The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-22
TYRANNY OF MARRIED PEOPLE.
from the London Review.J

We think it was Lamb who made pathetic
complaint against the endearments and ex-
changes Of married couples in his presence.
In his quaint style, the humorist let out that
on such occasions he felt entirely subdued,
awkward and desolate, that he also'ezperienced
a sense Of injury and as if there we're an iudi-
rect attack made upon his pei ace Of mind. We
should say that most persons OF single views
would feel very much as Lamb did under sinni-
lar circumstances; but there is another situa-
ton, not Of so pronounced kind, in which a
bachelor is often made conscious OF certain
social advantages possessed BY the married
man.
Even in good circles, q visitor may observe q
constant flashing Of signals between the mar
ried guests. It IS perhaps needless to remark
that such messages are confined, where there
is propriety, to wives aud their respective hus-
bands; but, in any case, the fact of these going
about, combined with the consciousness that
he, OF all assembled, has nething in conmon
with tho notions that prompt them, render the
bachelor, If not for moment unhappy, at least
impelIed to fall back upon those cynical conso-
lations which have been specially designed for
celibates. q may note that IL he addresses 2
remark to Mrs. A. who sits next to him, MIR. A.
ut the other end Of the table seems to
have it conducted to him by process OF
sympathy w-lch we must leave mesmerists or
Mr. Homo to discover. When Mrs. A. replies,
A. looks up with q glance of intelligence,
although his attention is due, and indeed 1s
given, to the conversation Of those in his inl-
mediate neighborhood. You must know that
what you say and what you do will be subject
ed on your departure to dual criticism which
has the dangerous advantages OF beng neither
III or,1 ry,t oh ta0Ir a
sum of two experiences, one male and one fe-
male, often possesses an accuracy terrible for
the subject Of it to contemplate. For instance,
supposlng you are the sole bachelor at q
country house. A few of the men remain up
to smoke last cigar, having been almost au-
dibly cautioned (you can either hear or see the
notice. against overstaying short leave OF
absence.
One by one they disappear, except, perhaps,
an extra polite or courageous gentleman who
is good enough 10 see you suffering from dim
sense OF injury, and remains longer than the
rest, At length he goes, and you are LETT.
Next morning you may be perfectly certain that
if you were Thought worth discussion, yon
have been thoroughly weighed, measured and
done for, in tnat mysterious conclave at which
there are no witnesses. II you only study or
draw out the men O little, ten to one you will
get from them what tlfe wives think Of you,
and perhaps even what they have. said; for
there are men With clever wives who do not
object to give you quiet prod Of the bodkin
they are proud OF. But the wlves..sweet hyp-
ocrites !!conceal their opinion from most,
though if you watch their faces on gaad1d 1aHySa you
the married man has social power far beyond
the isolated and "wild ass" Independence Of
the bachelor. It has been settled that the
wife selects her husbands friends after mar.
riage. She weeds them at her own taste, and
plants others more in accord with her senti-
ruents. Aud indeed she does this constantly,
to the end of the chapter; and, as rule. she is
Vay nets in o great measure from instinct,
aided by the direct knowledge which she e1-
tracts from her husband, and which has been,
perhaps, impaired to him in bursts of conf
dence never intended for conveyance to her.