Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-04-27
STEPHEN APPLETON'S WIFE.


When Stephen Appleton had lived
some thirty.iive years Il bachelor, he
bethought him that it would he well
90 get married, and looked about him
accordingly for wife. Had others
looked for him, they wOnld probably
have chosen self.cOntained, decOrous
person past thirty, and would not have
been particular as to looks, inasmuch
rs stephen was no beauty himself, and
never had been. He, however, greatly
to the surprise of every mortal who
knew him, walked up the church aisle
one Sunday morning, with very pret.
ty girl upon his arm, and, after the
service, introduced her to his friends
among the congregation as his wife.
She looked great deal more like his
daughter, ane was blushing, smiling,
loving little creature, who must, so
far, have had happy life, to have
brought out of it so many dimples.
So she had, indeed. A halr-dozen
brightey sisters, and a mother who
was only an older sister in years, had
cried bitterly when Stephen Appleton
had marched off from their country
home with one Of their number on his
arm, and had gone so far as to ask each
other conlIlentially, "what lilly could
have seen in that old poke" And Ger.
tainly it seemed almost a mystery that
such solemn wOOing should have pros.
pered with such merry girl-a WOO
ing without many of those accessories
which women hold so dear, of praises
and caresses.
Probably poor Tilly thought they
were all to come after marriage. "IGe's
not handsome, perhaps" Tilly would
say, "but he's very prepOssessing, and
he has such mind" And then it
seemed to her that he needed some one
to look after him, to sew on his but,
tons and tie his crayat, and properly
prepare his tea, which he had a custom
of making wretchedly for himself on y
gas'stove in his dusty little study.
So she left home and love, and
plunged into the maelstrOm of welded
life with a man who had so strongly
imbued himself with the idea that
woman was his inferior, that he thought
it waste Of intellect and time to love
one overmuch, or to study her tastes
and fancies for moment, if they con-
fcted with his own.
She, the inferior, had, on the contra
ry, said to herself, Il must try to adapt
myself in every way to Stephen and
had thought also, that she would never
find happiness in anything which did
not pleasure him. She had joyfully
accepted all his invitations to weariful
lectures, and refused to enjoy her IA
vorite pastime, the polka, when she
discovered that he disapprOved of it.
And now, in her plain little home, she
hopefully and smilingly took up the
dull routine of wOman's household
drudgery, and made all fresh and sweet
and pleasant, fed her genius and hero
daintily, and saw to his stockings and
buttons.
He hardly knew it. He never awoke
out of his hard and cruel self-absorp.
ton sufficiently to be aware of her
constant thought for him. lie gave
her so much money week, and found
that it suf1lced. She had a home and
clothes; that, it was his theory, was
what woman married for.
lie knew she was pretty; but it was
his right TO have as pretty wife as
he could get. And she adorned her.
self with ribbons, and twined flowers
in her hair, and took thought about
her cuffs and collars, in the vain hope
Of being told just once that these pretty
things became her.
Woman's vanity should never be
encouraged, was one of his theories,
Other men looked at her admiringly;
other men binted what she would have
given worlds to hear Stephen say.
But she received no such homage from
him. She had no kind word of appre.
citation, no kisses, no endearments.
In the morning mandate was given
concerning dinner. In the evening he
ate with her; and though he had no
fault to find, never praised dish.
After the meal, he either went ont or
locked himself in his study among
books and papers. Once, at the very
first, she had taken her crochet work
to the door and asked to be let in; but
he had answered by denial. "Man's
work." he had said sententiously, 'is
too great to be broken in upon by
woman's chat, Or woman's fldgeting;"
and she had retired quietly. She never
tapped at those panels again; nor did
she ever hint at any wish for recrea-
tion, at any desire to enjoy play or
concert, even at the natural longing
for a moonlight walk. The inferior
creature had seme pride in her compo-
sition. No more woplld she woo her
husband than she would have wooed
him when his bachelor fancy first Sc
lected her to be his future housekeeper.
A proud woman had rather miss at
tention altogether, even from the one
to whom she is married, than ever
seem to ask for 1t.
Men will not believe 1t, but we wo-
men know that many woman has
died of such life as Tilly led; and
that those too true to themselves and
their marriage VOWS to be driven to
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