Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-03-17
Helena, Montana, Thursday, March II, 1881.
Two Glasses of Wife-beaters.
From New York Evening Mail.I

FROM New York Evening Mail1
lnere are two classes of wife-beaters One
1 me smaller class, who are ferocious and
brutal; who will attack men, women and
children, If these come in their way Taking
no account of danger, and blind to conse-
quences, they cannot be called brave, for
bravery implies that we know our peril and
deliberately face it. Yet neither are these
men towards. They are simply reckless
human tigers.
4 The average wite-beater belongs to a second
and larger class. He is selfish, unreasonable,
coWardly, cunning and brutal. The wife
beater of the first class is from his birth bad
this man is from his birth weak He
thinks you eXaggerate his degeneracy. He
is a man of palliations and delusions. His
common delusion is to fancy that he has an
attectionate nature. He talks much of love.
not realizing that the love he affects for
others is but the reflection of his own self
love. Let us begin with this wooing which
is passionate and extravagant Where others
are content with quiet promises, he utters
solemn vows II guilty of any lapse, he will
beg pardon literally upon his knees. He is
at the same time very eXacting, and his
freaks OF disposition call for patience. The
marriage day is a relief from great suspense:
perhaps It is day of ecstacy. Soon after
marriage he begins to shirk his manly duties:
perhaps he grows indOlent, and the discern
ing wife fancleS she percelves the tOrewarn-
ing shadow OF privatiOn or starvation. Many
fear arises in her mind, leading to gentle
reproaches. These he pOoh-pOOhs, then re-
sents, and soon answers by abuse. If the
tOrcbodlngs prove true and troubles visit the
house from his incapacity or idleness, she is
expected to meet and fight them. 1t is she
who must apologize to the landlord or the
storekeeper for nonpayment Of dues; she
who must ask for new credit or travel long
distances to find cheap places in which to
eXpend the limited funds If she complains
he calls her hardhearted; she has mo svmpa-
thy with him in his misfortunes, and does
she want him to 60 and drink ?" Whether
she wants him to or not, he does it, AS his
devotion wanes his imperiousness grows
He expects more than he provides, and sug-
gests that she might begin to help matters
by seeking for herself occasional employment |
If she succeeds he loats the more. Her de- |
gradation has now fairly begun. Yet this
does not shock him: in his eyes it is 4 mat
ter Of course that she shall always adapt her.
self to new necessities. Selfish neglect, loaf
ing occasional intemperance and low speech |
nave prepared the way for brutality. One
day he gives her 4 blow. This event is al
ways the turning point for bad or good
If she submits, even with tears, they are
hencetorth alienated and both further de-
graded. 4 blow leads to a beating. The oc-
currence becomes a habit Meantime, per-
haps, there are children-hostages to mis-
tortune-and for their sakes the degraded
mother continues to suffer and endure If to
these hardships drunkenness be added, with
its domestic horrors the case is complete.