"There! a woman's work is never done," said Mrs. James; "I thought, for
once, I was through; but just look at that lamp, now! it will not burn,
and I must go and spend half an hour over it."

"Don't you wish you had never been married?" said Mr. James, with a
good-natured laugh.

"Yes"--rose to her lips, but was checked by a glance at the group upon
the floor, where her husband was stretched out, and two little urchins
with sparkling eyes and glowing cheeks, were climbing and tumbling over
him, as if they found in this play the very essence of fun.

She did say, "I should like the good, without the evil, if I could have
it."

"You have no evils to endure," replied her husband.

"That is just all you gentlemen know about it. What would you think, if
you could not get an uninterrupted half hour to yourself, from morning
till night? I believe you would give up trying to do anything."

"There is no need of that; all you want, is _system_. If you arranged
your work systematically, you would find that you could command your
time."

"Well," was the reply, "all I wish is, that you could just follow me
around for one day, and see what I have to do. If you could reduce it
all to system, I think you would show yourself a genius."

When the lamp was trimmed, the conversation was resumed. Mr. James had