Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-01-31
Written for the Chronicle.
KEMPTONIA.
NUMBER FOUR-
Hempton .goeh a Skating. Is &ockiHgI
Abused By his Wfe.

I 49, NSa - SFgNNN1S
Abused by his Wife.
Mr.. EDIToR:-When a Young man l pri-
ded myself upon knowing how to skate
just about as well as any man in this sec
ton of the country. 1t was my delight
TO take MY skates and proceed TO the riy-
er, and in the presence of admiring
crowds make a pleasing display of my
proficiency. 1t has peer many long years
since then, aud | now look back upon
those days as among the happiest of my
%eventtuI life. Years, long years of toll,
contention and suffering, has worn me
down to a mere wreck of what | once was.
AMI, instead of blooming, gushing youth
Of twenty summers, am a M IN old before
my time, bald and prematlreiy grey. |
am the unwilling victim of wOman's wlles
aud Vaccinations. Weak and feeble as
l am, somewhat of the spirit of my young
er days animates me, and occasionally
manifests itself as it did about a month
ago, when the Mahoning was first frozen.
| then determined to enjoy a little recre
alton on the ice. Investing a greenback
in a pair of skates, | threw trouble to the
dogs, and proceeded to the river. [ ad
justed the skates without much difficulty.
and Strengthening myself up struck out
right and left, and with flattering success,
considering my lack of experience in late
years. NV knees were rather shaky, but
otherwise [ felt first rate. Sailing around
the bend in fine style, l came upon a
crowd of young men playing ~''shinney,"
one of whom hitting a stone weighing
about a pound and a half with a cudgel,
sent it whizzing across the river at a fear
full rate of speed. 1t came violently in
contact with my skate runner and
brought me rapidly to the ice, throwing
my left hip out of joint, dislocatIng my
shoulder, fracturing my skull, injuring
me seriously internally, and otherwise
bruising me badly. 1 lay like one dead,
nearly twenty minutes, and was eventu-
ally carried home on a board. There
never was such a downfall before in the
House OF Kempton. The worst feature
of the accident was in placing me in
charge, and at the ~mercy-God save the
mark i-of the woman who r~ejoices in
the knowledge and belief that she is my
wife. Under her immediate and entire
control | nave been for four loug weeks,
My physical sufferings caused by the slip
up on the ice were very great, but moth
ing in comparison with the tortures in
iicted upon me by my wife. A scientific
anu ~ sicllAllC COuESt Vi Cruelty CtdEdCA-
erized by heartlessn2ss and the absence
of all wifely feeling has been practised
upon me. During all the time my wife
has had me down, she has annoyed me
greatly with her Impertinent and insult
ing remarks, and otherwise harrassed me
until [ couldn'trest. Mrs. * has per-
sisted in saying that it was another of my
drunken sprees." This morning | re-
-----.-~-l i'll L.. ~ ell A..,-,A
~righteously indignant. and informed the
woman that though l could stand every
thing in the world, | couldn't stand that,
and that a repetition of the offensive
words i should consider sufficient gounds
for a divorce and would take measure
accordingly. She smiled q sarcastic smile
and Immediately left the room.
A great many men who lack expert
ence have a vast deal to say about the
joy and felicity to be found in married
life. Talk a great deal about the bliss of
the thing, ha! IF they only had been
through the -'milI' as | and many Others
have, they would sing a different song.
o, it's a blessed privilege to get out OF a
warm bed these cold wintry mornings and
build three or four fires in the house. A
happy time one has of it pacing the floor
night after night in midwinter with a
young child in your arms who will per
sist in crying in spite of huge doses of
''Godfrey's Cordial" Mrs. Winslow's
Soothing Syrup" and any amount of sing
ing. A glorious thing it is TO provide
food and raiment for a wife, seven chill
dren, and half your wife's relations. A
comfortable time one has of it coming
home a little unwell. to be hustled off to
bed and informed you are drunk, when
you know better. If you happen to
speak to a neighbours good looking wife,
TO be fatty accused of infidelity. When
Frustrated upon a bed of sickness, to be
heartlessly deprived of your light drinks
and cigars-saying nothing about the in
Vulnerable snaps and snarls. and count
less curtain lectures" all of which tend
10 wear out a mans life, and bring him
to an untimely grave. Many times and
Oft nave | groaned inwardly, and regret
ted the day that made me a married and
a family man. An incident occurred this
very morning, which viewed as an agera-
walton is unsurpassed in the history of
matrimonial infelicity. While seated IN
tn erocking chair prorpadup with holsters
and pillows, lamenJIng my torlOrn situa-
ton, q brilliant idea came into my mind.
If there is one thing that exhilerates me
more than another it is a delicious mix
ture called punch" Mrs. K is op-
posed TO punches. To manufacture a
bowl of the exhilerating cordial, was the
idea that took possession of me. Calling
my eldest son Darius, | dispatched him
to the grocery for the liquor, c4utioning
him beforehand to re very careful and
not let his mother know what he was
bout. Sending Angela after the bowl.
spoons, sugar, spice and water, | waited
anxIously for the return of son ID. He
in good time, and | at once set TO
work 10 prepare the punch. 1t is unnec-
essarY to go into the details. 1t is enough
10 say l made the punch. | never
was so perfectly satisfied with a drink of
my own getting up. Ii was superbly de-
iIcious. 1 was slipping it slowly, smack
ing my lips with great gusto, and con-
myself upon having got the
start of Mrs. K. when, horror of horrors,
my wife appeared, and before | could re
cover from my CONSERVATION, she had
possession of the bowl of punch and was
it triumphantly from the room.
| was so amazed at her cruelty and audac-
Ity that | could not speak for a moment,
but when | did it was in a voice of thun
der, but she needed me not. | was pow
to help myself. and that cruel, ma
and unfeeling woman, regardless
of my threats, tears and prayers, DELHI
threw 1t into the sWill pail. ii
the heart to write more about
terrific outrage. L don't believe
shall ever be well again. l shudder when
[ think that | must continue to live with
this hard hearted creature, who will up
On every possibly occasion shamefully
abuse me. | must have my whisky and
tobacco. | will maintain the rights guar
anteed 10 me by the ConslitutIon-"the
pursuit of happiness" women or no WON
en-. Sufferingly Yours.
KEMPTON.
n ~