Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-10
TOMS HUSBAND.
[BY SARAH oRSE JEwE1T.l

NAN-'Af
shall not dwell long upon the circum-
stances that led to the marriage of my hero
and beroioe; though their conrtship was,
to them, the ouly one that has ever notice
ably approached the ideal, it had many as
poets in iich it was entirely commonplace
in other peoples eyes. While the world
in general Smiles at lovers with kindly ap
proval and sympathy, it refuses to be
aware of the unprecedented delight which
is amazing to the lovers themselves.
But, as has been true in many other
cases, when they were at last married, the
most ideal of situations was found to have
been changed to the most practical. In
stead of having shared their original du-
ties, and, as school boys would say. going
halves. they discovered that the cares of
life had been doubled. This led to some
distressing moments for both our friends ;
they understood suddenly that instead of
dwelling in heaven they were still upon
earth. and had made themselves slaves to
new laws and limitations. Instead of be-
ing freer and happier than ever before, they
had assumed new responsibilities they had
established new household, and must full
fill in some way or another the obligations
of it. They looked back with affection to
their engagement they had been longing
to have each other to themselves, apart
from the world, but it seemed that they
never felt SO keenly that they were still
units in modern society. Since Adam and
Eve were in Paradise, before the devil
Joined them, nobody has had chance to
initiate that unlucky couple. In some re-
spects they had told the truth when,
twenty times day, they said that life
had never been SO pleasant before; but
there were mental reservations on either
side which might have subjected them to
the accusation of lying. Somehow, there
was little feeling of disappointment, and
they caught themselves wondering-though
they would have died sooner than confess
it-whether they were quite SO happy as
they had expected. The truth was, they
were much happier than people usually
for enjoyment. For a little while they
were like a sail-boat that is beating and
has to drift a few minutes before it can
catch the wind and start off on the other
tack. And they had the same feeling, too,
that any one is likely to have who has been
long pursuing some object OF his ambition
or desire. Whether it is a coin or pict-
ure, or stray volume OF some old edition
of Shakespeare, or whether 1t is an office
under Government or lover, when 1t IL
fairly in ones grasp there is loss of the
eacerness that was felt in pursuit Salts
faction, even after one has dined well, is
not SO interesting and eager feeling as
hunger.
My hero and heroine were reasonably
well established to begin with they each
had some money, though Mr.. Wilson had
most. His father had at one time been a
rich man, but with the decline, Jew years
before, of manufacturing interests, he had
become, mostly through the fault of 9TH
ers, somewhat involved and at the time
of his death his affairs were in such con-
dition that it was still question whether
a very large sum or a moderately large one
would represent his estate. Mrs. Wilson,
Toms step. mother, was somewhat of an
invalid she suffered severely at times
with asthma, but she was almost entirely
relieved by living in another part of the
country. While her husband lived, she
had accepted her illness as inevitable, and
had rarely left home but during the last
few years she had lived in Philadelphia
with her own people, making short and
wheeling waits only from time to time,
and had not undergone voluntary period
of suffering since the occasion of Toms
marriage, which she had entirely APP
proved. She had sufficient property of
her own, and she and Tom were independ-
emit of each other in that way. Her only
other step-child was daughter, who had
married a navy officer, and had at this
time gone out to spend three years Tor lessl
with her husband, who had been ordered
to Japan.
It is not unfrequently noticed that in
MANY marriages one of the persons who
choose each other as partners for life Is
said to have thrown himself or herself
away, and the relatives and friends look
on with dismal forebo6ings and ill'con-
cealed submission. In this case it was the
wife who might have done so much better,
according to public opinion. She did not
think SO herself, luckily, either before mar
rage or aftergard, and l do not think it
occurred to her to picture to herself the
sort of career which would have been her
alternative. She had been an only child,
and had usually taken her own way. Some
one once said that it was great pity that
she had not been obliged to work for her
UYln0. IO1 BIC nhQ AhbSLlSS0 O AAOSS AA-
common business talent, and, without be-
ing disreputably keen at bargain, her in
sight into the practical working OF affairs
was very clear and preaching. Her
father, who had also been manufacturer,
like Toms, had often said it had been a
mistake that she was girl instead of a
boy. Such executive ability as hers Is
often wasted in the more contracted sphere
of women, and is apt to be more disad-
vantage than help. She was too indie
pendent and self.reliant for a wife it
would seem at first thought that she
needed a wife herself more than she did a
husband. Most men like best the women
whose natures clog and appeal to theirs
for protection. But Tom Wilson, while
he did not wish to be protected himself,
liked these very qualities in his wife which
would have displeased some mep to tellthe
truth, he was very much in love with his
wife lust az she was. He was a successful
collector of almost everything but money,
and during great part of his life be had
been an invalid, and ne had grown, as he
laughingly confessed, very old-womanish.
He had been badly famed, when boy, by
being caught in some machinery IN his
fathers MILL near which he was idling one
afternoon, and though he had almost en-.
tirely outgTown the Effect of his injury, it
had not been until after many years. He
had been in college, but his eyes had given
out there, and he had been obliged to leave
10 the middle of his junior year, though
he had kept up pleasant intercourse with
the members of his class, with whom he
had been a great favorite. He was good
deal of an idler in the world. l do not