The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-09-30
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE WIFE'S SECRET.

If pride myself upon any mental en-
wment whatever, it is upon that hum.
: one of Common-Sense. live what is
led by the intellectual people a conven-
nal life. l have my pew in the neigh.
f1ng church, and sit in it twice every
nday. | know one captain in the army
ust such person as he should be-pol-
ed, and yet ferocious, gentle to ladies'
rather insolent to civilian males, boast
OF his clubs, and giving all his leisure
c, which is considerable, to the cultiVa-
l of his mustaches; but otherwise |
Ignorant of the fashionable world and
It's gay doings. I have made no en-
vor to break through the gilded pale
separates it from the steady going
die class to which [ belong. do not
erstand the feeling which prompts my
riors to be ashamed of being seen in
mnlbus. Once every day return from
lty IN one and if it is wet | use the
conveyance in the morning to reach
lice. pay my tradesmen weekly
iest sherry is 4Ss. dozen; and when
aptaln talks of vintage wines (as he
10 by the hour at my table,, l often
Ter what he thinks he is drinking.
ever, with true good-breeding, he i'm
1t IN great quantities, as though it
the best. | do not keep a man-ser-
Our cook cannot compass an one
'ou1tse. My wife trims her own bon
We have eight children, who all
the Church Catechism by heart, ex-
the baby and the last but one. In
t, a more respectable and unfashion-
family than our own does not exist in
}aysWater.
ndeT these circumstances, it may be
~ imagined that we are as free from
vices of the great as we are without
+ privileges; and this was, honestly
eve, the case until within very recent
iod. When / used to read in tho
'ers that the Lady Day Coltay (of Nor
ancestry and bluest blood) had left
husbands roof, and fled with Major
Utterly of the Life Guards; or that it
rumored among well-informed circles
1t the gentleman of the long robe would
IN find employment in the domestic af-
rs of his Grace the Duke of Belgravia,
Ised to give a prolonged whistle, and re-
lrk: Here they are again" in general
ference to the habits of the haaa ton L
lew that our hereditary aristocracy were
ven to these escapadss, which i'll my own
nix of life would certainly be crimes, and
1erused such details as the press could
rnlsh with an avidity unalloyed, l am
raid, without much reprobation. seem-
to be reading of class of persons
hose way of life was too far removed
ON my own to affect me, except as a
,ectator just as when went to the play
tound myself IN an atmosphere of in
igue, and misunderstanding, and jealousy,
together unreal, and with which l had
ot the ghost of an experience in common
Hon I Ill i
Iteen years without entertaining that
lssIon, so that it was not very likely,
owever well acted, that that passion
lould entertain me- Misundersta nding
he thing was impossible, for whenever
lere promised to be "a row in the pan
y and every married man will under
and me when | make use of that meta
horlcal expression-I brought it to a
cad, and had it out, and off we started
gain Speaking for self and Mrs. R-)
n the smooth current of our lives, with
lie little fracas buried forever in its
epths. As for the mother of eight fall
lg in love with another man-it is all
cry well in stage play, and particularly
here the husband is a black man. and, as
have said, betitting enough among per-
ms of quality; but upon the Noting
ill side of Bayswater any such mis-
nance would, | telt, be out of place and
diculous-a social presumption, as well
a grave domestic crime. Imagine,
lerefore, my astonishmcnt when my OPP
oslte neighbor, Peabody, who also calls
msclf my friend, did me the honor to
I'll upon me a few weeks ago, to speak, in
of the alarming conduct of my
life. Having demanded and obtained a
rivate interview, this scandalous old per-
N, who was once an digo-merchant,
ld yet retains the trace of his calling upon
is nose, set before me in detail number
curious circumstances connected with
le goings on, as he was pleased to call
lem, of my wife, which he was not, in
aed, prepared to say, might not possibly
c only condolences, after all" but which
c felt it is his duty as fellow creature,
nd one who had been a husband in his
his lips made dumb motion
f gratitude-to let me know Even as a
and an inhabitant of common
resent, hitherto remarkable for its re-
)ectabllty, and which, as | doubtless re-
had declined to permit Mrs
ones to put up apartments in her Win
ow, lest we should be confounded with
nc lodging house localities; nay, which,
Y the mere force of its public opinion,
ad prevented No. 4S4 from being let to- a
in this character, said
eabody, he would have felt it his duty to
lake me aware of what was being said,
lou.h doubtless falsely, respecting the be
avior of Mrs. R.. Here should have
,cked the door, and informed Peabody
nat his last hour was certainly arrived,
nd that he had better make his peace
18th Providence before | cut his throat +;
ut from ignorance of the proper conduct
, be adopted in such exceptional circum-
ancss, and perhaps from the knowledge
lat there was nothing but paper-knife
/ the room with which to effect this
ghteous punishment, I only burst out
and called him meddling and
apartment old fool
. Very true" returned he, for he always
,akes use of that form of words" very
rue; but still the facts are worth investi-
ating, even from their singularity. Do
gu know, for instance, that at eleven
clock, three days week, your wife goes
ut in q cab by hcrself?''
No." said /, 81 do not; though.
she does, it is surely better than if she
lad any ineligible companion As mat
er of fact, however, she does not do so,
or have offered to go shopping with her
vice this week, and she has declined to
company me on the ground of having
sore throat"
Upon what days did she give this ex
use?" inquired Peabody, taking out his
rocket book
Last Monday and last Thursday" re
urned /.
"Wel{, here's memorandum: Monday
til. Saae Mrs R start, as usual, at II
thursday, 7H, ditto, ditto. She could not
re going to 2 morning concert, because
he had no white gloves on"
Il will grant that much,' aquoth /, sar
onically, and yet not by any means un
aoved by this unexpected Intelligence
My wife does not go to morning con
erts" "
Every true" observed Peabody. ether
he question arises, where does she go to.
Jow, as an inhabitant OF the Crescent