XI.

THE WORRIER AT HOME

Small habits, well pursued betimes,
May reach the dignity of crimes.

_Hannah More_.





More than one "sunbeam" and "life of the party" in society is the "cross
patch" and "fuss budget" of the home. His gracious smiles and quips abroad
are matched at home by darkened brows and moody silence, only broken by
conversation of the italicized variety: "_Will_ it ever stop raining?"
"_Can't_ you see that I am busy?" "What _are_ you doing?" and the like.
Whatever banner is exhibited to the outside world, the motto at home seems
to be "Whatever is, is wrong." Defects in the menage, carefully overlooked
when dining out, are called with peculiar unction to the attention of the
housekeeper of the home, whose worry to please is only matched by the
"sunbeam's" fear that she shall think him satisfied with what is placed
before him.