The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-09-01
GALES, Shettbrs, 5netOotes, &t.
STEPHEN APPLEToN,s WIFE.

When Stephen Appleton had lived
scme thirty five years bachelor, he be-
thought him that it would be we'll to get
married, and looked around him accord
iingly for wife. Had others looked
for him, they would probably have cho-
sen a self~contained, decorous person past
thirty, and would not have been purticu-
lar AS 10 looks, inasnuch AS Stephen was
no beauty himself, and never had been.
lie, however, greatly to the surprise of
every mortal who knew him, walked up
the church aisle one Sunday morning,
with very pretty girl upon his ann, and,
after the service, introduced her To his
friends among the congregation as his
wife She looked a great deal more like
his daughter, and d blushing, smiling.
loving little creature, who must, so far,
have had happy life, TO have brought
out Of i: SO many happy dimples.
So she had, indeed A half-dozen
brighteyed sisters, and "a mother who was
only an older sister in years, had cried
bitterly when Stephen Appleton had
marched off from their country home with
one of their number OH his arm, and had
gone So far as to ask each other confiden-
italy: 'What lilly could have seen in
that old fcllo,O 2" And certainly it seemed
almost mystery that such solemn WOO.
ing should have prospered with snch a
merry girl-wooing without many of
those accessories, which women hold so
dear, of praises and caresses.
Probably, poor lilly thought they were
all TO come after marriage. ''He's not
handsome, perhaps" lilly would say /;
''but he's very prepossessing, and he has
such a mind J"
And then it seemed To ber that he need
ed some one to look after him, to sew on
his buttons, and lie his cravat, and prop
erly prepare his tea, which he had cus-
tom of making wretchedly for himself in
his dusty little study.
So she left home and love, and plunged
into the maelstrom of welded life with a
man who had 50 strongly imbued himself
with the IDEA that woman was his inferior,
that he thought it a waste of intellect and
time to love one overmuch, or to study
her tastes and fancies for moment, if
they conhicted with his own.
-
said to herself, Il must try to adapt my
self in every way to Stephen - and had
thought also that she would never find
happiness in anything which did not
please him. She had joytully accepted
all his invitations to weariful lectures, and
refused to enjoy her favorite pastime, the
POLKA, when she discovered that he dis
,Ci - nj IN har F,lai m
little hcme, she hopefully and smilingly
took up the dull routine of woman's house,
hold drudgery, and made all fresh, and
sweet, and pleasant, fed her genius and
hero daintily, and saw to bis stockings
and buttons.
He hardly knew it. He never awoke
out of his hard and cruel self-absorption
sufficiently to be aware of her constant
thought for him He gave her SO much
money week and found that 1t sufficed.
Size had home and clothes that, ii was
his theory, was what women married for
He knew she was pretty, but II was
his right to have as pretty a wife as he
could get. And che adorned herself with
ribbons, and twined flowers in her hair,
and took thought about her cuffs and col
lars in the vain hope of being told just
once that these pretty things became her.
Woman's vanity should never be en-
couraged, was one of his theories. Other
men looked at her admiringly other men
limited what she would have given worlds
to hear Stephen say. But she received
no such homage from him. She had no
kind words of appreciation, no kisses, no
endearments.
In the morning mandate was given
concerning dinner. In the evening he ate
it with her and though he had no fault
to find, never praised a dish. After the
meal, he either went out or locked bim-
self in his study among books and papers.
Once, at the very first, she had taken the