, 1874-03-29
Can She Accomplish Good by Visiting the
Bar-Room and Drothel?
uHow One Woman Kept Her
Husband"
Wherein knowledge Is Weakness, and
ignorance Strength.
socdety,s Responsibility for the Social Evil
One Of Prevention and Com
pulsory Reformation.

pulsory Reformation.
1rouau in Dar.Igootn and Rrothc1.
Tbere il profound philosophy in sa1e Holn's
,;,,1a story Of "How One Woman Kept Her
unsbsnd" worthy Of consideration By every
,ronsn who hopes (apd what good woman does
mt y to reform or influence any nau.
The :a!e rurs thus: Mrs. John GRAY was q
f,ithful anactionate, but rather undemoDs:ra-
fye rife. John Gray Was al easy, good
ns.ured man. = kind husband, fonl father Of
fro CHILDREN. Into the contontee, perhaps
nrossjc, atmosphere Of this family-circe came
ma Of Mrs, Gray's early friends, Emms Long,
now
BEAUTIFUL WIDOW,
sbr;llsnt, ardent, lmpulsive woman, the dlreot
oDposite Of the quiet, self-con.ained mother Of
the household, The contHct OF her magnetic
presence awoke in John Gray feelings of which
ta had not hitherto dreamed. 4 new existence
opeped before him,-a communion Of heart in
Poetry, Musio Art, which, By lta very novelty, en-
trsucad and intoxicated hiul. In short, be became
Infatuated With Emma Long, and she With him.
Eot eandestinely, because there was no need Of
secrecy, slnce Mrs. Gray shared, to all appear
,nee. her husbands admiration for their COM
mon friend. but undsguised'y and confessedly.
Mrs Graz not only put no barr1ers to their init
macy. but aYep afforded facilities for it pndar
her osp root, repeatedly inviting Alra. Long to
tho house, and, as If by accident, le8ying her
and Mr Gray to enjoy each others society un-
disturbed. In fact, she behaved, in every re-
spect, Is il this mutual interest wore perfectly
natural and proper, in no way compromising
tAeir reputation OF affecting her position As
wife.
People burst not hint to her ! suspicion Of
danger, so unconscious cid she seen Not even
her own aister ventured to broach the subject
and ali a;seed that Mrs, Gray was stolid, II not
beartless: But Mrs. Gray suddenly foil i'll. anu,
in c;isis Of affairs, confaed to her old family
physician and to her sister the truth that she
was waiting away with
HIDDEN ANXIETY AND DISTRESS.
She had known everything, but she had re-
solved to betray to her husband by no eign that
sao suspected him Of wrong to hor. O1cs to
discover her jealousy would be, she feit sure, to
tran-form the frank, outspoken admiration into
aconsumlng ctandcstine passion. To attack him
with reproaches and tears would be to irritate,
to exasperate, perhaps to ALLEVIATE him forever;
to ruin him, her friend, and her family; to make
them all scandal and by-word. Moreover,
Ehe believed in her husbands love tor herseH
She knew ehe was better wife to him than the
felt that be knew it. il ho could but be made to
realize II. She believed Ill his love for his chill
dsen. also and she wAs confident her husband
could stand tho test OF the fiery ordeal If only
ehe could keep up brave heart, and suffer, and
play and smile on. in silence. But nature Was
giving 1ag. She coald pot trust herself much
longer. She
Mus-r 90 AT4y
1est she should be too sore}y tempted and must
leave her husband tor tiuae, although to do it
costler agony. She persuaded her physcian--who
could oonscientiously enough Say tito advise
Of climate. Taking her young children, sho left
Alice, the eldest, to be her fathers companion
u in Aa1u,na' place." her aunt to keep the house,
and the sister IN whom she had confded to play
heE oun former part Ia society, By giving coa1-
se1ance to Nr. Gray's intimacy witn Mrs. Long,
md reaeeming it from auy charge OF SECRECY, or
Inv Appearance or danger Of Illicit companion
ihip.
But, though abseat in body, separated BY the
breadth Of the ocean, she was more close to her
husband in spirit than she had ever come before.
Letters. into which she breathad = tcndarneza
or which she had never before found voice lit
lie notes within notes left behind and sent to be
,iyen by Alice " to Papa On various occasions,
nov besiue his plate ut breakfast, then on his
lresslng-iaolo at night; unexpected surprises,
1OuTHA1S, luI1eHy N1tuout uuuOGT.
AL assuring him of the constant affection Of
is wife, and his chilGretl's loving renenhranccs
4 their father, surrounded and enyeloped hi1n
a IN
ATAoefHERE OF LOVE.
Then, too, he found out and took pride in his
s;fe's wonderful talent 70, icttcr-wtiting,
= aeeful 40 p!quaut, yet. withal, so tender aud
rue. He learned to look forward with eager
ongfng for those precious letters, and trembled
xita 4 sudden shudder whan the DOCTOR with
sisg craft, hunted At the possibility Of q sad
separation whose solitude no mutual missives
,oufd cheef,-nct thlnaing it necessary TO spare
ha man any pEessnt pang which might bring |
c:0ie 1oT.
&c. ia the dawning realization Of the treasure
Ehica was his, and in dread Of losing it. John |
iray ceased to e1mpaTo his wife unfavorahlv With
4ra Long: indeed, he began to reverse the Or |
he tewildering, dazzling intoxlcaEon Of tho |
BEAUTIFUL widow with the calm, hcavcn-breath- |
ng spirit Of h1s wife's eeranity. In some mys- |
erions way, lie hardly knos how, be awoke to |
'onsclousnese Of what had been his danger, and |
b. brink on which he and Emma Long had been |
'sanding.
He WAS sAyEp,
hired from the dizzy depths into which he |
oight hare dragged down an innocent il indis-
aeet woman, hack to the safe, and sure, aud
a!isfvipg paths Of steady. true, pure, home love
t John Grays wife lad iskept her husband"
The details may vary, but, / take it, tho de-
'eeat ls pretty much the same in all the down.
7aTd courses Of husbands, fathers, cons, and
Eothers, from the light aud love Of happy lomes
. the dark and despsir of sinful and forbidden
leasnfes,-a dizEying, hewiider1ng course. ap-
coached in,perceptbl3, and pursued half-un-
'ansciously, or with blind infatuat;on. Ard, |
of the few whoee feet ara so blest as ever, by
9Antul steps, to creep back up the slope, the
,ath ia asmoothed By this same loving ignorauce,-
nsa Same utter trust in spito OF appearances,
zen 1eallties, the darkest and most hopeless.
aanY couuselors are saying to womea nov,
,ao where your husbands, your sons, your
your neigLbors &C, Follow them to
aeH places Of resort. Lot them Sec that you
nov Jug: low bad they are. and they will be-
oIae ashamed Sins aad sinners brought to the
4as arc helfreformed."
Such reasoning believe to be
CONTRARY TO EATuAE AND EXPERIENCE
appeal to the consciousness Of every lrtell-
ent observer Of the workings Of his own mind,
support my position. Who hare been the people
eas have most helped you iu those crises OF lite
'ue1 opposing forces we're struggling for the
aastefy over you: Vas it he or she who, you
e:s, had eauged your spiritual it.leneas, and
tsanea and measured your spiritual poverty and
sAeone8ss Was it not, rather, tho noble soul,
pure ~ not to suspect q sc:l Or SO wisely al
Ia:'lona:e az not to be.ray that suspicion? Is it
M ie employer who dogs the every footstep that
aAs 'Ms ndehtvs Is it not, ratber, he whose frank
o;Inang :; abashes the rieing thought OF guilty
As9eoeE5! Docs it ever help men to su6-