Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1869-10-21
Tyrlnnical Men.
BY JENNIE T. uAZEN /.

think most Of my readers will
admit there is found occasionally
such creature as tyrannical man
one who is such in his family circle,
at oil events.
I have known men who were pat
terms Of gentleness and suavity in
their business relations. They were
not born to rule their peers, SO they
ruled over those who were weaker
and more helpless than Themselves
such as wives and children, and
hired men-with rod of iron. l
will not detail vague generalities,
but relate some instances of petty
tyranny of actual occurrence:
There was q man who had little,
meek faced wife, seven girls, one
boy, and q large farm. He used to
be Obliged to hire help upon his farm,
and of course he could not get men
who would do work just as he did it
himself. In the planting of corn or
potatoes, if the rows were not just SO
straight, and the hills just SO far
apart, he would rave like mailman,
actually foaming at the mouth. If
there was rake or fork misplaced
In the barn, or bit of litter upon
the floor, his anger would break forth
In curses. His rule in the house was
absolute. His wife expressed, in
every look and attitude, depreciation
and apology; and the children
skulked in the corners like quails,
when they heard his footstep upon
the door-stone. He built large
house, in the planning of which his
wife had no voice; consequently it was
the most announcement in arrange
ment you can imagine. There was
fight Of six stairs from the kitchen
to the dining-room, but none leading
to the chamber except in the front
hall.
The girls were anxious to have
doorstep at the front door. He drew
q large stone, dumping it midway
between the house and the street,
and there it lay for years. They
wanted good door-yard fence and
gate; he built one Of coarse, crooked
rails, and a pair of bars. They want
ed to keep hens and have plenty Of
eggs and chickens; he would not per-
NIT hen to set foot upon his farm.
They wanted curtains at the win
dows, and carpets upon the floors; he
tore the curtains into ribbons, and
kicked the basket Of carpet-rags out
ofdoors. 80, father, dokeepa horsew
was the cry Of the girls; and he kept
the very "pokyest" oxen he could
And. At last he got "converted;"
but few seeds of the "original sin"
remained in his bosom; the sold
Adam" got the upper hand of him,
and he became q backslider.
I knew another mamie was
called n man-whose wife never
dared to go out for an afternoon visit
without his most gracious permits
sion, and whose children never went
to play for an hour with neighbours
children, without asking him if they
might go, and how long they might
stay. He knew to an ounce how
much butter and cheese was made in
the house, sold it himself, and put
the money in his pocket, from which
receptacle it never came forth with
out a struggle and groan, unless 1t
came out to buy more land. He
kept a pair of horses, one of which
WAS gentle enough for his wife to
drive. I've even seen that wife
stand before him with downcast
eyes, trembling lips, and nervous
hands, begging of him to let her
have the horse to drive to the village.
"What do you want to go to the
village for?"
~ want to go to the store first, and
then tc see Lizzie Ford"
$50 to the store, hey! What on
earth are you going to the store for
nowe It's run, run to the store all
theitime; it's 'nough to keep man
as poor as poverty the hull time"
ssMaria wants a new dress, and
Nettie a new shaker"
Maria wants new gound, does
chez Well, she can 60 ont to work