The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-01-07

From Dr.. BdrHeTs Anglo Saxon.
The Head of the Household.

| thankful that he was man. Enter tain
| ing, as he did, the idea that woman was
vastly inferior, intellectually he felt that
he had reason to be so. Perhaps, if he
| had had sisters, his sentiments might
have been modified, but Marmoduke was
an only child, and the indulgence which
was lavished upon him in consequence.
doubtless led him to think himself of
more consequence than, perhaps, others
might consider rghifully his due.
Marmaduke married at suitable age.
His wife was mild, inofcnsivc sort of
woman, who would as soon have thought
of chopping her own head off as Of dis.
regarding command of her lioge lord.
Her submissivcnoss strengthened in
Marin aduko the idea of mans superiori-
ty to woman. Accustomed to have his
slightest wish regarded as q law, he un .
consciously acquired a certain degree of
imperiousness, which. be iGcs striking
into the heart Of his unfortunate wife.
had the effect Of making him generally
unpopular, and caused him to be regard
ed. in surrounding households, as a sort
of modern Blue Beard.
All things have an end, and so it was
with the life Of Mrs Msrmaduke Mellen.
Poor woman her life had been far from
a happy one Mcekly and uncomplaing-
ly she had walked through life. yielding
in all things to the strong will of her
despotic husband Ungrudgingly she
had devoted herself to his service. She
now took the liberty to do-the only
thing, it my be said, during the whole
course of her welded life, which she had
ventured to do without his permission.
Mr.. Mellen missed his wife. 1t would
have been strange if ne had not Ho
began to feel that she bad been tar more
necessary to his comfort than he suppo-
sed. He hired honsekeeper but found
that she was far from supplying the place
of his deceased wife. Besides. being a
housekoepor, he did no, feel at liberty to
order her about an au,horitatively as if
she were his wife
Under these circumstances. it was not
strange that Mr. Mellen should think Of
taking to himself a second partner. Ue
pondered for long time on tho impor.
tant question. Ga whom, of all the mar
riageable ladies of his acquaintance.
should be bestow the honor of his hanll
This was q weigbty question, and he
felt it to be so lie pondered long and
anxiously. His anxiety, however. did
not proceed from any apprehension of re-
lection in whatever quarter he might
pay bis addresses. That i,lea never
crossed his mind 1t was rather that of
one who. having variety Of articles pre-
scnted for hi, acceptance, is puzzled to
decide of which to mako choice.
At length he decided upon addressing
Mrs. Kent, a widow who had lately NOV.
ed into the neighborhood. OF Mrs.
Kent, personally, he knew little, except
that she had n moderate property left
her by her husband.
Having once made up his mind, he
proceeded with a promptpess worthy of
Napoleon. to put his plan into execution
With the air Of one comforting favor,
he laid his proposal before the fortunate
lady whom he had selected as the rccip-
lent Of his addresses,
Mrs Kent took the matter very cody.
She requested time for consideration.
Mr.. Marmaduke MelleD was some
what surprised that any lady should re-
quirc time to consider a brilliant propc.
sal. However, as he fit quite easy Il.
bou. the ultimate answer he merely
bowed acquescencc, informing the lady
that he would wait upon her that day
week
Mrs Kont was not ignorant Of lar.
maduke's s imperious character sShe
could not help hearing of what WAS a
topic of general remark. She well knew
that the death of Mrs. Mcllen was gen.
orally attributed to long course Of ty-
rany on the part of her husband.
Did not all this lead Ler to reject
his suit summarily2
1t did not Mrs. Kent was aware
that, whatever might be Mr.. Melleb's
peculiarities of temper, he was man of
wealth and position, OF course as his
wife, she would share in these adyanta-
ges. AS to the drawback limited above,
she was a woman Of strong will, and did
not feel particularly dismayed. She an
ticipated that Mr.. Mellen would attempt
to domineer over her, but was quite pre-.
pared for such an emergency.
Having duly weighed all the consider
atoms above mentioned, when Marina
duke waited upon her on the day ap.
pointed, she graeiouSly aeceded to his
proposal, and fixed upon an early mar
riage day. This was not long in nrriv-
ing Four weeks from the date of her
acceptance, Mrs Kent ba@e farewell to
the name bequeathed her BY her first
husband, and became Mrs. Marmaduke
Melen tho second.
For brief period all went smoothly
MIR. Mellen thought it best to close Of
the honeymoon before he made known to
his wife the plan Of government he had
adopted for her benefit.
One Gay, after the usual dinner hour,
Mr.. Mellen returned, to find his mother.
in.law seated quietly at the diuner-tablo
beside his wife. Now,to mother-in laws,
Mr. Mellen had special abhorrance.
He would have been very glad never to
have had one enter bis home, As, how
ever, a regard to appearance would not
| quite sanction their utter exclusion he