The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-11

The might of womans influence over
man through the tender affections Is very
generally confessed but an occasional eX
ample is needed to make one realize, that
even through the commOnest sentiment OF
kind regard, long continued, this influence
gradually and quietly natures to one ot
the most potent despotisms in the world.
Ii is not unusual, for instance, for maiden
aunt, or sister, who has been for years the
housekeeping companion Of an unmarried
nephew or brother, to acquire finally such
tacit authority over the latter that his
sense of freedom in any individual venture
is ultimately limited TO the very narrowest
compass An ordinary wife control Is
really but the mildest OF cOnStraints IN
comparison with this insiduously growing
consanguine tyranny, and the following IL
Illustrative story Is, therefore, not so extra
ordinary as il may at first seem. In the
village Of BridgetOn. st. Louis County,
Mo, near the city of the last name and
what j. called the FlOrissant alley, there
have lived together for half a century
maiden sister and bachelor brother, who,
apparently had found in mutual devotion
and habit of circumstance the secret Of
cnntentment without worldly passion. The
sister was few years the older of the two,
and, having in their youth assumed a kind
of Juvenile nurseship over her infant broth
or, always spoke of the latter as having
been raised by herself, and could never
quite overcome the idea that 1t was posi-
bic for him to outgrow her benign SUPER.
ority From having no particular occasion
in all the long years of its ascendancy TO
resist this protecting umptiOn, the broth
err had always yielded Involuntary 10 its
authority, so that at the period when our
story begins he was really afraid % cross
the sisterly will in anything. Some seven
or eight years ago they had with them as Il
summer bOarder a cOmcly widow from the
city, who, by her pleasant manners and
amiable disposition, found high approval
with the old maid until the old bachelor be-
gan to betray a similar susceptibility.
The reason why sister and brother should
not agree on this point is too familiar in
multitudes OF households to need eXpla'
nation. Seeing that her brother was
greatly pleased with the widow, the sister
suddenly changed her manner from gra-
ciOusness to GOODNESS. Seeing that his sis
ter felt thus, the brother became timid il
his own gentler behavior to their guest, and
thelwidOw herself presently found her stu
alton uncomfortable and returned to the city
At this event the lady of the house openly
reioicei, but not exactly 50 the gentleman
He scarcely dared exhibit his regret in thu
matter by words but became less sOciabl,
in the house thereafter and evinced dis
position 10 find more occupation away from
home than before His sister noticed this
Cf course, yet deemed it as well that h
should thus overcome his "sulkiness,' a
she termed it, without interference. Tn
settlement of several estates in which b.
was concerned, jury duty, &c, took him I
ST. Louis very frequently now, and the OF
tener he went the ottener seemed his add
ditiOnal obligations 10 20. In short. to
several years he visited the city at leas
once a week, so that the habit at last faile
TO have any apparent connection with II
almost forgotten beginning Some day
ago, however, when the brother was take
so seriously sick that his life was though
TO be in peril. his sister obtained such a
explanation of all his journeyings as u,
founded her at her own past blindness
Amongst those who had first heard OF tn
invald's danger and came promptly
render assistance, was the amiable sun
mer boarder or seven years before ieadln
by the hand five-years-old lad. A sta
tied glance at the boy and a still MOI
amazed contemplation of his mother ma
ner Of seating herself beside the couch
the sufferer were the maiden sister $ u
speakable interrogatory appeal, 10 whit
the widow" quietly responded. 1ol
brother is my husband this is our sol
we have been married over six years
And it was true. After the return of d
former widow from the village to the CT
the snlitten old bachelOr-relates the
Louis DeB,ocrat-had followed her with
matrimonial proposal, subsequently we
ded her, and then for six years kept
secret from a sister to whom he dared n
make confession Compelled 10 belle
all this at last the poor sister burst II
passionate tears, and denouncing the We
erable fraterual deceiyer as a wicked, l
grateful boy" rushed tempestuously trC
the sick room. After all, however, the
was a grand reconciliation the inya
passed thu crisis of his disease in safe
and the story ends benignantly. But wi
striking illustration is here Of the mig
Of womanly control. Possibly the tell
OF such a story has its peril for the no
inally stronger but really weaker sex I;
may prompt some ambitious mother
law, Tor instance, TO subdue her ordina
tempestnous atyle Of rulings son-iu.law
the mIder .sisterly method Of establish
slow but permanent depotism. Let
II hope, however, for better things And
-. the worst, the average man is always
4 a utter in general respects for some VIII
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