Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-09-04

endure that word; and | am not perverse; but
it is you who are SO in this matter, to insist 80
obstinately on this piece of folly"
"But, Emma, understand me-" said Alfred;
sit is not that the thing of itself is of any inn
portance, except to show me that You cannot
refuse anything | ask you; [ cannot bear the
thought that you can say mo- to any request OF
mine!"
$50, / am never to say no to you," returned
the now excited wife, always yes, yes, yes =
All! all men are alike; you do not want low
ing companion, a sympathising friend, you re-
q1ire that wife should be slave. And thus
the subjugation is to begin with an act of blind
obedience; but will never bea slave, not I
| will never yield my rights either to threats or
to brute force"
"sAnd he shall be thy ruler where is that
said 2" interposed the husband very gently.
81 am right, then z" cried Emma; 'syou would
be the ruler, and am to be the slave; you are
to command and | to obey. Oh, / acknowledge
your rule in all fitting things but never when
your commands are unreasonable"
"These are grave expressions to apply to q
mere joke"-
'Oh p interrupted Emma, now fairly in tears,
''you have made bitter earnest out of it /"
What could the husband do? This was prob
ably the first time that his bride had called tears
to her aid in an argument with him. He could
only hasten to her side, and entreat her not to
weep; but the reply was, Il cannot help it; you
force these tears from me"
s'Wbat monster have / suddenly become -
Poor miserable woman, that destiny should have
linked you to such an inhulnan wretch !"
3 This piece of irony made matters worse.
THAT is right" said the insulted wife, "now
add scorn to your cruelty who would have
guessed this but an hour ago2 | who was SO
light hearted and thought myself SO happy-but
now" 4ifa. Est47r
'But now" continued Alfred, finishing the
sentence for her, ''there is no wife to be found
so unhappy as yourself"
Emma's tears flowed on, until her husband
became uneasy on another account than the mere
dislike to witness her suffering; be began to say
to himself: "What will the old people think
and they will be here Immediately"
Emma, wife, darling, come let us be friends,
it is foolish thus to spoil SO lovely morning"
This address succeeded in inducing the lovely
weeper to withdraw the handkerchief from her
face, and softly to ask: ea s.assa
do you think so9 then why were you so
hard upon me2"
swell, now you see, come to you to sue for
peace" pleaded Alfred; and taking his wife in
his arms, he whispered, Now you will say
those few words for love of me-"
Poor husband never was he more mistaken
than in supposing his gentle wife had yielded
for she tore herself from his embrace, more an
CRY than ever, with the words,
what, even now9 still you ask this you
would begin the quarrel againa"
II have come to you dear wife, to soften you
with kind words when you were angry (; now it
is for you to yield something"
Emma seemed TO struggle with herself; she
lNnp hoo honL L,,ol, H..
she fondly loved; she had only to Whisper the
words he asked her for and all would be right
between them; but pride came to the rescue
What! after all her determination, should she
yield at last2 So she wound up all her powers
OF resistance into one firm resolute
"No! once for all, Nol''
Then the aggrieved husband broke out into
the following speech:
ut is enough then: you know that it would
please me that you should do this, and you will
not do it. My request may be foolish; never
theless, it is my request, and you will not fulfil
it. 1t may be caprice on my part, but your
love should accommodate itself to my caprice
The words are nothing, but the proof of your af-
tection is much, and that proof you will not give
me. l have entreated, reasoned, commanded,
tried every mode, but in vain; and you profess
to love me, you cannot in one little instance con
quer caprice, not even to show kindness to
your husband! Never say again that you love
me - 3..s9 lls 't.e
This compendium of accusations was uttered
while the speaker was pacing up and down the
pretty parlor 10 very excited state, and elicit
ed from the accused, who leaned with her arms
on the table as if for support under her unwont-
ed trials, the following reply.
~ hat right have you to accuse me of per-
verseness or caprice2 You acknowledge that
ia fol 10 fo md de-
persist. 1t would degrade me knowingly to
commit a folly, and yet you ask me thus to de-
liberately degrade myself. Is this love2-
And then you see that your conduct pains me :"
here the tears flowed plentifully again; s'yet you
continue cold and unmeved. On whose side,
then, is the perversenessa where is the lack OF
effection 70 .1s .ai = s. Iw
How much more on either side might have
been said it is impossible to tell, for at that mo-
meat Hal respectfully announced the approach
OF the expected visitors. Alfred whispered to
his wife caution not to let her parents see that
she had been agitated, and she replied, sGi
:! don't care; they may know all II am not
to blame"a v4se'g iau.,ss m as.,j..e.
In this consciousness of injured innocence
Emma followed her husband to greet the below
ed guests at the door. sls4 5as,9aasl s6s sgs el
Squire Old6eld and his wife Oatharine were
hearty, handsome, elderly couple, who had toll
ed up the hill of life together successfully, and
were now, as the poet expresses it, going down
it hand in hand, kindly, honest, loving pair
After the first greetings were over, Catharine
rallied herdaughter, as mothers will do some
times, on the fact of making herself scarce at the
parental homestead; bat, on Emmas attempting
to apologize, kindly added,
"Oh, know how it is, my dear child: q
young wife has something else to do than to be
always running after her old mother" .fl
THAT is how the world wags, wife," said the
squire; s'she must leave father and mother asi
the holy writing saith; but you think of us Of
ten, my child, am sure"
SO they seated themselves to the amply spread
breakfast-table; and, the old gentleman declar-
ing that his long walk had made him both thirsty
and hungry, poured out glass of wine for each
of the party, and proposed many happy retnrns
of the day."
Now, it occurred simultaneously to our young.
couple, that many returns of such morning as
they had passed together would not be desirable; !;
but instead of keeping this consciousness to them
selves, end accomplishing silent reconciliation.
Alfred raised his glass with trembling hand.
and the more impulsive Emma was obliged to
put her own down On the table again while she
wiped her eyes. This action did not escape the
notice Of the worthy old man. @Ga 1-g@jc
"What is this 2" asked he; shave offended 2
My son-in-law, you look embarrassed, and En-
ma is in tears: what has happened2"
Alfred, finding that the whole matter must
come out, mentioned to Hal to leave the room.
and tried to explain: SIT ia q LITTLE mattor not