An After Dinner Conversation.

" Speak to her , " I said , "calmly and quietly . " " Well , " he replied , " I was speaking to her quietly when you came into the drawing-room , but it did no good !" "What were you telling her , " I asked .

" Well , I only just observed to her how still the house seemed now that her dear mother was gone , and she flared up immediately , and said I was an unfeeling brute . Luckily you came in , or I don't know what she might have said

, as she was getting the steam up . " "Ah , " I observed , " you are to 'brusque' with her ; that ' s not the right way to go to work . Women , like some birds you and I wot of , require to be ' circumvented . ' You must get to

leeward of them , old boy , " I added ; "if you and I between us can't get the better of that old gal , ' we ain ' t what we used to was , ' that ' s all I " Jorum plucked up courage immediately , and said , " What a thing it is

to _ have a friend like you , Tommy . Well , it ' s not the first scrape you ' ve got me out of , old chap . " At this moment the door opened , and the stately butler announced " Mrs . Jorum ' s compliments , and begs to let you know that coffee is in the drawino--j ? ° room .

" Have a whitewash , Tommy , " asked Jorum ? "No , thank you , Jo , " says I ; and so we both " toddled " into the drawingroom . Nothing could exceed Mrs . Jorum ' s

amiability and evident desire to make herself agreeable , she was full of fun and " gaiete du cceur . " All that cheery evening Jorum was in ecstacies , and I was myself delighted .

I told one or two stories , "more meo , " at which Jorum roared , and Mrs . Jorum was greatly amused , even at one about an inconvenient mother-in-law , and so the evening passed over most comfortably . We all were pleasant and pleased , and at last we all wentlaughin " to roost .

When we met at breakfast in the morning , to Jorum ' s utter astonishment in walked Mrs . Jorum , full of smiles , and in a most becoming "peignoir . " " Excuse my dress , " she said , " but I thought I would come down , though

my dear mother always objects . " Jorum winked at me immediately . In a moment or two the olive branches appeared . My little godson was duly kissed and admired , and received his knifeforkand spoonand the others

, , , were made happy with some toys , and were "highly commended . " ' At last I said cautiously , as if " apropos des bottes , " "I wonder , Jorum , that you don ' t take Mrs . Jorum and the children to the sea-side for a

short time just to change the air , or as the doctor ' s say , to ' inhale the ozone . ' The weather is so nice and charming , it would do you all a ' power of good . '" " Oh , " exclaimed Mrs . Jorum , aloud , " what a capital idea , Air . Tomlinson .

Do take us , Jo , but , " then she checked herself , adding— " my mother . " " Oh , never mind her , " replied Jorum , boldly and decidedly , " she is doing well where she is , and when her work is over there , she can go home for a

little . I ' m certain they must want her energetic superintendence at home again . She has been a long time

away . And Jorum actually chuckled and looked hard at me . I hardly knew what to expect . But to my intense astonishment , and I must add gratification , Mrs . Jorum did not make any reply at all to this rash sally of Jorum ' s .

But turning to me she quietly remarked , in a business way of speaking , that she thought the trip to the seaside would do the children good , and that she was much obliged to me for suggesting it . "Julia , " she said , "is

looking thin ; Theophilus does not sleep well , " ( as I knew to my cost , for the little brute had howled nearly the whole night ) , " and Henry's appetite was not what it used to be . Even baby , actually , would do with change of air . '