Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-11-08


ed-you never violate Confidence
must tell you that | do not enjoy
life at ALL feel unhappy good deal of
the time-some of the time am perfect
ly wretched.'
Here the thoughts of her wretchedness
so overcame her that she broke down
entirely, and wept passionately.
Struggling to gain her .composure, she
soon added:
You said that for whole year you
had wanted to talk to me. have want
ed for more than q year to confide my
troubles to somebody. The last time
that mother was down to our house,
almost made up my mind to tell her how
l was feeling; but father and Frederick
are so different 1 thought she couldn't
understand it. l was afraid that she
would blame him, and L couldn't bear
to have anyone do that. Then thought
that / would have confidential talk
with some OF my young married friends,
and see if they had any such troubles to
contend with. But pride and self-re-
spect kept me from doing that. l felt
that it would be lowering the dignity of
our household to admit, to any one, that
the wheels of our domestic machinery
did not run smoothly. You think that
my troubles arise from my mismanage-
ment. beg of you to show me where
in 1 have mismanaged. Now that the
ice is broken. we may as well have an
Out-and-out talk, as you said. You
may ask me any question you may see
fit. l an willing to tell you anything
that will assist you in advising me-
A less discreet woman than Aunt
Hannah, probably. would have availed
herself of the opportunity to question
Mrs. Fiske concerning her husband.
Aunt Hannah knew better. She knew
that in ninety-nine cases out of hum
dred, true women regret afterward for
any communication, of that sort, they
have been led to make in some hour of
bitterness; and they seldom fail 10 think
that the questioner took an ungenerous
advantage of them.
She replied: sit is not necessary for
you to tell me anything. I think un-
derstand your case, perfectly. You'll
git by your troubles after awhile, if you
have patience and perseverance. You
see, you and Fred didn't begin right. /
will tell You story
Mrs. Fiske was all attention. Aunt
Hannah's stories were always to the
point.
sTve often thought commenced Aunt
Hannah, that you and-Fred both acted
as though you was brought up by an
Olo uVCtOT WuO hCpt Ottf SChOOl WIZ
ter that Il was ten years old. School
used to keep every other Saturday in
them days. Saturday afternoon was
spent in recitin' the Commandments
the Lords prayer and the Catechism. In
addition to that, the doctor required
every scholar in the first class to learn
a few verses from the Bible, or some
passage from some favOrite book of his.
He hardly ever gave two scholars the
same passage. But one Saturday he had
every girl, in the first class, learn and
recite something that John Milton says
Eve said to Adam. learned it hearing
1t over so many times. This was it:
my Author and Disposer: what thou bidst,
Unargued, obey; so God Ordains:
God is thy law. thou mine; to know no more
Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise
The doctor said that Milton wrote a
great many beautiful things but he con-
sidered them four lines, the finest lines
he ever wrote. He talked a long time
| to the girls about it, and he said he hop
| ed they would all feel like that toward
their husbands when they got settled in
| life. | can t remember one-haif he said,
but do remember just how the big boys
| looked when he was talkin.' They
seemed so pleased, gratified and satisfied,
| | had no doubt they thought that pas
| member, too, how pompous and lordiy
they used to appear when we were gcin'
| home from school after such talk. The
most forward and talkin' ones used tC
make their boasts about how they should
manage their wives and make 'em obey
| can't help laughing, to this day, when
[ think how submissively. meekly and
modestly the girls received such talk
and with what soft and subdued tones
they answered. if the boys asked them a
question. suppose they were tryiE 9 tc
obey the DOCTORS injunctiOns in regard
to being humble and dutiful, and pre-
sumo they thought they looked rs ami
able aud interesting to the boys, as Eve
did to Adam when she called him hel
Author and Disposer.
There was nine girls in the first class
Polly Parson, a sprightly, black-eyed
rosy-cheeked girl, was an odd one
among them. She was full of life an,
wit; and she was considered little per
and saucy, but we all liked her. Sht
was uncommon smart and handy. If al
accident happened, Or trouble of any
kind came along, we were all glad tt
have Polly around. Ifa little child fel
into the brook near the school-hOuse
she never screamed to come and git i
out, but she'd pull it out herself, and gi
its clothes all wrung out fore some o
the other girls would git through scream
ing. When the boys got into their bis
} talks, she never dropped her eyes ani
looked abashed, but she alters put in {
word herself. That night, when W,
were going home from school. Polly
eyes sDarkled q little more than usual
and her cheeks were Il little redder.
: thought she'd have something to say
} and She did. She told the boys she wa
, glad they had such nice ideas abou
wives, and she hoped that they'd all b
blessed some time with wives rs Lowell,
! and docile as the doctors wife. Tha
: was pretty keen in Polly. for the doc
tors wife was one of the most soft, help
less, wish-washy women ever did see
The doctor came along in minute
: Polly went up to him and said meekl
and beseecEingly: Doctor Richards
e have you got one copy Of those beauti
Y full lines left? If you have, doctor, vii
g you please give it to me?' He had writ
: ten them of on little slips of paper fo
+ each girl. He looked very smilingly o
+ Polly and asked her if she had lost hers
!, NO SIR she replied, but shnuldn
e like to give mine away; and | want on
to send down to Dan Fletcher's wife.
5 don't think she ever read it. She won
}, obey Dan, and she will argue with him
: The doctor said, Tut, tut, Polly! 1 al
n surprised!' and he stepped along prett
+ quick. Polly said in u low tone,
y thought he would be- You see, I'll
It doctor was justice of the peace, an
e Dan was one of the most ugly and t,
ii rannical critters that ever trod sho
II leather, and he was up before the do
h tor only the week afOre for whippiu' h
l. wife. Every boy there laughed in spi
II of himself.
Look here, boys Polly said, runnin
" ahead n little and turning around al
II facin' us, IF you swallow such stuff
= the doctor has been giving us this aftel
noon, you needn't one Of you ever a:
y me to marry you, for you'd want to ru
with IL rod of iron. And girls. want
Il tell you. that you'll be just like the do
ID tors wife if you try to live up to tt
i doctors creed. | declare some of "
q. begin to look like her. already. VIII
10 do you suppose that God gave you tt
l power of thinking and consciences fc
TO ii you are never to make any use
re either? Do you suppose that He made
IN mistake and endowed you with mo
gifts than you need? You'll git sick
st of such; nonsense some time, and tn
I'd you'll quarrel with your husbands.
~ shan't ever quarrel with mine, you S
w If do He shall have his RIGHTS anf