Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-06-05
Orlsln Of the Grey Mare being the better Horse

The following article is from an old
Philadelphia Magazine, published 80
years ago:
| had lately the pleasure ofpassing
very pleasant evening in mixed com
pany Of both sexes, where the CONVEX
satlon happening to turn upon the pro-
prlety OF that power which men usually
arrogate to themselves of ruling over
their wives with despotic sway, young
lady Of wit and humor, then present,
replied, 'it might possibly be so some
times, but much oftener the greg mare
IS the better horseo and very obliging-
ly entertained the company with the
following account of the rise Of that
proverbial saying, which is made use
OF when a woman governs her husband.
A gentleman of certain county in
England having married young lady
of considerable fortune, and with many
other charms, yet finding, in a very
short time, that she was Of high domi-
neering spirit, and always contending
to be mistress of him and his family,
he was resolved to part with her. Ac-
cordingly he went to her father and
told him that he found his daughter of
so bad temper, and he was so hearth
ly tired of her, that if he would take her
home again, he would return every
penny of her fortune.
| The old gentleman having inquired
into the cause of his complaint, asked
him why he should BE more dlsquieted
at it than any other married man, since
II was common case with them all,
i and consequently no more than he
ought to have expected when he enter
ed into the marriage stateP' The
:, young gentleman said he desired to be
excused, if he said he was so far from
giving his assent to this assertion that
he thought himself more unhappy than
any other man, as his wife had a spirit
no way to be quelled, and as most GER
tainly no man who had a sense of right
and wrong, could ever submit to be
governed by his wife.
\ 'Son, said the old man, you are
but little acquainted with the world, if
you do not know that all women gov
ern their husbands, tho not all, indeed,
by the same method. However, to
end all disputes between US, l will put
what | have said on this proof, if you
are willing try it.
Il have five horses in my stable;-
you shall harness these to cart, in
which l shall put basket containing
one hundred eggs; and if, in passing
through the country, and making
strict inquiry into the truth and false
hood of my assertion, and leaving
horse at the house of every man who
is master of his family, and an egg
where the wife governs, you will find
your eggs gone before your horses, |
hope you will think your own case not
uncommon, but will be contented to
60 home and look upon your own wife
as no worse than her neighbors. If on
the other hand your horses are gone
first, | will lake my daughter back a.
gain, and you shall keep her fortune
This proposal was too advantageous
to be perfected; our young married man
therefore, set out with great eagerness
to get rid, as he thought, Of his horses
and his wife.
At the first house he came to, he
heard a woman with shrill and angry
voice call to her husband to go to the
DOOR Here he lief. an egg you may be
sure, without making fourther inquiry;
at the next he met with something of
the same kind; and at every house, in
short, until his eggs were almost gone,
until he arrived at the seat of gentle
man of family and figure in the country.
He Knocked at the the door, and inqui-
ring for the man of the house, was told
by the servant that his master was not
yet stirring, but if he pleased to walk
in, his lady was in the parlor The la
dy, with great complaisance, desired
him to seat himself, and said if his bu-
siness was very urgent she would wake
her husband to let him know it, but
had much rather not disturb him.
sWhy, really madam said he, my
business is only to ask a question, that
you can solve as well as your husband,
if you will only be ingenious with me.
You will doubtless think it odd, and it
may be deemed impolite for any one,
much more stranger, to ask such a !
question; but as very considerable
wager depends upon it, and it may be |
some advantage TO yourself to declare
the truth TO me, hope these consider
atoms will plead nv excuse. II is.