PHILOSOPHIC MATRIMONY.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 330, 25 June 1874, Page 3

PHILOSOPHIC MATRIMONY.

IN TWO CHAPTI-BS. — CHAPTER 11. Punctually at three Henry Collinson returned to Mrs Noble's drawing-room, where he found a small, placid, self-possessed young lady, with nice brown hair, parted, and gathered in a knot; behind, in the old Greek style, not frizzed out or piled up in any of the modern fashions. She was dressed plainly, but neatly j and though not absolutely pretty, she had iust the pleasant, cheerful kind of face which children take to. Directly he saw her, he hoped she wns Miss Tarrant ; and she was. They soon came to terms, both being content to abide by Mrs Noble's propositions, and that lady came roundly to the point as was her custom. 'And now when is she to arrive; to-morrow.-' asked the negotiatress. • Well * demurred Mr Collinson, ' perhaps we had better say the day after. Miss Tarrant would feel more comfortable if my wife knew of her coming. I suppose J shall see Lucy this evening ? 'Yes, I expect so,' replied Mrs Noble; 'she does not leave for the north till to-morrow, and has told Priscilla that she will not be able to second her motion this evening, because she must look over the notes for her lecture.' * Very good. Then I will tell her of our arrangement to-night ; and, with a clear day between I think I shall bo able io get everything comfortable. There is a room which will make a capital schoolroom, and I think we will leave the ordering of slates' and dictionaries, and grammars and canes, and those sort of things, to you, when you come, Miss Tarrant.' 'As you say the eldest child is only four, 1 do not think that any great^ stock need be laid in,' replied the young lady, smiling. 'ono ; I suppose nol,' said Collinson. J3y-tno-bye, though, Mrs Noble, you have been so very kind, that I am tempted to impose a little further by asking for a hint or two about furnishing an extra room ' And he took out his note-book. ' You have a spare room, have you not? replied the lady ; ' had you not better lodge Miss Tarrant there for the present? ' Ah, yes, to he sure ; I forgot the spare room. But a davenport now; there is only my wife's. Can a lady do without a davenport?' _ • I have never had such a thing yet, 1 said Miss Tarrant. 'I am sure you are veiy kind, sir ; but, pray, do not take so much trouble. I have never been used to luxeries.' It was not often that Henry Collinson took the initiative with his wife, but that evening was an exception. They dined together, and when the meal was over, and he had swallowed a little jumping powder, he said abruptly : ' You cannot have that five hundred pounds, Lucy. I honour your motives, and am ready to contribute to the support of any philanthropic scheme you have at heart to a moderate extent ; but I will not ruin myself and the children for it, and it is unreasonable to expect 'Well, don't work yourself up, and look so anxious/' replied Mrs Collinson, laughing ; « any one would think I was a regular termagent. If we cannot afford to risk any more to bolster up the watchmaker business, wo cannot, and there s an end of it. By-the-bye, did you see about the children r if , . ' Yes ; and really I am such a bad hand at cnoosin" and managing servants, and so forth, that I thnik we had better have an educated person in the capacity of a nursery governess.' < Oh, well, take care whom you get. I<l ccnsult Mis NobW

'I have clone so, and she rocommends a Mu>s Tarrant.' Mrs Collmson looked a little thoughtful. < I wish I had time to look after this myself, she said presently, < but I have not ; so you must manage.' , . m. The new nursery governess w.w a success, mc children took to her at once, and the servants dicin t. that made a clearance of bad rubbish. 1 Hoighty-toighty, miss, and who are you, pray r asked the cook at the very first remonstrance. 'lama perron paid by Mr and Mra Collinson to look after their interests, because they have been badly served and robbed for some time back, said Miss Tarrant. . . Cook was silenced, but not reformed j and the first time Miss Tarrant caught her in flagrant dishonesty, she was packed off, and replaced by a good servant of the young lady's choosing. The housemaid was a malleable girl, whose conduct depended entirely on example and supervision, so she did veiy well after a bit. The state the children were in was reason sufficient for the dismissal of the nurse and nurse girl, and their work was better done by one good country girl acting under Miss Tarrant s actual superintendence. In three weeks' time the house was hardly recognisable. The children were clean, neat, wellbehaved, and happy; breakfast was a bright pleasant little meal, which started the day cheerfully, and the dinners were so good that guests thought that the Collinsons were launching out extravagantly. Yet the house-bills were just about half what they had been. „ i Redman courted his friend's society more than he had ever done before, and was a constant visitor at the house. He would even come in the morning with toys for the children, and ask to be allowed to crive them with his own hands. He had never noticed them much before, which shews what woni derful enchanters soap and water and brushes are. Or was it the cookery which attracted Redman { He positively fished for invitations to stop and dme; and he was rather a gourmet. Whatever the charm, children or entrees, he behaved like a gentleman which he was, towards Miss Tarrant; he treated her like a duchess, instead of assuming that condescending, patronising air which some men who ought to know better adopt when addressing alady holding a similar position in a household. Lucy Collinson was not so absorbed in her self-imposed public duties as to remain insensible to the reforms which had been instituted in her home, and she was too rational to blind herself to their extent, although , the contrast betrayed how much had been neglected before. But in a'little while she began to feel dissatisfied. She was very glad to be relieved of all trouble about the children, but she didn't like to see them so much fonder of another woman; and when their governess had to prompt them sotio voct to filial behaviour, which was sometimes the case, it was neither gratitude nor liking which she felt for her. The wife's movements had become so very uncertain and erratic, that for the last year or so it had been agreed that the husband was never to wait dinner for her; and now, if she happened to come home before the repast was over, it gave her what less strong-minded ladies would have called ' a turn to see this other woman dining tete-a-tete with him Or if she returned later in the evening, she would very likely find Miss Tarrant busy with her needle and Henry Collinson reading a novel or poem aloud to her, and then her wifely instincts seemed to jar Avith philosophic sentiments. ____________