The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-08-06
HOME INTERESTS.
Husbands and wives.


90 flingng out my Indignation with vim char
acteristic of women" / omitted to thank the
gentleman for that compliment to me and my
sex. When say anything worth saying, | say
it "for keeps"-say it with q vim and mean it
with a vim-and | am proud TO know the truth.
earnestness and vim of the letter under con-
Sideration is a characteristic of woman. You
say there are more happy marriages and good
men than otherwise. Possibly, for it all de-
ponds upon the shade of meaning different
people apply to the words ''happy' and
''good." I'll just mention two cases out of
dozens | know. Both are women of
the meek, tender-hearted. angelic char
acter, who never speak an uDklnd
word. One of them her husband denies
everything, makes her work beyond her
strength. curses her if she is idle and few
times has ''patted' her until lie left black and
blue marks. The other woman supports her
family and husband by dressmaking. while he
is at home which il most of the time. as he
never lifts finger to DO anything but beat the
children He is cverastingy growing, and, If
ever he once spoke kindly, | should think he
was going insane. These wives say they are so
happy, and their husbands are so good, and, 1t
may be, quite probably is, a fault of my intel
lect or education, that fail To see any especial
happiness and goodness in such marriages and
men. l am sorry / cannot, for / have long
known that the particular part of my body that
keeps my blood in circulation is too soft ever to
enjoy other peoples misery. L believe
it is seldom one ever tells real troubles 1t is
far best to dance i'll sunshine on the graves of
your hopes and trusts. Smile and smile unto
bitter DEATH and save yourself stab in the
back The world carries beautiful face, and
society may be, Oh so sympathetic and tender,
but they are vampires that draw your deepest
baa blood ond emilio sp ,Ntifnllx
Go tell your griefs to the winds and ;ne waves,
the birds and the flowers, who are His own am
bassadors they will never betray nor mock YOU
as will he who was made in the image of God.
| wonder why 1t is that some women who are
happy i'll their own family are 80 selfish and
unsympathetic toward those who are not? As
if they themselves were being requited de-
servedy, and the unhappy ones were being
punished for some terrible sin, and the happy
ones rather enjoyed their misery. Because | had
married a man too good to live a minute, and
was happy, would not prove to me that every
woman had done the same, nor prove that |
was any better than any bther woman, but
simply that had an extra-grand stroke of luck
in the lottery Of matrimonv. And why do a
few truths. very few truths, bettle men and
hurt one more than it helps for telling them?
Is 1t because truth is so bitter
all hate it and love lies ? If lodging the truth
makes friends for us. am not too old TO learn
that the same principle society follows in giving
the hand to a villain because it has its advan-
age-the same that makes the world smile upon
n libertine and shun his victim? do not know
that good men and happy marriages are III the
generality, unless you count all like those |
mentioned above, but you mistake me when You
intimate | am railing at true and good women
or that they were not in a majority. l never
thought of such thing, and therein
lies my weakness, perhaps. L know
so many pure, true, noble women
tied to miserable, worthless men, it makes me
scold to hear a lot of men making great par
ade over a few trifling faults of women when
they might better spend their time aiming to
correct few hundred greater faults on their
own side Of the house, or even go out and saw
few sticks of wood for their sisters or wives
Again, YOU understand me, / disapprove of so
much devotion. "That man" may be az de-
voted as he peases, and I'll help him, assure
YOU but, when he insists OH my doing all the
Z" DEVOTION and must feel myself favored if
he condescends to smoke in my face, and growl
at me because his boots are not BACKED, and
goes off to the theatcr alone, or takes some
other lady, because my dress is shabby, and Inc
won't paw me any wage nor turn me off SO
can work elsewhere and dress better that's
the kind of devotion don't approve of. and so
do not you.
Smoke seems to be under consideration.
Smoke isn't the most agreeable way in the world
of being picked, and il isn't apt to preserve
one as swcetly as salt aud water. | prefer
being sugar-cured, and always let all my sweet
hearts smoke, provided they keep my hands
and mouth full of chocolate-drops while thew
smoke, and shall let all my husbands smoke
with the same con iitions. III that il extrava-
giant and hurtful, so is tobacco. and we will be
quits. Now Is that not fair? RAVEN HAIR.
ELBA, Wis.