Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-10-01
A FAITHFUL WIFE.


Some years ago there lived in Philadel.
phia thrifty pair. The husbands bust
ness was one that his wife could assist ID,
SO she was in every way his helpmeet, be.
sides being his housekeeper and his saving
bank. They were happy and prospering
in their own little house-the Philadei-
phian's patent idea of comfort. After a
time the man grew ambitious to get more
snowy footing He took to politics-as is
the duty of all citizens when this means
politics and water Unfortunately it was
politics and whiskey in his case-the sort
of ward politics that is carried on in the
liquor saloons. He grew to be such an i'm
portant man in this combination" that
he could not attend to his private business
any more. If this was the story of "Mul-
hooly," the rest of it would by that, in
spite of his empty shop and unfinished or
ders, he went on getting rich. But X.
was not high politician of that kind.
He was of the sort that is used-not a
master in the political trade. HIS wife,
left alone in the shop, did her best; but
fol the very fact that she was alone, that
he was never seen. customers began to sus-
pect something. Orders that he had taken
went wrong; complaints we're made of lost
goods that had been trusted to him. She
had to make them good. Here again, the
story ought to turn out that she built up
the business herself again, and put up her
own name as sole trader. But she was a
poor, heart-broken woman. She wanted
to reclaim him, and not even the business
was as important to her as what had be.
come of her husband all the days and
~ -, hat La a, frn,,, how Tbox,
were half starved, but she kept up de-
cent appearance still, kept her children
clean, and herself tidy. One day strange
thing happened. This respectable, neat
woman, with her two pretty children,
made her appearance in the tavern where
this man spent his days. She did not
make scene; she did not come for that.
She quietly took her seat there and waited
for HIM. People came up to her and urged
her to go home, saying that this low drink
ing place was no place for her and her
children "Wherever the father stays"
she replied, sis the place for his children
and for me-" Of course he was ready soon
to go home. Some men wouIu nave been
brutal-have struck or cursed at her for
interference but this man was only weak,
not cowardly. The next day he went to
another place. She followed presently
with the bright little children. This was
kept up for some weeks. The tavern
keepers grew uneasy. They could not stand
the mute witness of the mans weakness.
They could not complain of her, for she
did nothing, said nothing-only sat and
watched. She did not cry or entreat
while her husband lounged up to the bar
to drink. She simply sat by, panied and
intent, with the two children kept very
close to her, as if she would shut out from
their eyes and ears such talk and such
sights. No tavernkeeper could stand it.
One after another refused to sell liquor to
man SO guarded. Finally it began to tell
on him-this gentle. faithful watch. BE
stopped drinking, dropped his political
associates that had led him to it, and be-
gan to turn over new leaf. He picked
up his old business again, but finally con-
cluded to move to another place and make
a clean start. He is now prosperous, and
his experience is not the least part of his
gains. This was the way one woman re-
formed her husband with never spoken
word, she fairly shamed him out OF his
ruin by letting him see that whatever he
sank to there she and the children were
bound to be, and that even in danger or
foulness she still looked to him to protect
them. For better, for werse, she had
married him, and even when he took the
worse there would she and his children be.
1t was an appeal to his manhood, and a
very uncomfortable appeal to the manhood
of all who stood around, or who dropped
in to drink. Not a crying woman-not
even praying one, as any one could see
but. by the mute appeal of her presence
there, finally conquering for decency and
happiness again.