Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-01-03
HEAR BOTH SIDES.
A SKETCH OF EVERY DAY LIFE.

81 do think Mr.. Smith is perfect ty-
rant"
The speaker was a young woman, about
five and twenty; and she spoke to her
! husband, who was also young and just
commencing business for himself. His
name was George Everett. The time was
evening, and the two little children had
retired.
"Whv do you speak so, Ellen ?" the
husband asked. He had laid aside his
paper when the conversation began.
because l think so. / know he is a
tyrant. He abused his wife so shame
fully"
"But how do you know this?"
Chow do know?" the wife uttered, in
tone which would seem to indicate that
she was surprised that her word needed
fortifying.
''Yes-how do you know ?"
"Why, it's the nature of the man."
"But you know nothing of the mans
nature beyond what has been told you.
''And isn't that enough if it came from
resi- onsible source"
"Why, that depends upon what kind
of responsibility it rests"
"But if it was told you by one who
knew ?"
"If she did know"
"If she did know" repeated Ellen, rath-
er reprovingly. "Do you suppose l can
not Judge Of my friend? This was told
me by one who would not stoop to false
hood"
$50 itwas told me by one whom l know
l should not hesitate to trust in all mat
ters coming from her knowledge"
IL
about it'll
"Yes, Ellen, heard you speak about
it." returned George, with smile. And
then he added with some seriousness =
Now listen, and you shall quickly un-
derstand it. You have told me that Mr.
Smith is q tyrant. l know you are
woman of truth and yet cannot take
your word in this matter as direct proof,
for you speak only of what you have been
told, aud not of what you know"
'But have my proof from one who
does know" said Ellen, emphatically.
''Well, who is it ?''
Mrs. Arnold told me all about it."
''And isn't Mrs. Arnold a sister of Mrs.
Smith,"
Yes"
"Then she is an interested person."
OLOBs OCO4SO. Oh oA4OOAo lOb III
pugn the motives of Mrs. Arnold. You
are running into the wrong way now"
"Well, WELL" replied the young man,
with a light smile, "let me ask you some
thing. What has Mr.. Smith done?"
"Tll tell you what he has DONE" said
Ellen, quickly. Last Sunday morning
he wouldn't let his wife come to meeting.
She got all ready to go and he locked the
hop o,I La l,
out There"
"Why did he do this?"
"Why, because he didn't happen
to want to go himself, so he was de.
termined she shouldn't 60. And only
think she had made arrangements to
take dinner with her sister, and he knew
it. What dye think of that?"
But how do you know this?"
Arnold about it, and Mrs. Arnold told
me-"
"And now, Ellen, let me tell you some
thing" said George, betraying by his look
and tone, that what he was going to say
had been worked upon his feelings. "Ir.
Smith Joined the Free Masons, the same
night did. His wife don't like it. She
doesn't like anything of enjoyment for
uALn WulCn SIG anu per
sonally share. Last Saturday evening
when he came home from work, his clothes
were quite soiled. He had been oversee
ing the getting in of some hundred and
fifty loads of charcoal, which he uses in
his establishment about the tempering of
his cutlery. OF course his shirt was very
black and dirty. He went for a clean one
and could not find it. Ali the shirt
bosoms and collars, had been taken from
his drawer. He asked his wife where
they were. She asked him if he intend
ed to 60 to the Mason meeting. He said
he did. Then she said he could not have
a clean shirt. He expostulated with her,
but to no effect She declared he should
not have a stitch of clean linen to wear to
a Mason meeting. Then he said he
should 60 as he was. $50 if you dare to
do it," she replied. eff you do go, you
shan't have clean shirt for a week r'-
And she meant just what she said.
"Mr. Smith came to meeting, and I no.
ticed that he kept his coat buttoned up
to his throat, and that he had no collar
on. noticed it because he is generally
so neat and precise. Well, Sunday morn
ing came, and, with all his power, Smith
could not get word from his wife. She
saw him searching over the house, and
yet not syllable would she utter. And
to make it worse still, she allowed the
servant girl and others to see it. Of
course the stores were shut up, and the
poor man had to 60 shirtless. Finally
Mrs. Smith prepared for meeting, and
when she was all dressed she turned to
her husband and said:
Perhaps you'll go to Mason meeting
again
"Then it was, and not till then, that
Mr.. Smith resolved that his wife should
not go out. And she did not. Now you
can judge for yourself"
Ellen was surprised at the recital She
asked her husband where he got his in
formation and he told her he had it from
one of the young men who lived with
Mrs. Smith, and who heard it all
"And now," he added, ''the truth is,
Mrs. Smith is a perfect Xantippe. She
wears smile in company, but her hus-
band sees nothing of the kind at home.
He suffers much, Ellen. Once I prevent
ed that young man from taking his own
life. The perfect ugliness of his wife had
driven him mad !"
Surely 1 never dreamed that she was
such a woman" said the young wife.
thoughtfully.
"You see how dangerous it is to Judge
of such matters before you hear both
sides" returned George, earnestly. "In
all cases of this kind, when there is diff
fculty between two or more persons, we
should not allow our sympathies to be en-
listed until we have heard both sides.-
Of course we must have certain sympa-
thies from what we hear; but we have no
right to give our word against person
till we know. And we can never know
but by hearing both sides, and then iudg-
ing calmly and candidly. But even then
it is the safest way not to give our opinion
unless it is needed"