The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-07
MORNING. NOVEMBER

wears Of marriage, what is that house
hold? A stern and undemonstrative man,
whose lightest word has the force OF law,
and whose laws must be obeyed to the let
Ter. sits silently on one side Of the fire.
place; half-frightened and utterly sub.
dued little woman, whose charms have
ceased TO enchant, sits sorrowfully on the
other. Her mind goes back to the time
when the man before her was her slave,
her dog, the creature other caprices, whom
she scorned and trampled on, and held up
10 the pitying ridicule Of all who knew
them. Now ne Is her ruler and her judge.
All her efforts TO win him back to her again
have fallen dead. He has been Inundated
once: let himself he drugged by the sweet
poison OF her destinations and the tiatter-
les OF his own love; and he Is not ono to
10 a second time into danger. For him TO
realize once fully that he had deceived
himself was sufficient; he would never let
himself be ontrappcd again. So they sit,
as estranged for all the vital meaning OF
marriage as il they had met only ycster-
day: bitter thoughts standing rs ghosts be-
tween them; and fears keeping them apart
almost as efTectually rs death. But that
marriage might have been one OF the most
successful had the woman, when bride,
concealed the silly repugnance which
sprang from her own vanity, not from any
Inherent source OF antipathy in him-be.
cause she was ashamed OF his ugliness and
clumsiness, not because he had qualities
which reyolted her sense OF justice or ideas
OF good. Had she refrained from wound
ing his pride, and trusted to the influence
of time and the sterling virtues which she
knew he possessed, to win from her more
love than she felt for him now, they would
have realized a marriage given to few:
But she spoilt all by her own folly, and
nearly broke noble heart while she SO in
dustriously wrought out her own lifelong
sorrow and unavailing repentance.
Which is the more to be pitied, she VINO
found her husband man not to be tritled
with. and therefore found him her master;
or that other who married with the same
feelings OF repugnance, and for the same
reasons OF money and position, weak,
half foolish man, whom she could not re-
spect and did not pretend TO love. lie had
not the character OF this other, and from
the first took the second place, and allowed
himself to be bullicd and Inundated be-
fore the world in public as well rs in pri.
yate when alone ut home. He has not
strength OF mind to take his righttul place
as man, the head OF his house and the
master of his wife; but he weeps and Ia
ments his hard fate in being unloved where
he adores, and thinks to propitiate by alb
ieCt submission the woman who to be won
should be ruled, and from whom fear would
gain what would never begiven by love.
She is different again from that pretty
good natured and good hearted little fool
whose fault lies in her exceeding vanity,
by which she becomes contradictions and
sclf-willed. On the very wedding day it.
self she went her own way,in direct oppo..
sition to her lover.husband's wishes; and
SO she has continued ever since. But she
has such redeeming qualities when the
best OF her comes to tho front-she is so
pretty-has such charming coaxing, be-
WHEELING ways-is so kindhearted and gen
erous and loyenblc altogether, that she
gets forgiven times out OF number; and
each fresh outburst her husband hopes
will be her last! She promise so fair-the
tears that come into her pretty eyes make
them so bright and the shamcfaced peni-
tence that she puts on makes her so lovely
-he cannot choose but forgive hGr and Jet
the little witch have another chance. The
marriage is young yet, and the pretty crea,
ture IL still only bride. How things will
20, who can toll? Will ripper years and
motherhood cure her OF eirlish faults? or
will her husbands indulgence deepen
them? Each way is possible, but it is too
early vet to decide which 1t will be. II she
turns out i'll, one OF the sweetest pOssibili-
ties of womanhood will be spoilt; il well,
one OF the dearest and most delightful will
be maturod. But her willfullness is an ug-
" little symptom; and those who love her
best deplorcit most, and long TO see her
husband take it in hand, and destroy with
out loss OF time what may, il he is not
careful, destroy his own home-peacc for
ever. This kind OF trimming is best begun
while the marriage is still young and the
woman plastic. ltcan be done SO much
more tenderly then than aftcrward; and Il
will have more effect. And though it
seems q difficult task enough TO break Il
woman OF willfulness--ior how arc you to
do It? you cannot punish her like child,
and scolding is unmanly-yct there are q
thousand subtle methods as effective rs
they are subtle, which would bring her
into good ways and teach her the value OF
practical commonsense. And so long rs
the world goes on in its present course,
tho headship OF the house lies 'righttully
in the husband, ind his will il is which
should give the tone TO the life led by
his family.