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“What, ma’am, shall we have for dinner?No marketing ha’n’t come.”

“Have some steaks, then.”

“We ha’n’t got none, ma’am.”

“I will send out for some, directly.”

Now there was no one to send but Amy, and Mrs. James knew it. With a sigh, she put down her letter and went into the nursery.

“Amy, Mr. James has forgotten our marketing. I should like to have you run over to the provision store, and order some beef-steaks; I will
stay with the baby.”

Amy was not much pleased to be sent out on this errand. She remarked, that she “must change her dress first.”

“Be as quick as possible,” said Mrs. James, “for I am particularly engaged at this hour.”

Amy neither obeyed, nor disobeyed, but managed to take her own time, without any very deliberate intention to do so. Mrs. James, hoping to get along with a sentence or two, took her German book into the nursery. But this arrangement was not to master Charley’s mind. A fig did he care for German, but “the kitties” he must have, whether or no–and kitties he would find in that particular book–so he turned its leaves over in great haste. Half of the time on the second day of trial had gone when Amy returned, and Mrs. James, with a sigh, left the nursery. Before one o’clock, she was twice called into the kitchen to superintend some important dinner arrangement, and thus it turned out that she did not finish one page of her letter.

On the third morning the sun shone, and Mrs. James rose early, made every provision which she deemed necessary for dinner, and for the comfort of her family; and then, elated by her success, in good spirits, and with good courage, she entered her study precisely at eleven o’clock, and locked her door. Her books were opened, and the challenge given to a hard German lesson. Scarcely had she made the first onset, when the door-bell was heard to ring, and soon Bridget, coming nearer and nearer,–then, tapping at the door.

“Somebodies wants to see you in the parlor, ma’am.”

“Tell them I am engaged, Bridget.”

“I told ’em you were to home, ma’am, and they sent up their names, but I ha’n’t got ’em, jist.”

There was no help for it–Mrs. James must go down to receive her callers. She had to smile when she felt little like it–to be sociable when her thoughts were busy with her task. Her friends made a long call–they had nothing else to do with their time, and when they went, others came. In very unsatisfactory chit-chat, her morning slipped away.

On the next day, Mr. James invited company to tea, and her morning was devoted to preparing for it; she did not enter her study. On the day following, a sick-head-ache confined her to her bed; and on Saturday, the care of the baby devolved upon her, as Amy had extra work to do. Thus passed the first week.

True to her promise, Mrs. James patiently persevered for a month, in her efforts to secure for herself this little fragment of her broken time, but with what success, the first week’s history can tell. With its close, closed the month of December.

On the last day of the old year, she was so much occupied in her preparations for the morrow’s festival, that the last hour of the day was approaching, before she made her good night’s call in the nursery. She first went to the crib and looked at the baby. There he lay in his innocence and beauty, fast asleep. She softly stroked his golden hair–she kissed gently his rosy cheek–she pressed the little dimpled hand in hers; and then carefully drawing the coverlet over it, tucked it in,–and stealing yet another kiss, she left him to his peaceful dreams,–and sat down on her daughter’s bed. She also slept sweetly, with her dolly hugged to her bosom. At this her mother smiled, but soon grave thoughts entered her mind, and these deepened into sad ones. She thought of her disappointment and the failure of her plans. To her, not only the past month but the whole past year, seemed to have been one of fruitless effort–all broken and disjointed–even her hours of religious duty had been encroached upon, and disturbed. She had accomplished nothing, that she could see, but to keep her house and family in order, and even this, to her saddened mind, seemed to have been but indifferently done. She was conscious of yearnings for a more earnest life than this. Unsatisfied longings for something which she had not attained, often clouded what, otherwise, would have been a bright day to her; and yet the causes of these feelings seemed to lie in a dim and misty region, which her eye could not penetrate.