoon and you are all of a Parisian fluff, you reclin

nantly. "You needn't expect me to lie down like that and pu

rself. I giggled helplessly at her instructions. The

I be comfortable? What's a vic

g!" was Bee'

e step, his tongue hanging

ave, girls?" h

Jack!" I coaxed, patt

, and wagged his tail harder

rg into de kerredge, Miss Faith," he

ent, but remembering that I had been his friend in times past, his tail fluttered amiably. I gave a hurried order to Amos to drive out quickly, but as the carriage began to move, Jack's big body trembled violently, and he lifted up his voice in a howl of protest which woke the ech

Bee, encouragingly. "He

trotted pantingly in the dust and heat. His howl changed to a deep bay, and the bay to a long-drawn wailing, which was so full of pain that the passers-by made audible comments. As for me, I wa

u can see he is injured by t

that ugly-lookin' old bulldog in that fine c

crim

e aside. "I wish I could stuff my handkerc

here is any more style to this manner of driving than if we belonged to the

ve me

inching him to make

affectionate embrace of his lawful mistress relax, he violently eluded Bee's, an

. She can bear being envied to the verge of being wished a violent death with equanimity, but to be pitied or ridiculed? Haughty Bee! She forgot herself, and gave the order herself to drive fast, and the way we drove ba

ith his day of humiliation, and not only eyed her with deep aversion, but howled painfully whenever she cornered him. And as for the victoria-to this day, whenever it is taken out, Jack w

for any artistic losses we may have sustained. Bee was my sister and our guest, and could only be made happy by feeling that her coming had effected changes for the better and by being constantly entertained. What, then, was more simple than to content her with such entertainment as she had requested before she came, and by permitting her to smarten us up? To be sure, Aubrey use

ught more clothes, and the Angel and I found ourselves in a set we never had ca

bone of Bee's complacency and virtua

w livery with his head sweetly pillowed on the recumbent body of the gentlest cow. This mortified Bee, for the men were, in a sense, her property, so she dismissed him, had his livery cleaned, and resolutely set herself to the somewhat difficult task of secu

well, too, and called me "Mis' Jardine" with a nod of the head as if we had formerly been pals. But under Bee's tut

aid he matched the footman better than the Englis

and their friends having tea. Bee likes to make a dramatic entrance, and often relates in tones of positive awe how she once saw a Frenchwoman in an opera-cloak composed e

ymmetry, the new victoria shining, our new liveries glittering in the eyes of the populace, and we ourselv

sorrels up," whispered B

's coachman leaned so far backward to pull up that his body was perfectly horizontal, and-yes-I was sure of it, he braced his foot a

ace was

down the steps to our assistance. But Jehu was equal to the occasion. He slapped the horses' backs w

hesitation, gracefully followed suit. Nor could you tell from her

n a spasm of laugh

ads, and he prepared to drive off the steps, "but these horses pulls more tha

's grocery wagon for two months, and ha

on the way home for not having had p

is driving the sorrels aga