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

tation, well-perhaps-no
Snow husband" interposed Catharine, "you
do Emma wrong; she never was preverse. Be
easy, dear child, do not vex yourself, it will soon
be all right again."
"Ah, but he still insists that shall say the
words" sobbed Emma.
sAh, my SOD, is it 500" asked the mother,
with the faintest shade of anger in her tone.
spray let the matter rest, said the son.
s'Let me beg of you not to spoil my breakfast, "
said Squire Oldfeld, good humoredly s.you are
a little simpleton, Emma and you, my son, will
find it as well to overlook little eelt-will in q
young BRIDE She will soon cure herself of it,
like my old wife there; you see she exercises no
contradiction, she fultills my slightest wish; and
if were to ask her to say, Very good, the ta-
BILE is set,' she would say it at once"
"indeed would not, though" said the elderly
dame, rather sharply.
"What! not if | were to ask your
Certainly not"
.Ah, wife, you are not in earnest; you would
actually refuse me Z"
IL would.' sssigage
spray let us talk of something else," said AL
fred. ..7ss.
''No,v said the father, 81 wish the matter
clearly understood. Dear Catherine, just say
once, Very good, the table is set.
NO." stoutly replied the dame
The old man coaxed, reasoned, and at last
became agry. Nov this is beyond a joke will
you set bad example to your daughter by your
perverseEess 2'' u ss @
ss"The old story" exclaimed Catherine; s'the
men all stand by one another when the question
is the subsection of women. Even the father
takes part against his own daughter"
II take no ones part but my own," replied
the accused; 'what my daughter discusses with
her husband is not my concern; it is with YOU
that have to do, and i desire you to say those
words"
'How can you ask anything so foolish of your
wife2r as 1g sa8iss &
.That is not the question, dame ); I make this
request as q test of obedience, just as Gessler
hung up his hat for the Swiss 70 salute"
sand because that hat was made the subject
of an absurd, foolish and degrading command,
therefore the Swiss up against their tyrants.
"And we" chimed IN Emma, ''may also have
our opinions, for we are wives, not slaves"
This very logical deduction from the example
of the Tyroese seems to have inspired fresh
courage ia her who originated it; and the two
ladies burst forth into double attack regarding
the Turkish dispositions of their husbands, with
the sentiment, .'women never shall be slaves"
which they sustained long after the enemy 3
fire had been silenced the younger lady wind
ing up with the declaration, Unreasonable COM
mands we will never obey, will we, dear moth
er Z" and the elder confirming the matter with
q resolute "Never, never, neverl" like the
double bar at the end of noisy piece of music.
Victory now being decidly in the favor of the
two wives, what could the husbands do but pro-
pose terms of surrender yr af Il sta
"This is pretty business" said the son in
law; NOW we have the whole sex down upon
US what shall we do?"
"Dear son." replied the Squire, 'sdo as you
please; / cannot permit my breakfast to be
spoiled, for if / lose my breakfast have do ap-
petite for my dinner, and so all goes wrong for
the day."
''Only we must not YIELD" suggested the
younger.
.Well, this is strife in which no man ever
yet gained anything" replied the more expert
fenced elder. 81 foolshly allow myself to get
angry but now my equanimity is restored, and
- in fact, want my breakfast" ao
While this conversation was going on in under
tones, what were the victorious party whisper
ing to each othera Were they exulting in their
triunpha Not at all and perhaps, if they had
been asked, they would have confessed that
victory in a battle of words with a husband is
only second to a defeat. "If I could have
guessed it would have come to this, would
have taken the joke at once" said Emma 81
wish had done what Alfred asked me, but now
it is too late" - a. ,,.t.
"You have at least shown him." said the sym
pathizing fhother,t'that you have will of your
own, and that is something! 1 shall astonish
my old man, too; it will be long before make
friends with him again." s..it,
"You will stand by me, dearest mother 2''
"You may be sure of that, my child" EN-
ma sighed; perhaps she wished her mother to
give different answer, but she did not say so.
1--WE had better give in" said the old gentle
man to his son-in law, looking very hard at the
good things at the table. n 11s ~
'sBut what is to become of our honor?" asked
Alfred.
"Bah!" cried the old man, it is disagreeable
thing to yield, and so it is said to touch the
honor. Let US put an end to itl"i .i.og
sassListen children" continued the kind old man,
turning and speaking aloud to his wife and
daughter, laughing "You are little too stead
fast in you resolutions. / must now strengthen
myself by some breakfast to carry on the battle
happily, the table is SET, and one has nothing to
do but to enjoy the repast." So saying, the old
man sat down, and began to attack the substan-
/ tial meal before him. ess sas
"Dear mother, shall we not also--s'
tremblingly suggested Emma.
y
breakfast :" so the three sat down to the table,
tor Alfred had slipped out of the room when the
old man had begun his speech. He shortly re-
turned, however, holding in his hand two hand
some shawls, with which he approached his now
thoroughly huinbled BRIDE G tH1e aaot
"Dear little wife," said he, "accept peace
offering FROM my hands. acknowledge that
our quarrel was entirely my own fault; and as
a proof of iny consciousness OF guilt, beg you
will take your choice OF one of these shawls"-
unfolding and displaying them as he spoke.
Emma scarcely looked up, and when she did
raise her eyes, they were tull OF tears-not such
tears as she had shed au hour before, but pro-
ceeding from very different source, which the
reader may guess. She wished to avoid making
her choice, and begged that Alfred would not ask
her noso; but he persisting, in bis own deter
mined and perverse way, Choose, little one
choose" the victorious wife pointed to one of the
shawls, which the vanqushed husband cheerfully
placed round her shoulders; and indeed, to those
who had not witnessed the progress OF the bat
tle it would have appeared that the victory and
defeat were in exactly the reverse quarters from
what we know them to have been.
81 have come three parts of the way to meet
you, little wife," T v aLl
What could the little wife do but answer the
appeal by hiding her half-crying, half-laughing
face, on her husbands shoulder, and whispering
in his ear, ''Very good-the table is setl"
So peace was declared between those who, we
hope, never allowed it again to be disturbed !;
and Catherine seemed medtating how best to
follow her daughters example. Looking admir-
ingly at the other shawl, SIZE laiG her hand on
ho. shouldor with ho foY words