Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-11-08
nllscellalleous
From Peterson's Magazine,
THE SC0LDING WIFE.
DY ELLEN ASHTON.

"There you are again. with your wei boots."
said a shrill, splenetic voice, as Mr.. Hudson
come home, one rainy day. "lt's no use for
n woman to slave, to have her house looking
n little decent, for as sure as there's a rainy
day, her husband will tramp oveI the caIpe is,
leaving marks Of mud everywhere"
Hndeed. Sally. there's no mud on my boots
10 day." saiG the husband, mlltly. al took
care to clean them on the mat"
"Well but they're wet, and I'd like 10 know
II it don't spoil carpet 10 be wet ?" sail the
wife not bit mollifed. "And you've lie, yonr
umbrella drain on The floor, all This time, in
stead OF putting it in the rack, Do give it
here" And, as she spoke, she ierkeG il an
grly away.
This was but sample Of The greeting which
Mr.. Hudson received about three times week
or whenever his wife happened 10 be ont Of
humor, which invariably occurred if the chill.
drsn were cross, if The servants were careless
or if ANYTHING else went wrong in the house
hold Mrs. Hudson had been pretty oS a g!rl
and having been much admired, had gradually
become spoiled by selfShneSs, so that, when
she married. the inevitable troubles incident
TO the station OF wife, kept Ler constantly in
a state Of irritation. Instead OF realizing that
every position in life has its unpleasant duties
but that The married state, if only blrssed by
love, yields the largest amount of happiness Of
any, she acted as il wife ought 10 be be.
ing exempt from all trouble. dozen times o
week she would say that, il she had not been
fool, she would have never left her mothers
house. The servants and children, but espe-
cially her husband, were the victims OF her ILL
humor. She could never long retain n cham
bermaid They generally left al The end OF
hair mt in th,tt 4 he,
could not endure her temper. The poor chill
dren were cuffed one hour 10 be petled to
excess The next so that the little things hard
ly knew whether they loved or feared their
mother. As for Mr.. Hudson, with every de-
sire 10 live quietly, aud, indeed, with dispo-
s;ion, for the sake of peace, 10 yield loo much
he could not, do what he would, be sure, when
he vent out, Of kind reception ON his return.
Often when he left his wife in the best Of hu-
NOR, on going 10 his store in the morning, he
would have her s"oIding The moment he open
edthe door, when he came back.
Affection though it vii! endure much can
moi near all things. Dropping water will wear
out the hardest rock and an i'll tempered
wife, in tine, will aiennlc the most fOrgvng
Of husbands. Had Mr.. Hudson, on retiring
from his store, come home angry, because
things had gone wrong, and had he visited his
spleen on his wife, she would have had soile
excuse. But though there are husbands who
do this, he was not one Of Them. He had
early learned 10 contfol his temper, and hence
though money was often scarce, tIade dull, or
clerks neglectful, and though IN consequence
his patience was frequently sorely tried, he
never permitted himself TO vent his i'll humor
OF home. But. at last, he did what thousanhs
OF husbands had been driven into doing before
he began 10 be at nome as little as possible.
and he would have began earl er, if il had not
been for his children.
~ tell you, Lowry" he said, one night, as
he SAT, half-inebriated, tipping at the tavern
with friend, "a man can't stay at home
when II is O second bedlam. The very chill
dren have had their tempers spoiled, and fight
hkeScats and dogs, so that, between a scolding
vile and quarrelsome bralS, might as well be
IN Pandemonlum as atmy owr fireSide. They
say ips the love OF liquor that makes drunk
ards, but it's as often a scolding, slaiiernly
wife, and the uncomfortable home that follows.
Now, didn't care for drinking in ITSELF" con.
tinued he, with vinous gravity, but when Pm
here, forget my troubles; and that's some.
thing gained"
fhls stale oil things still continues, only Mr..
HUDSON Is last losing caste as business man,
because he is rapidly sinking in;o q sol. As a
consequence, his wife is more unamable than
ever, and bis children, God help them ar.
growing upio ruin. Mrs. Hudson tells every.
body that drunken husband is breaking her
heart and bringing her offspring 10 b.geary,
but she does not add, that she gave him The
hrst incentive TO intemperance, by rendering
bis home unhappy. At the Last Day, each
will receive from a righteous Judge, exact jus.
tice. Let US rot attempt TO measure out, loo
nicely, their proportion OF guilt.
Far be il from us 10 say that all, or even The
largest number Of husbands, who frequent
drinking saloons, hre driven thither by bad
Yiyes. N But il cannot be denied that many are.
More women are at fauli, in this ma tier, per.
hapss than is generally supposed. Often also
where the husband escapes falling into evil