Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-09-09
THE JOURNAL.
s.SnarIeyoE, the Man FicRs..''


How many men there are who make
home torment by their ungOvernapI ole
temper. Whose appearance within the
household is a signal for baniShment
of quiet. Whose excuses over night
having left them feverish and irasclble,
they are q terror to the family at break
fast, finding fault on the principle Of the
wolf in the fable who wanted an excuse
for devouring lamb he declared the
innocent animal muddied the water
from which he was drinking the poor
creature proved it impossible, rs the
stream ran from the wolf towards him /;
his plea of course was useless, lie was
eaten all the same. The domestic wolf
insists that the coffee is bad, timex, too
strong, too weak, too hot, too cold; the
wife ventures denial, hichirritates still
further, he wants to believe in grievances,
he wants to snap and snarl, an excuse
for himself, to himself, is disturbed by
an attempt at eXtenuation, or apology
even if unnecessary, SO he resents IL as
added injury, and bites off the heads OF
wife and .children, tiguratively, with
savage satisfaction. He knows as he
scowls over the table that he destroyed
the appetite of his nervous help-mate
who could not swallow mouthful under
penalty of dyspepsia, knows that she
auakes at his vicious Hem, lest it should
be followed by an attack on one or other
of the children who act as conductor lof
his spleen. feels and glories in his power
of mental torture, and recognized ny
the law as the protector OF the hou5ehoi"
because he feeds and shelters lhehl
more through fear of consequences ana
public opinion than love OF offspring.
The gentleman is consistent, too, ana
Of hiIS
tend to ameliorate the disposition
which noon has made hungry III spite OF
a full lunch near the office, and sundrE
glasses of lager. so the imperious rms
at the door bell sounds the knell OF the
neace of the busy morning. Thanks TO
The skillful efforts of the wife, the ON
ner is ready to dish up is such as might
tempt an epicure, the little childfeh
with clean faces and pinafores have their
noses rubbed to the last state OF poiish,
and with hurried hands she arranges
her own clean collar.
Bruin is greeted with what is intended
for smile and a faint attempt to lntTo-
duce a subject for conversation Walcn
may DE 4 sedatiNe.
But my lord is not 70 De cheated ON
Of his dear privilege Of Jaw. Ahe Hlt,''
roasted to a beautiful brown he ueri2Fes
raw ana tough. both MS wife fault YOU
would suppose as he giares Al her across
the table.
He don't want coffee for dinner, it Is
extravaQant if there: he does want II Il
not. for cold water does not agree with
him. In short, he came home 70 give
vent to bis i'll humor, and he does so.
Conversation, cheerfuiness, the best
promoters OF digestion, are of course ou'
Of the question, and the food hurr!eul}
eaten brings its own punishment, an'
unfortunately added IL humor.
A .brawIing woman was al onjeoi
of terror. even to Solomon OF oIQ, WaeI
to Judge from Proverbs, iaen WeFe KEEP
in better order than at present, for
most certainly, Drawing men seem t'
prepOnderate, and if woman IS odious a
a common scold what term is strong
enough to designate a man mean enous!
to be ranked under this category and
that such persons are abundant IS easily
proved,
Just ask any woman OF your acGulan :
ance how her male relations accept the
accident of buttonless shirt. picked W
dinner, or any other trifiing incunl-
brance, and her Inconvenience, il not
her tongue, will confess that in their
household too they possess the nuisance
of common scOid. RUTH HALL.