136 A WAY TO BE HAPPY.

 

was not the woman to suffer its invasion.
Just so long as her huband came and went
without complaint or interference with her,
all would be suffered to go on smoothly
enough; but if he trespassed upon her old
established rights and privileges, he would
hear it.

‘“‘T never saw a meal cooked so badly as
this,” said Mr. Parker, knitting his brow
one rainy day, at the dinner-table.

He had been confined to the house since
morning, and had tried in vain to find some
means of passing his time pleasantly.

The colour flew instantly to his wife's
face. ‘‘ Perhaps, if you had a better appe-
tite, you would see no fault in the cooking,”
she said rather tartly.

“ Perhaps not,” he replied. “A good ap-
petite helps bad cooking wonderfully.”

There was nothing in this to soothe his
wife’s temper. She retorted instantly—

“ And honest employment alone will give
a good appetite. I wonder how you could
expect to relish your food after lounging