Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-05-11
A Wife's Autobiography.
BY EMMA G. JONES.

ried Owen Wickliffe. Too young
no doubt, but circumstances justi
fed me. My mother died when ]
was a mere child; and my father
after the prevalent custom of wild,
overs, showed how much he mourned
her loss and respected her memory,
by using all possiblespeed in get
ting another to fill her place.
She was good enough woman in
her way-my second mother, l mean
strictly honest and upright, and
affectionate after a certain fashion ;
but she had the misfortune to pos
sess meddlesome disposition, and
a sharp, GLIDE tongue-two woeful
attributes in a woman. l am GER
tain that she did her best to make
me comfortable and happy-or, as
happy as it seemed proper, accord
ing to the rules of her religion, for
a human being to be. She believed
in the doctrine which teaches us al
ways to have thorn in our flesh to
keep us contrite and humble. Inever
fancied the creed. think the thorn
serves as a stinging goad oftener
than anything else; at any rate, it
had that effect with me. This new
mother of mine, conscientious as
she was in regard to her duty, con-
trised to make my young life thor
oughly miserable, not because she
was wicked, or spiteful, but on ac-
count of the utter antagonism of our
natures.
1t would not have been wonder
if, under the circumstances, l had
accepted Owen WislSliffe, even with
out loving him, for the sake OF the
pretty, quiet home he offered me; but
1 did love him when l married him,
with all a girls romance. and wo-
mans tender devotion; and he re-
turned my love with equal ardor-at
any rate, he made me believe so.
We spent our honeymoon in travel,
and then settled down as cozily as a
pair of robins in our new home-a
pretty little cottage on the suburbs
of the city, 'Rose Cottage" Owen
called it. l remember how proud
and pleased I was, when he led me
in that first afternoon, and called the
house maid, bade her deliver up the
keys to her new mistress. She did
so, but with ill-repressed mirth, for
1 must have appeared very trifiing
and unmatronly in her eyes; and l
was not a whit less so than appear
ed. Icould sing, and play the piano,
dance gracefully, and dress myself
to perfection; but with these my ac
complishments ended. l knew no
more about domestic affairs, had no
more idea of the seriousness and
sacredness of the duties had taken
upon me than two-year babe.
YOU'RE too young, too silly and
childish to become wife and moth
er yet; better wait awhile, Maggie"
my old aunt said, every time the
subject was brought up in her pres
ence; but Owen would not hear to it.
"Never fear, aunt Debbie," he
would reply; "where there's will
there's way, you know. Mag can
learn what she don't know-her
hearts all right, and that's enough"
And l, although my very soul mis-
gave me, was too much in love with
his handsome eyes to turn from his
ardent pieadings, and hearken to
the sage counsels of age and expert
ence. So we were married, and
went to housekeeping, month af-
ter, at aRose Cottage = ~
For time everything went on
swimmingly. Dorcas was a good
cook, and something more, fine
manager; the most fastidious eye
could have found nothing to com
plain of in the neat arrangement of
our rooms; or the palate of an cpl
cure found anything amiss in the
ely-havored, nicely cooked food
that daily appeared upon our table.
Owen was in raptures.
"Aha, aunt Debbier' he said, eX-
ultingly, when she came down to
tea, "what did 1 tell you? Where
will you find nicer bread than this?"
breaking open one of Dorcas' feath-
cry rolls. II said Mag would learn.
She's one of the best little house
wives in town."
Aunt Debbie made no reply, she
did not even glance toward my scar.
let cheeks and downcast eyes; but /
knew well enough that she suspected
my secret. l opened my lips to
confess all, and give Dorcas the Grid,
it that was her due; but Owens
happy eyes silenced me. l was very
vain and had always been fond of
praise; but his praise / coveted
above all things else. l believe l
would have been willing to have sac
rified my very life to have his ap-
probation. Women are such silly
blockheads; and, as general thing,
husbands are so exceedingly spar
ing of approving words, and so very
profuse in fault finding, that it is n
marvel to me that there are half as
many pleasant homes as there are.
But where the fire of true love burns
Al