-law,
so you never need fear for me, my dear," returned Jane.

Thus they chatted on through the evening, the first of many such
pleasant times; and for weeks Richard never returned from his daily toil
without being gladdened by the sight of a figure in clean print dress
standing in the doorway to greet him.

But one evening, although Jane met her husband as usual, there was
something about her which puzzled Richard.

"What's the matter with you, missis?" he inquired at length, examining
her critically, as she took her seat opposite him at the table and began
to pour out his tea.

Jane flushed and hesitated, and finally said: "What eyes you men have!
Can't you see?"

"I declare you've never changed your morning gown, and it wasn't extra
clean to start with; so said I to myself this morning: 'I suppose Jane's
going to have a cleaning day; but there's one comfort, she'll be as neat
and clean when I get back as she was the first day she stepped foot in
the house.'"

"That's just how it is, Richard. I've had a good hard day's work; and I
was so tired, I thought for once it didn't matter about changing my
dress, as my hands and face were clean."

"Humph," said Richard. He was evidently not quite of his wife's opinion;
and, all that evening, whenever he happened to look across at Jane, he
experienced a disagreeable sensation at the unaccustomed sight of a
dirty dress, and hair that was anything but smooth.

Richard was certainly very particular; and the next morning, on
returning from closing the street door behind him, after listening to
his last charge to meet him that evening in her usual spotless attire,
Jane uttered the ejaculation: "Fussy!"

At that juncture, her landlady, Mrs. Jones, stepped in, asking for the
loan of some kitchen utensil, and Jane, with little work on hand, fell
into gossip.

"Yes," she said, in answer to her neighbour's comments on the appearance
of the room, "it does look nice. I spent the best part of yesterday over
it. My good man is very particular, and so am I, for the matter of that,
and I like a clean place to sit in."

"Ah, well, wait till you've a batch of children, like me, and you won't
be able to have your regular cleaning times, and get done to sit with
your husband of evenings. Not that mine's ever at home, if I had the
chance of sitting down a spell," said Mrs. Jones.

"My husband always stays at home, and I should fret if he took to
leaving me alone," replied Jane.

"