Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-08-14
From the Cleveland Herald.
IuscOln.Dat.i.bi


In school days, when that word, in rum
ming hand copy stretched clear across the
writing book or when the fellow who had
wind enough could spell and pronounce dis
tinctly every syllable and "get above" half
the class it was little deemed to what base
uses the world would come. 1t seemed an
innocent, we'll meaning word-although long
drawn out for short fingers which were re-
quired to write it without taken pen from
paper, or spell in one breath. When that
word was conquered in spelling class and
Mich-il-mac-i-nac was overcome, the victor
was ever after one of the first called when
the school ''chose sides'' to spell each other
down. Incompatiblity, however, ceases rot
to bother people long after schools out" it
makes more serious trouble among old folks
than among young folks it has become a
fashionable disease among married people
and everywhere we hear of "incompatibility
as applied to husband ard wife. AS cause of
divorce, we believe ''incompatiblity of tenn
per- originated in the days of the French
Revolution and as we take all our bad fash
ions from the French this probably has been
imported among the lot. You hear nothing
now days about husband and wife quarrel.
ing-except among the vulgar, who still
call things by their right names-but when
ever differences arise in the married state it
is discovered that there is "incompatibility of
temper"
Years since, Dickens was pcnny-a liner,
living in cheap lodgings and gaining preca-
rous livelihood by his fugitive contributions
to obscure papers. Then it was he married
an innocent, artless, quiet young girl and be-
tween the two there was perfect "compatibil-
ity Of temper.' Years rolled on Dickens
became famous; he was ccurted he was feted :,
he was caressed, he was flattered. Quiet Mrs.
Dickens pursued the even tenor of her way,
no doubt rejoicing at the rising fortunes of
"BOZ, and little dreaming that his literary
success was to prove the bane of her domest-
ic joy. But Dickens, while basking in the
dazzling enchantment of Lords and Ladies,
became tried of his quiet, unobtrusive, un-
ambitious wife, and finally, incompatibility of
temper" was discovered and Dickens leaves
her "bed and board"
There is great moral to be extracted
from this case and Dickens never sketched
life picture, from which more useful can
be drawn than is afforded in the separatio on
of this great delneator Of human nature from
his own wife. 1t is not an isolated case but
the prominence of one ofthe characters gives
the lesson force
"lncompatibility of temper" as exhibited
in this case, and in hundreds around us, is
merely the getting tired one Of the other-or
each of the other, it may be mutual, or not:
the consequences are the same-separation or
desertion. This 'getting tired" is simply dis
gust, weed which by degrees creeps into
the domestic parterre finally to root out all
the flowers Political ambition, more than
any element, sows the seeds of this noxous
weed. A man who has wed in the Quiet
walks of life tastes of political pretcrment
his wife rejoices in hi, success, not that it is
her ambition to shine in poli;ica! circles, no.
that she holds the cheap tinscl of political ia
vor ijot above its worthlessness, but because
her husbands pride is fed aud she is happy.
He, weak man, is pufed into Importance, goes
| to the Legislature or to Congress, his head
swims in the giddy intoxication of the capt.
al home loses its charms, its Quietness, once
so satisfactory, has become burdensome
his domestic wife is tame compared with the
female butterflies of fashion and the germ of
"incompatiblrty" has made a lodgment.
Some years snce-.io matter how long ago
"a Senator from the rural districts had been
almost the whole winter at Columbus with
out his wife, he boarding meanwhile at one
of the principal hotels and rixing in all the
gaities of the Capital. 1t was before the new
State House was projected, and when there
was talk Of removing the seat of govern
ment-and consequently when parties We're
of nightly occurrence in the city. 1t was,
too before the constitutions the Legislature
then had patronage which kept the members
Of the " third house" full and there was least
ing, fattery, ,fawning. Well,the Senator spo-
ken of had arrived to the gentility of a nap
kin at the table white cambric handkerchief,
and white kids at parties. His wife came,
and at the table his usual seat was vacant as
also tie the one reserved for his wife, and his
clique Of table companions wondered at the
absence BY and by the Senator slipped in
and took seats at the lower end Of the room
and his wife came with their baby in her
arms. He had learned that it was not gen
tee to bring the baby to the table, but his
wife indulged in that custom at home and
knew no reason why it should be abandoned
at the capital; she vulgar woman, preferred to
feed her own child and to know what it eat,
aud he was ashamed to introduce her, with
baby in her arms, to his hotel friends. No
persuasion could induce the mother TO
trust her baby to a hired nurse she soon
grew weary of fashionable life and gladly
sought her home. The Senator for the first
time in bis life, was glad to get rid of his
wife, and was relieved when she left, wished
she was as gentecl as some others mans wife,
and from that day the two were incompati-
ble." That's true story.
SO it is every year with those who go to
Congress. Men have great advantage over
women. They can more readily adapt them
selves to a changed society, for constant in
terc0urse with the world soon re-mOlds their
manners; besides, they are permitted lati
tude Of dress, and fashion does not bring its
procrustean rule to bear rpon their wives
hence the husband often delights in the follies
of fashionable lie when the wife shrinks from
it and considers it irksome. Many man has
believed his wife to be a pattern to be ad-
mired until she has been forced to suffer by
comparison with fashions votaries, and the
moment he allows himself to institute such
damaging comparison, "incompa,ibility" be-
gins.
The same holds good too, when the wife,
from whatever cause, begins to institute a
comparison between her hus' and and other
men who, by natural Developments or by ac-
cident, seem to excel him, but these instances
are more ral e as in the organism of society
the position of the wife is more completely
controlled by the position of the husband
The grand preventative for this incompati-
blity is in the twain going into new sphere,
be sure that the other keeps pace; and the
M ment one trenches upon ground the other
shrinks from-let the mreced to them level
common to them both. There was good
sense when the children were rebuked by the
mother for putting on airs at the fathers pro-
motion to the command of company, for
said she, " it's only father and / who are
elected captain" So let it always be, that
when one is elected captain, the other is also,
and no ''incompatibility of temper" will ever
disturb the hearth stone.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN the Republican candi-