Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-10
sEmI-DETACHED wIVEs.
The Dear Creatures Considered.

sEME-DETACHED WIVES.
The Dear Creatures Considered.
The FIRST yawn Of her spouse Is, no
doubt, a severe trial to tho vanity OF the
bride. There are few girls who have not
built pretty castles in Spain Of felicity
uninterrupted by boredom or butchers
bills, and there are, without question.
some quiet people who fancy they attain
to it. The country parsonage, for IN
stance. often contains two beings who
smile benignly on each other for long
tracts Of years, whose mornings and
moons and nights are passed IN one an
others society, and who reach three
score aad ten without the slightest sus-
pieion OF weariness or a desire for q
wider circle of sympathy. In other
words, there are vegetables to whom it
IS natural to vegetate, as there are wO-
men to whom it Is natural to live. And
life if it means anything means variety
and change. It is odd to think how on
that one yawn hangs the freedom OF
years to come. 1t IS the bugle that
sings truce. It IS tacit convention
which leaves the husband his club and
the wife her Independence. Ne people
can be more touehingly attentive to each
others wants. The spouse finds his
breakfast on the table, his Times cut for
him. his letters arranged, his evercoat
brushed in the hall, the timetable open
at the proper page. The one return
asked for is that Of absence for the day
A sensible husband agrees with the
pretty rcasour before him that "a man
should have something to do, that lott
ering at home is hardly manly thing
that con tapt association blunis the edge
Of affection. tnat he has wife to
think If now" and 4 world 10 win for
her, that Il he entirely gives up his old
friends sEa shall never forgive herself
| The sousil'. mau. We repeat, takes his
umbrella aaI leaves the pretty little
r.asou,r a.- name and her freedom. No
chat She ass ;iie least passion for liberty
To the warJ she sighs gently for tn,
Iownf,n "a her hopes. Her one jol
would De % have her husband with her
! She would be delighted if he foun,
| mo-e r.essafs IN her drawing-room
! more charm, IN her society She regret
| that while other people seem to find he
! attractive her attraction loses its p0we
lover the one heart in the world 70
/ which -Ls cares Md sometimes in a
evil hour the one heart listens and be
| ll;eves. He leaves his umbrella idle i
the h5,l. The club sees him no more
men chat in the billiard room over hi
uxuri9usuess and the pretty little fac
that prisons him at home. Only the iit
tie fuce itself is not quite so pretty as
was iu the tenderness Of its regret. tn
resigned liryic martyr has no notion
being robbed Of the halo Of martyrdon
InsensiblY the spouse finds it harder
remain at her feet. lie hates music an
he Is whirled from opera to opera. Tn
piano is hard at work throughout tn
day. and conversation will run on n0thin
but Schumann and Weber. He Ike
politics. and blank little face listens Z
well as it NAV to mis- stories of the la
division or his theories as to the possibI
Premier. He is used 10 his quiet ever
ing at his club, to his cigar and his p
ouet and he finds mob IN the DRAWN
room, and the smell of the divine wee
absolutely insufferable to his his wifi
In the long run he takes to his old Ii.
+, of isolation. and the neglected beiu
wins the sympathy Of her sex as she r.
assumes her position Of semi detaehe
wife. And unfortunately she now an
then wins the sympathy of the other Sc
: too. Men wonder how Brown can tre
I his wife so badly, can leave her to nel
lect and to a thousand temptations. L
= has but enc defender, and that is Il
wife whom he abandons. She eoul
have wished it had been otherwise tn
a a sympathy Of soul had bound them t
e oether. As 1T is. she will only acce'
+ lust very little perfectly innocent syn
T. natbv elsewhere. Friendship of Il
J, purest and highest kind may be sufert
t to administer It's inadequate consolation
but the many VI INC CiiulSh VI L III
must be chaanted without note Of pi
e for herself or of blame for her spous
e Between such clashing rocks the frieI
e must steer his boat into that sweet my
n terious sea. Ii IS with & touching I
+ serve that the victim of his caprice a
, eepts her liberty, for she Is after all
1t wife. and her ring gives her liber
d denied to maidens. She is musical, al
10 can practice for whole afternoons wi
lie that gallant young tenor in the GuarC
d She Is artistic, and what can be mo
le charming than tete-a-tete with tn
y blushing Carmine over his sketch -bool
g She has a taste for poetry, and pot
le couch at her feet to read sonnets in {
4. tender light Of the parting day. T
er wide circle OF friendship opens befO
IA her. She listens TO the condolences
ot happy and unhappy lovers. Life |
a comes varied, busy, interesting. II
: good temper, her yivaeity, her sun
~ happiness redress the wrongs of b
Of home, and society borroWs gentle lig
10 and sweetness from the semi detach
i. wife The picture is pretty but It b
" its terrible dangers.