eeping you waiting, asks how your mother is, and
you remark that it is a pleasant day, and thus the acquaintance
progresses from year to year. One hour in the back room, where the
plants and canary-bird and children are, might have made you fast
friends for life; but, little as it is, you care no more for them than
for the gilt clock on the mantel.

"And now, girls," said I, pulling a paper out of my pocket, "you must
know that your father is getting to be famous by means of these 'House
and Home Papers.' Here is a letter I have just received:--

"MOST EXCELLENT MR. CROWFIELD,--Your thoughts have lighted into
our family circle and echoed from our fireside. We all feel the
force of them, and are delighted with the felicity of your
treatment of the topic you have chosen. You have taken hold of a
subject that lies deep in our hearts, in a genial, temperate, and
convincing spirit. All must acknowledge the power of your
sentiments upon their imaginations; if they could only trust to
them in actual life! There is the rub.

"Omitting further upon these points, there is a special feature of
your articles upon which we wish to address you. You seem as yet
(we do not know, of course, what you may hereafter do) to speak
only of homes whose conduct depends upon the help of servants. Now
your principles apply, as some of us well conceive, to nearly all
classes of society; yet most people, to take an impressive hint,
must have their portraits drawn out more exactly. We therefore
hope that you will give a reasonable share of your attention to us
who do not employ servants, so that you may ease us of some of our
burdens, which, in spite of common sense, we dare not throw off.
For instance, we have company,--a friend from afar (perhaps
wealthy), or a minister, or some other man of note. What do we do?
Sit down and receive our visitor with all good will and the
freedom of a home? No; we (the lady of the house) flutter about to
clear up things, apologizing about this, that, and the other
condition of unpreparedness, and, having settled the visitor in
the parlor, set about marshaling the elements of a grand dinner or
supper, such as no person but a gourmand wants to sit down to,
when at home and comfortable; and in getting up this meal,
clearing away and washing the dishes, we use up a good half of the
time which our guest spends with us. We have spread ourselves, and
shown hi