The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-05-03

The evening of the second day, Mr..
Fitzgerald walked in, To- find the
dark, gloomy sitting,room transform
ed into sunny, pleasant apartment.
A carpet, bestrewn with bright hued
autumn leaves took the place Of the
dull one which Katy-the first wife
had put down, with her own slen-
der fingers Ito save hiring someone"
she had said, not needing the drain
on herself since it lessened that on
her selfish husbands purse. A cozy
ro2king.chair stood in the most COM
Portable place by the fire, where Fan
ny's stiff, straightforward one had
stood for SO long; and above and over
all, streamed the blessed sunshine,
from beautiful bay.window, where
+blossomed some lovely towering
plants. Above them, hung gilt
cage, in which pretty canary bird
fluttered and sang.
There was one other noticeable
change. The light stove had been
taken away, and an open crate re-
placed it, throwing dancing shadows
Of light and shade upon the soft-hued
carpet.
"Oh, Ansel," exclaimed Mrs. Nelly,
pressing kiss upon his cold fore,
head. She always called him by his
favorite name, when she had any
thing to gain BY it, or wished partic-
ularly to please him. "Oh, Ansel, l
am so glad you have come. 1 have
just gotten everything fixed SO nice.
ly. Doesn't it look well?"
Mr.. Fitzgerald sank into the easy.
chair; his jaw fell; his eyes stared,
wide open. For the space of some
ten seconds, he did not say a word
He was struck dumb. Then he gasp,
ed:
Madame, I believe-I thought
you understood me-when l told you
not to have the bay.window made
Evidently you don't heed the Script,
ure injunction, "Wives, submit your,
selves unto your husband;" butopen.
ly disregard it."
'0h, no, l don't forget it DEAR" re,
piled his wife, sweetly, though her
eyes twinkled mischievously, as she
went on feeding Dick, the canary,
with lump ofsugar. "But does not
the same book somewhere say, "Hus-
bands, obey your wives9" Doesn't it,
Ansel, my dear?"
THAT is out Of date; quite So" ans
wered he, inconsistently. mo man
of any spirit expects to be tied to n
woman's apron strings, nowadays
After this, remember, madame" and
he now rose in his chair, and turned
solemnly towards her, looking like
another Rhadamanthus, "after this
madame, remember that l am sole
master of this-my house--and l will
not be responsible, pecuniarily, for
any trumpery you sea fit to put into
it. 1t is good enough as it is"
Mr. Fitzgerald, as he finished, re.
sumed his seat, and elevated his heels
to the shining fender, as if the mat
ter was settled forever.
every well, sir" replied Nelly,
with perfect coolness. "Neverthe-
less, as my position, as mistress and
wife, makes me fully equal to you, l
too, shall not only expect to do, but
shall do, without restraint, whatever
l think proper and best, to make my
home comfortable one. Women
have rights, as well as men. /, for
one, am not your mere slave. We
are in partnership together; | am
not your mere clerk. Now, sir, be-
lieve you understand me, also"
Mr.. Fitzgerald was dumb with as.
tonishment. In all their weak, de-
pendant little lives, Katy or Fanny
had never presumed to have will of
their own; but had always submitted
meekly, to be led as their husband
pleased.
"My lamented Katy and Fanny
he began.
"There, let me see, where have l
heard those names before? They
seem so strangely familiar"
Nelly wrinkled her forehead, as if
in the utmost perplexity, as she thus
spoke,
She looked so pretty, with all this