Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-10
THE BLEAK WIND OF MARCH
TAppleton's Journal

ssAll the same, some men are brutes,"
said my companion.
This was at wedding, and my COM
panion was chance companion. The
seat we occupied was in the rear of the
church, among other whispering and unin.
vited folk. We had gazed our fill, and
were about following the better class of
invited guests in fine clothes, out of the
church. The bridal party had been gone
some time. The guests were chatting, and
pulling their light cloaks over their shout
ders, and waiting about the yestibule for
their carriages. My companion, who might
have been dressmaker, seemed divided
between some emotion stirred by the cere-
mony just passed and interest in the
dresses being covered up by the light
cloaks. She did not seem in hurry to SO.
and, as she was at the head of the pew, /
was a prisoner. She pinned her striped
shawl tightly over her chest, and repeated
her remark, but did not offer to pass out.
had been rather amused by her little
condolences at first, but was getting tired.
being brutes after looking at the soft.
peach. colored, downy lad at whose nuptials
we had just been assisting. The black
eyed young woman, whom he had led
captive, though yelling her brutality under
white lace and flowers, appeared much
more capable of it than he.
81 could tell you something" ahe said.
saw she was very anxious to tell it, and
had no objection to hearing anything in
reason. So said
"Suppose we walk along together, and
you can tell me as you go. The sexton
will be waiting to shut up the church.
She gave last look at the light cloaks
(they were by this time on the pavement)
and consented. I was in strange city,
and did not much care whether I walked
with striped shawl or velvet polonaise
besides, have always rather liked to hear
things So said, as we walked along:
1t isn't anything about the people we
have just seen married? For don't even
know their Names"
She said that she did not, either, and
that what she told me was in no way con-
nected with them. But she never conld
see anyone married without thinking of it,
and she did not believe I could either,
after she had told me. She had seen the
woman married whose story was to hear,
and had also known her tolerably we'll, l
inferred from what she said. But here is
what she told me:
Louisa Miller was young American
girl living in some small town, who had
considerable good looks and was amiable
and rather attractive. fancy her family
were plain people, perhaps small trades
people, but | do not know. Somewhere
she met a German, respectable mer.
chant in the city. He was fascinated by her
pretty face and gentle manners, and in a
few months, with the appreciation of her
parents, they were married and came to
the city to live. The husband did not feel
disposed, or able, to burden himself with
an establishment of his own, and go he
two pair front their lares and penates
were set up.
In that way they lived year after year,
and there her first and only child was born,
a boy. She was very weary and unoccu-
pied till this time, having no household
duties, and being in a strange city, and not
being, by education or inclination, able to
entertain herself with books. l am afraid
she was rather weak woman, but I am
sure she was gentle and well-intentioned.
Her husband, who was superior to her in
education and position, was much disap-
pointed at her inaptitude for books, and
showed that he was ashamed of her when,
occasionally, he brought some of his COM
rades to their rooms to spend an evening.
The difference of nationality also came
in as a source of trouble the wife
keenly felt all the sneers OF her husband at
American ways and customs. In fact, they
were ill-mated, and both sore and disap-
pointed, the wife tacitly so. She was not
the kind to define her griefs and know what
was the matter with her; but she was
dreary and discontented, and wished
hundred times day that she were back
again at home. The husband bore his dis
appointment with German phlegm, and, if
he complained, it was rarely, and then to
some pipe. and.lager companion who never
spread the matter. He was not ungenerous
to his wife in the matter of money, and
generally spent his evenings at home, but
treated her with alternate Indifference and
harshness.
"After the birth of the child. however,
things righted themselves a little. He
was fond of the baby, and proud of
it, and much interested in all the nur-
sery details, but also good deal dis
posed to be tyrannical. The wife was so
happy that she submitted cheerfully to
this at first Her life was now quite
changed she was the happiest and busiest
of women. After the first year she had no
nurse for the child. taking care of it her.
self, making its clothes, carrying it into
the street, feeding it from her own plate,
living with no other thought in her mind
day or night. She had as little regard for
her own comfort as for her husbands.
She neglected her own dress to tuck and
puff and embroider for little Louis. When
her husband came home to dinner he
found her frequently not dressed, the room
in confusion, and Louis being put to bed.
This was not wise, but she had not been
born wise.
For year or two this went on then
the father began openly to assert his au-
thority, and interfere in many matters.
He had cut his wife off from her own PEG.
pie since the child was born. He would
not allow her to take him to them on a
visit, and she had no home to which they
could come. This was grief to her at
first, but Louis compensated her for every
thing. She grew Indifferent to her home
and people. But having 70 one to consult
about the child, OF course she made mis-
takes in his treatment, and these mistakes
were used against her by her husband. He
treated her contemptuously, and fretted
her by continuous opposition. She was
naturally timid, but ike an animal in her
fealty to her young. From this, of course,
arose deception. She did not have courage
to oppose her husband, but she did find
cunning to outwit him. Not very happy
state of things, but not SO rare as could be
wished. It would have been better for
poor Louisa if she had been stronger in in.
tellect and weaker in affection.
"The house in which they lived was
comfortable and respectable-a third-rate
boarding house, suitable to persons Of small
means. Louisa in early days had ambi.
toned little house of their own, had
earnestly longed for even foor,' a little
domain in which she could be mistress.
She knew that she could cook, and could
we'll manage such menage, could even in
it command her husbands respect, and
make him satisfied. But this she could
not tell him, being of an inarticulate
nature only he knew. she wanted the
home, and he refused it. 1t suited him to
board, and live in two rooms up two flights
of stairs, and have his wife spurious lady.
"She hated her life, and pinned, as
have said, till her baby was born, and then
all that should have gone to making a
housekeeper and making good wife went
to making an exaggerated mother. Louis
clothes were more to her than the salvation
Of the heather or the destruction of the
II l.