Uncle Tom looked grave, but he said nothing. The visitor needed no encouragement, however; he was soon launched on a long story of how he had that very morning taken up his wife’s breakfast to her in bed—so many rashers, so many eggs, and toast and marmalade. Breakfast in bed for any one who was not ill was a novel idea to Laura; but her Uncle Tom seemed to look upon it as a slight attention any good husband might pay his wife, for he only said, “That was very kind of you.”

“And what did I get for my kindness?” almost shouted the husband. “No thanks, you’ll bet! but only black looks and an order to be home on time to-night for once in my life. Home on time! Me, who, as she ought to know by this time, might be held up for hours on end by a customer. Of all the spiteful, contrary cats…”

Uncle Tom looked distressed. “Hush! Hush! my lad,” he interposed. “Don’t say things you’ll be sorry for after. How long have you been married? Two years, and no child yet? Well, you wait till you’ve been married ten before You begin talking like that, and by that time, if you do as you should yourself, it’s ten to one you’ll not need to. Some women simply can’t understand what business is unless they see for themselves. Why not take her out on the round a time or two in that smart little outfit of yours with the high-stepper. The firm’s done you well this time, I see, in that respect. A nice bit of horseflesh, if I’m any judge! If you do that, she’ll see for herself, and the outing will do her good. It’s dull for a young woman, shut up by herself in the house all day, and when, towards night, her man’s supper’s drying up in the oven through waiting, it gets on her nerves and maybe her welcome’s not all a husband might wish, after a trying day and not too many orders in his notebook. And when you get a bit nettled yourself, bite on it, bite on it, my boy; don’t go opening your mouth to fill other folks’s. They won’t think any better of you if you do. Truth of the matter is, most married folks have their little upsets, especially for the first year or two; but they manage to pretend that all is well and that everything in the garden of matrimony looks lovely, and, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, before they know where they are, all is well, or as well as can be expected in this imperfect world.”