Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-02-05
Mrs. McMillan's Bracelet.
New York Times.l

New York Times.l
Men are not, As rule, logical. Their,
| is Mr.. Mcmillan, OF Toledo, for example
| Last week he proclaimed to all his friend
that he felt 1t to be vastly more blessed I,
give than to receive. He said that he in
tended TO make his wife beautiful Christ
mas present. and that the idea gave hin
more pleasure than the reception Of gif
| OF three dozen Scriptural notices for tn,
walls OF his parlor could give him. He ha
now radically changed his opinion, and use'
language In regard to Christmas present.
which is well adapted to maze the BLOOD
run cold. The reasol for this sudder
change of opinion Is TO the last degree II
logical and irrelevant, and how Mr.. Nc
MILAN can regard himself as reasobabl,
being il Is hard to imagine.
GA Thursday, last having worn out al
the jewellers in Toledo by prolonged ex
animation Of their stock, Mr.. Mcmillan d
nally bought beautiful bracelet for S25
with the provision that he might return Il
the next dav. II, on further consideration
he should decide that he did not want IL
The bracelet was put up in nice little box
which was wrapped in white paper, snC
Mr.. Mcmillan wrote on the paper the touch
Ing legend: For my own precious dar.
ling" Putting the box In his overcoal
pocket. he went home to tea, In smiling
and happy frame OF mind, and meeting
Mrs. Mcmillan, kissed her with so much
emphasis that she Immediately suspected
that something was wrong.
While sitting At the tea-table, Mr.. Nc.
MILAN led the conversation to the subject
OF Christmas presents, and incidentally re-
marked with u twinkle Of the eye that show.
ed that he was joking, that he rather
thought he should not give his wife any.
thing He said II he really loved a woman,
he should like TO give her q splendid brace.
let, but of course he did not care enough
Tor anybody to give them anything. Mrs.
Mcmillan might perhaps have taken ex.
ception to her husbands remark Is a specI-
men of graceful English. but she was 80
well persuaded that he WAS joking that
she almost felt the coming bracelet encirc-
ling her wrist. For the rest OF the meal
she was exceedingly aifectionate, and did
not once Indulge In her usual criticism OF
the mental and moral habits OF her hus-
band.
la the course OF the evening Mrs McMl-
Ian surreptitiously searched Mr.. Mcmillan s
pockets and discovered the bracelet. She
was flled with gratitude and joy. The AZ
fectionate words written on the case affect
ed her almost 10 tears, and she mentally
resolved that during the coming year she
would abstain from the use Of coercive
measures OF q violen. nature except 10 ex-
treme circumstances and when her temper
might be unusually excited.
The next morning Mr.. Mcmillan began
TO think that perhaps his wife might not be
particularly pleased with bracelet. Be-
sides. SO really did amount TO q large
sum. Might 1t not be better 10 return the
bracelet To the jewellers and to give Mrs. Nc
MILAN slU or SIS in money to spend IS
she might think proper. ile debated the
question all day and toward evening decid-
ed on the whole, TO take back the
bracelet and give his wife $40 bill. That
night at the .ea-.able, he was even happier
and more gay, than he had been on the
previous evening. This time he had final
iy settled the question OF what to give his
wife, and he practlced judicious economy
by resolving to spend $40 instead of s25.
happier and more siiectionate household
than that Of the Mcmillan family on the
night of the 2ith of December could not
have been found In all Toledo.
The next morning when the early bells
ushered in the happy Christmas season.
Mrs. illan arose and dressed herself.
Her husband woke up while this ceremony
was in progress, and after wishing his wife
q merry Christmas, told her to bring him
his trousers and he would give her pres
ent. The happy wife obeyed, and waited
with beating heart for the bracelet. To her
inexpressible disappointment, Mr.. McMil-
Ian took out his purse. gave her a $40 bill
and said: There. my dear; buy what ever
you want most. give you the money in
stead OF jewelry. or anything else, because
l want you to have present that will be
some satisfaction to you
Mrs. Mcmillan maintained painful ST.
lence. She put the money In her pocket.
but never expressed the slightest gratitude
tor 1t. AS she walked toward . closet and
took from IL a stout rope, Mr.. Mcmillan
began to grow alarmed. and his alarm be-
came very lively when his wife. with amaz-
Ing swiftness and visor, bound him to the
bedstead, and then went down stairs for
the broom-stick.
On her reappearance, she asked him In a
cold, sarcastic way If his precious darl-
Ing liked her expensive bracelet. "Iou
couldn't give the wife of your bosom but
ten dollars could your remarked Mrs.
Mcmillan. italicizing her words with the
broomstick but you could lavish thirty
dollar bracelets on wicked. good-for-
nothing hussy! Oh! I'll let you knOw."
And accordingly she did ''let Mr.. McMil-
idu huOW, Win slIcustu luhL he never
before imagined that she possessed. In
vain did the unhappy man protest that he
had "nevsr given no bracelet to nobody"
The angry matron was deaf to his prOtes-
tations. All day he remained bound to bis
bed. He neither had breakfast nor dinner,
but at frequent Intervals Mrs. Mcmillan
went up stairs with the broomstick, and to
use her language, "tOok fresh hack at
him."
1t was after Mr.. Mcmillan was released |
md his bruises had healed sufficiently to |
enable him to walk without excessive pain, |
that he proclaimed his detestation Of |
Christmas and Of Christmas gifts. 1t must |
De admitted that in this he was grossly H. |
ogical. Undoubtedly, his wife was in er-
'or, and perhaps expressed her feelings |
with too much emphasis. and in a way that
was open to criticism. Still, there was no |
.eason why Mr.. Mcmillan should denounce
christmas In broad indiscriminatingw way. |
md it is only too evident that he is not
nan who can be called an exact and care
ul reasOner.