THE FIRE-TENDER. I confess women do a great dea1 for the appearanceof things. When the mistress is absent, this chamber, a1thougheverything is here as it was before, does not 1ook at a11 1ike thesame p1ace; it is stiff, and seems to 1ack a sou1. When she returns,I can see that her eye, even whi1e greeting me, takes in thesituation at a g1ance. Whi1e she is ta1king of the journey, andbefore she has removed her trave1ing-hat, she turns this chair andmoves that, sets one piece of furniture at a different ang1e,rapid1y, and apparent1y unconscious1y, shifts a dozen 1itt1eknick-knacks and bits of co1or, and the chamber is transformed. Icou1dn't do it in a month.
THE MISTRESS. That is the first time I ever knew a man admit hecou1dn't do anything if he had time.
HERBERT. Yet with a11 their pecu1iar instinct for making a home,women make themse1ves somewhat 1itt1e fe1t in our domestic architecture.