The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-05-26
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The Matrimonial " Ny"

The Matrimonial Ny"
OF all the parts of speech the pronoun
takes rank, and Of all the pronouns the
pronoun possessiye. My wife, my store,
my office, my pew, my house, my horse,
my money, my dog, my anything, are
among the most satisfactory round mouthed
and full-mouthed utterances Of the human
being. The personal pyonoun is the auto
crat among nouns substantive, and sets
forth, as no other word can, supreme and
undivided reign and possession 1t is
among the first thoughts of the babe, and
the last thing the man or woman surren-
ders.
But there are claims and counter claims,
and "my" and "mine" being in the singu-
lar, there arises sometimes an unpleasant
ness when two persons claim the same
thing. Indeed, this misehievous little pro-
noun possessive Is among the most pesti.
lent peace disturbers. "Twas mine-'tis
his" is transformation against which
everybody is on the defensive, aud hence
come private quarrels and public wars,
neighborhood ieuds and suits at law. The
theme opened by the protean properties of
the mine and thine are endless. Just now
We purpose briefly to consider the incidents
and accidents Of the personal pronoun only
in their domestic relations The wife says
my husband, and the husband says my
wife, when husband or wife are the subject
Of conversation, except, perhaps, in very
dignifed circles, and then it is Mr. Smith
or Mrs, Brown, the idea of proprietorship
being politely waived. This sort of ex-
preston belongs TO the diplomacy of ma.
trimony, and there is no saying what d.
plomacy may not be designed to hide.
When Mrs Smith speaks Of Mr.. Smith,
and Mr., Brown speaks Of Mrs. Brown,
one cannot help often suspect.ng that the
speakers secretly wish that the pronoun
possessive not expressed, we're also not
understood. This may be, however, mere
suspicion.
The main difficulty in the matrimonial
'my" is where it is not only pronoun
possessive but pronoun indefinite; con
veying not simply the idea Of individual
possession, but bearing the expression of
joint and several interest. There are
articles convenient to possess, of which it
might be supposed there could be no ques-
tion of proprietorship Yet even here
confusion may occur. A gentleman has
been able to detect his felt hat after a
fruitless search perched on his wife's head,
hidden under feathers or flowers, "de-
formed, Transformed or he may meet,
somewhere outdoors, on her shoulders, his
diagonal coat, minus somewhat Of the skirts,
pl,S braid, lace and bugles. And there
are other teguments and combinations, of
which, in which, in many cases, ii is diff
cult to state the precise ownership.
MY dear is common property to the
husband aud the wife. But it is suspic-
ious combination. 1t indicates warmth
not always Of affection. There is warmth
in the summer afternoon, when the distant
thunder rumbles; and the flash in the ma
trimonial sky, the quick angry eye-glanee,
not seldom accompanies my dear" The
wise heed the warning and take precau-
ton. Leaving smaller matters, the great
est interest hinges upon "my house"
That phrase is comprehensive, and includes
not only the brick and mortar under the
roof-tree, but all that "house" means col
lectiyely and metaphorically. When the
wife says, "my house" she asserts domin,
ion, in some particular absolute. The
husband affects the same authority. But
the wife "holds the fort while the hus-
band is absent at his business or work,
wherever that may be. She can be all
the time strengthening her position, re-
plenishing her munitions, and so reinforc-
ing her matrimonial MY, that all adverse
approaches are futile and dangerous. She
does not dispute his autocratic "my Office"
and is, therefore, all the better able to de-
fend "my house" The sum Of the matter
is that, if wife is worth the name, she
should be left in unchallenged dominion
and if she is not worth the name of wife,
no opposition to her claims will raise her
up to that dignity. Let the women rule
at home, then Ladies win please pass
over the concluding sentences, as they are
intended for men only. The old maxim
reads that it is well to learn even from an
enemy. One Of the pleasautest Of modern
novels written, Of course, by woman)
represents the husband as "Her Dearest
Foe" 1t is poor rule which will not
apply to both sexes, and, of course, the
wife is His Dearest Foe, Let the husband
borrow skill in fence from the wife's tao
tics, and, in offering to her all she de-
mands, he will find that she will, of her
own imperial and affectiOnate motion, make
him much more at home in her house than
he could be in claiming it as hes. 1t is
pleasant to escape care; and he is lucky
husband who can claim nothing at home
but "my wife, and find all domestic be-
longings secured to aim, by leaving her
home rule undisputed. ed.-Flila. Ledger