The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-03 00:00:00

THE MERCHANT AND HIS WIFE.

Under this title the following " Apologuo for the Colo-
nial Office," appears in the new number of Frascr's .31-aga
zine

"illy dear," said a distinguished merchant one day to
his wife, " you cost me a great deal of money. Why do
you not cultivate your own estates and relieve mo of the
burden of you ?"
The wife was a little hurt at so abrupt an address.
Her property was magnificent, but she wanted help
to develop its resources. She had often applied to
her husband, and if he would have put his hand to
the work, he might have become the wealthiest man in
the world. But he suspected that after he had laid out his
capital and labour, she would run away from him, and he
would have made a Lad speculation.

His suspicions were groundless. She was heartily at-
tached to him—not an idea of desertion had floated before
her imagination for a moment. She exerted herself, how-
ever, as he desired ; she paid for her dresses, she paid for
her carriage and her maid, she even took charge of such of
his children, as he could not himself provide for, and sei
them up for life. The merchant ought to have been
satisfied, but one morning he began again.

"My dear, you are now independent. I don't wish you
to leave me, but if you have any such desire yourself, I
shall not think of preventing you."
" Leave you." she said, " leave you! what are you talk-
ing about ? What have I done to deserve that you should
speak to me in this way ?"
" Don't misunderstand me," ho replied. " I have o--
served great unhappiness to arise from compulsory unions.
I have taught you to depend upon yourself that you may
be your own mistress; you can now stand alone, and your
future is in your hands, to go or stay."
"Are you mad ?" she exclaimed; "who talks of going?
Why "—and here her voice choked a little—" why should
such a word be mentioned between you and me ?"
"My dear, don't be sentimental," he said. " The only
sure bond between human creatures is mutual interest.
As long as you consider it to be your interest to continue
under this roof, I shall bo delighted to see you here,
and I think lam generous in allowing it. If I were alone,
a smaller establishment would suffice for my wants. I
could sell my-house, dismiss the servants,live in chambers,
and cline at the club."

"M T dear husband," she cried, "do not speak such
(It a I al words ! What family can hold together on such
terths as these? All I have, you well know, is yours; and
surely with your genius for business and your means my
property—"
"Don't talk to me of your property," he interrupted,
impatiently, " I have many times told you that I will have
nothing to do with it. Manage your matters your own
way. Do ' what you like, or go where you will. I inter-
fere with you in nothing—one thing only you must not do,
;;hat is, ask me for money. lam not sending you away. I
shall be sorry to lose you if you go, but the loss will be
more yours than mine, and if you leave me, I shall endea-
vour to bear it."

It was long before the wife could believe him serious.
Day after day, however, he repeated the same lesson—at
breakfast and at dinner, before they wont to sleep at
night, and before they rose in the morning. A wise
word, the merchant thought, could not be heard too
often.
At last he wearied her. She saw that he had no real
affecticn for her. She was a high-spirited handsome
woman, and her husband was the only person who seemed
indifferent to her attractions. One day when he came home
from business he found that she had taken him at his
word, and had eloped with another man.
He professed to be astonished. He declared that he had
allowed her her way in everything, and he complained that
she had been deeply ungrateful to him. A neighbour, how-
ever, to whom he appealed for sympathy, told him that he
'ra,l been an infatuated ass.