The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1881-09-23
THE BELLIES HUSBAND,

Many have heard the story or La
Belle Paule,' of Toulouse. She was a
medieval married lady, so beautiful
that her husband received orders from
the magistrate of Toulouse to walk in
public with her for at least two hours
every week, in order that the people of
the city might not be deprived of that
happiness which comes from the con-
temptation of lovely features in women.
There is, again, the story of Catherine
Glover, the Fair maid of Perth, whose
wondrous charms drew more gallants
to her fathers door than old Simon
Glover approved of. In short, there
are many instances, both in fact and
fiction, showing that the possession of
an extremely beautiful wife or daugh-
ter may at times throw a man of easy
going ways into embarrassment.
Charley Despard had been married
about two years before his wife's lovli-
ness began, in Ways at first unsuspect-
ed by him, to operate upon his FORUM
es. BY that time he loved his wife
not whit less than he had done on his
wedding-day, but, of course he had got
accustomed to her winsome face; and
then she was so domesticated that he
never had occasion to be alarmed at
The homage paid her. During the first
six months after their marriage they
travelled good deal; at the end of a
year baby was born to them, for the
next twelve-mOnth Lolita Despard had
plenty to do in attending to this little
creature. In meantime, Charley Des-
pard worked hard to earn money. He
was barrister without practice, who
wrote a good deal for newspapers, and
had succeeded in establishing what is
called good footing on the press.
His copy found ready markets in half
a-dozen offices of newspapers and mag
azines, and he got orders enough for
special work to occupy all his time.
Sometimes he was sent to report a
state pageant, a royal wedding, re-
view; or he would 60 as commissioner
to write about some accident on rail-
way or in mines; ut other times he did
the highly-colored descriptive articles
of cricket-matc 1es and races on the turf
or the river. When there was moth
ing of Importance going on, he indited
leaders ut the rate of about six week,
on all kinds of subjects.
Despard objected to undertake work
which would oblige him to leave his
home for more than forty-eight hours.
He had a preStily-furnished house in
Cover Street, to which he was attach
ed; and, naturally, Lottie did not like
him to go away on long expeditions
where she could not accompany him.
Consequently, Despard had always de-
clined those tempting, because lucra-
tive, offers of special correspondentship
abroad during times of war or revolu-
ton. The day came, however, when
such really good thing was thrown in
his way that he did not feel justified
i'm refusing it, though the acceptance
of it involved his leaving London fol
nearly month. The editorship of a
daily newspaper in northern manu-
featuring town had fallen vacant just
as an important Parliamentary election
was going to take place. Despard
was requested to accept the post fol-
the electoral campaign, with the option
of retaining it afterwards If hepleased
But for his months engagement, which
was to involve an immense amount OF
work and responsibility, he was to re
ceive four hundred pounds. Plumbs Of
this size are not thrown into ones laI
every day, and Lottie, though her heart
was heavy at the necessity of being Sc
parated for whole month from her hus
band, told him that he must go, by al
| means. So he went.