Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-05-20
WHO'S TO BLAME?

dressed IN soiled morning gown, and
wearing pair of slippers, down at the
heel, reading a trashy novel.
"Why, Fanny?'' he exclaimed in
amazement, for they had been married
only few months, and hitherto he had
thought her the pink of neatness.
"Well, what is it 20 she asked, look
ing up. Then noticing the direction Of
his eyes, she assumed IA more becoming
position. ''You don't like my dress,
perhaps" she continued; ':but really
I was too tired to change it,"
.n ''What have you been doing all
day ?" said Harry.
"Oh, reading this" she replied.
She colored as she held up the book,
and added, "and it has been SO warm"
Now, her husband had been hard at
work all through the sultry summer
day, and had as was usual with him
when busy, dinel at his office yet his
attire was neat, and even his hair newly
brushed, for he had gone to his cham
Der to do this before coming into the
parlor. 1t may be supposed, therefore,
that he was annoyed at the slovenllness
Of his wife the more SO, as, on look
ing at the novel, he found it quite
worthless affair. He. said nothing,
however, except, cat least change your
slippers, my dear; YOU don't know
how dislike to sec 4 lady slinshOd."
"Do you?-how odd" said his
wife, with silly laugh, STOPPING to
pull up tho heels Of her shoes. There,
that will do, l think. l really can't
walk so far as the chamber this warm
evening. 1 wish you would ring for
tea, the bell is just by you, as | want
to finish this chapter"
] Her husband sighed, but did as he
was bid. The tea came up, and he
took his seat, but the chapter was not
concluded, and so he was compelled to
wait. When at last Mrs. Wentworth
came to the table the tea was cold.
The meal, under these circumstances,
was dull one, and the husband, after
tea was over, finding his wife absorbed
in her book, lay down on the sofa, and
finally went to sleep.
Mrs. Wentworth had been the belle
of the town before her marriage. Her
: sprightliness and beauty had been the
theme of constant admiration. But
these qualities would have failed to have
won Harry Wentworth's heart if they
had not been sustained by a most ex-
quisite taste in dress. See Fanny
when you would, she was always attired;
and as Harry Wentworth was extreme
ly fastilious on this point, he thought
himself the happiest Of men when Fan
ny, one bright summer evening, prom
ised to be his.
r But unfortunately the bride had no
real habits Of neatness, but only a love
of admiration. 1t was vanity that in
duced her while single to be careful Of
her dress but now she was married
she gradually gave way to her natural
Incidence. The first occasion on which
she did this to any glaring extent was
the evening when our story begins
but it was soon followed up by other
exhibitions Of slovenliness.
" 81 do wish, Fanny, that you would
dress more neatly" said Mr.. Went
worth, in vexed voice, some months
"a later still. "Night after night I come
home and find you in that atrocious
wrapper" u
"You used to think me pretty
enough in any Dress" retorted Mrs.
Wentworth, testify.
''But l never saw yon in one like
that before we were married." replied
her husband. = .--'gr nh
"To be sure not" said Mrs. Went
worth, and she laughed ironically. ~
always dressed for company then, and
do so now"
What could Mr.. Wentworth say? If
his wife did lot think 1t necessary to
be neat in his presence-did not con-
slider him as worthy Of pleasing as the
comparative strangers whom she called
"company"-it was useless to argue
with her so, after tea, the slipshod
heels still annoying him, with a per.
ceptible hole in the stocking to increase
that annoyance, he moodily took his
hat and left the house. ...
At first Mr.. Wentworth walked up
and down the street, but at last, IA
tigued with this, he stepped into de-
bating-room, attached to q tavern.
Here he met several acquaintance, and
gradually falling into conversation, the
evening passed rapidly away.
When he went home, Mrs. Went
worth, looking very sleepy, and not a
little out Of humor, accosted him with,
"Where in the world have you been ?
finished my novel an hour ago, and
have had nobody to talk to ever since.
I am moped to death. There was
time,' she added, poutingly, "when
nothing in the world could have induc-
ed you to spend an evening away from
me-"
Her husband was on the point Of re-
plying in similar upbraiding style,
but he recollected that he had expostu-
lated too often and too vainly, and so
he said nothing.
1t was week before Mr.. Wentworth
spent another evening out. He tried
sincerely to stay at home but his an
noyance at his wife's slovenliness was
too great, and at last he left her again
to her novel.
Mr.. Wentworth has now become a
confirmed visitor Of the debatrng-room,
the members Of which are chiefly mar
ried men and if the truth we're known.