Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-03

his wife or expecting to bring her on after
the holidays. He looks
DECIDEDLY GRAvER
And about five years older under TINS lat-
ter dispensation of affairs. There is notn-
ing like it for toning man down. lie
wears discreet and lamb-like air toward
| the fair sex, as one who should say with the
Psalmist, "Turn away mine eyes from be-
holding vanity" No doubt he is hap
| pier III but he has grown less pranklsh,
land even his frailties lean toward vir-
tues SIDE" Bless the dear wives, ike
to see them come. They are my best help
ers, as a journalist, in learning the good
points of their husbands-and the weak
points of other women's husbands. The
old proverb says: ''There IS but one good
wife in the world, and every man thinks
he hath her," Reverse this, and you VIII
have what the well-regulated wife OF every
Congressman devoutly believes OF her
bosom's lord; and it were cruel 10 un-
deceive her. Yet you may wager your lie
if transient GOODNESS should sweep over
the brow of his Eve at any time after
bringing her back next month, the aver
age statesman "by large majority VIII
say to himself, apprehensively, not " Who
has been traducing me to my hearts true
queen?" but
''wHAT HAS SHE FOUND OUT?
Seriously, women make society possible,
and this is eminently true OF Washington;
the influx of these vivacious wives maketh
the social wheel to begin its annual merry
go-round, and this in turn maketh the cor
respondents business brisk, and causeth
her daily bread to be buttered on both
sides. On general principles, like women
better than men. Yet even OF men
am not the most gentle critic that my
readers could desire? If our trusted pub
lie servants sometimes fall below high
water mark, and acquit themselves feebly
when their country expects their best, 1t
is the hardest task of my pen to tell you
so !; and if they do well, who is more ready
and more appreciative to communicate 1tE
As am at the confessional (of other peo-
pies sins) to-day, shall l admit to yen an
occasional feeling of WEAKNESS toward
these men of the world? This will Illus
trate my meaning One of our brilliant
and trusted said to me in going home for
the holidays, as he opened the street door
that leads from my little parlor, with a
graver face than | ever saw him wear be-
fore, 'Come and see my wife when she
returns with me. | want you to know
her, and to like her.
SHE WORKSHOPS ME,
But in way of her own. She has 70
sympathy in any political advancement
though if 1 set my face toward certain
purpose she will sacrifice herself to con-
form to it but she will seold me all the
time Nothing would rejoice that woman
to-day like telegram from me that had
resigned my seat and was coming back to
nv law office to stay. You know more of
nv ambitions-and my temptations-than
she does thousand times. She little
knows, as you do-for you have been kind
to me in this vaggabond life-that-
am in danger of loving drink
too well, for instance" That
was not hattering revelation to a consci-
entious woman of the incompleteness Of the
marriage tie, but it was a type of many
confessions one hears and how often are
such made in this artificial and high press
ure life at the Capital, to women not fort:-
! fed by principle to discern their faint of
moral weakness. 1t had the effect to make
me prize more than ever my single life, and
my cheerful, if solitary freside, | would
not be the wife of that brilliant man, or
any of his class, for any consideration the
| gods could offer. But if | were | would
forhear the luxury of scolding and would
be too wise to leave him alone to what he
so truly characterized "this vagabond life
of Washington. EsNIA JAMES.