Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-02-15

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And the husband answered:
eyes, my dear, with pleasure"
i 1t was quietly, but heartily said; the
tone, the manner, the look, were per-
fectly natural and very afectionate.-
We thought :sHow pleasant the courte-
Gus reply! How gratifying it must be
to the wife! Many husbands of ten
years. experience are ready enough with
the courtesies of politeness to the young
ladies of their acquaintance, while they
I speak with abruptness to the wife, and
do many rude little things without con-
sidering them worth an apology. The
stranger whom they have seen but yes
terdaY, is listened to with Difference,
and although the subject may not be
one of the pleasantsst nature, with a
ready smile while the poor wife, if she
jrelates domestic grievance, is snubbed
or listened to with ill-conceited impa-
tience. Oh! how wrong this is-all
wrong.
Does she urge some request
ooh! don't bother me-" cries her gra-
cio,Is lord and master.
Does she ask for necessary funds for
Susy's shoes or Tommy's hat.
"Seenls to me you're always wanting
money!" is the handsome retort.
Is any little extra demanded by his
masculine appetite, it is ordered, not
requested:
Look here, want you to do so and
so-just see that it's done; and of
marches Mr.. Boor, with a bow and
smile Of gentlemanly polish for every
casual acquaintance he may chance to
recognize.
When we meet with such thoughtless-
| ness and coarseness, our thoughts revert
to the kind voice and gentle manner of
the kind friend who said: Eyes, my
dear, with pleasure" II beg your
pardon" comes as readily to his lips,
when by any little accident he has
/ disconnected her as it would in the
presence Of the most fashionable
sticklers for etiquette. This is because
he IS thorough gentleman, who thinks
his wife IN all things entitled to
precedence. He loves her best. Why
should lie hesitate to show it? not IN
sickly maudlin attenticns, but in pre-
ferring her pleasure, honoring her IN
public as well as in private. He knows
her worth. Why should be hesitate to
attest it? And her husband he
praiseth her," saith holy writ, not by
fulsome adulation, not by pushing her
charms into notice, but by speaking as
opportunity occurs, in many ways Of
her virtues.
Though words seem little things, and
| slight attention almost yalueless, vet
depend spen it they keep the fame
bright, especially if they are natural
The children grow up in better moral
atmosphere and learn to respect their
parents as they see them respecting
each other. Many boy takes advan-
tage Of the mother he loves, because he
sees often the rudeness of his father
Insensibly he gathers to his bosom the
same habits and the thoughts and feel
ings they engender and in his turn
becomes the petty tyrant. Only his
mother! Why should he thank her?
Father never does. Thus the home
becomes the seat of disorder and IN
happiness. Only for strangers are kind
words expressed, and hypocri:es go out
from the hearthstones fully prepared to
render justice, benevolence and polite
ness to every one and any one but those
who have the justest claims. All! give
us the kind glance, the happy home
stead, the smiling wife and courteous
children OF the friend who said so
pleasantly; Eyes, my dear, with
pleasure"