Page:Advice to young ladies on their duties and conduct in life - Arthur - 1849.djvu/61

Rh was fortunate enough to obtain a good domestic, brought from the East by her husband, when he went on to purchase goods.

A little previous instruction in housekeeping affairs would have saved this person from a good deal of mortification, trouble, and perplexity.

A friend of ours, remarkable for his strong good sense, married a very accomplished and fashionable young lady, attracted more by her beauty and accomplishments than by any thing else. In this, it must be owned that his strong good sense did not seem very apparent. His wife, however, proved to be a very excellent companion, and was deeply attached to him, though she still loved company, and spent more time abroad than he exactly approved. But, as his income was good, and his house furnished with a full supply of domestics, he was not aware of any abridgments of comfort on this account, and he therefore made no objection to it.

One day, some few months after his marriage, our friend, on coming home to dinner, saw no appearance of his usual meal, but found his wife in great trouble instead.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Nancy went off at ten o’clock this morning,” replied his wife, “and the chamber-maid knows