The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-11-07
The Deacon's Greed.

In the whole OF raul tnat woman was
created for man, not man for woman
that man is the head of woman, not
woman the head of man; that wives
ought to submit to their husbands as unto
the Lord and that the husband is head
of the wife, as Christ is head of the
church. l don't want to take out { or
undot an l.; believe it all"
"Well well we'll !" said Mr.. Geer.
"I believe" continued the deacon,
"that one of the chief causes of unhappy
marriages and frequent divorces is the
unwomsnly independence which modern
education has produced. / believe they
are the natural fruits of the violation Of
Gods law of marriage. l believe that
those women who are perpetually issuing
manifestoes of independence, and protest
ing against the subsection of woman, and
ali that sort of nonsense, make them
selves and their husbands-poor fellows
the tone of pity was as inimitable as it
was unaffected miserable, and are do.
ing more to undermine the family, which
is the foundation of the state, than all the
Mormon elders and priests and mission
aries put together"
"Well yeUl WELL" said Mr.. Geer.
vainly endeavor to indicate the climax
of his establishment by typographical
signs.
81 believe that any two-headed thing,
from calf to nation, is monstrosity /;
and of all two-headed monstrosities the
most monstrous monstrosity is a two
headed family. l believe it is wise for
the wife to submit to her husband; l be-
lieve it is for her happiness, and for his, for
that of the children, and for that of the
community. 1 believe that the way for
her to have her own will is never to de-
mand it. I believe the way for her to
conquer her husband is never to have a
conflict with him. But 1 don't put my
belief on any such low ground as that l
put it on the ground that God made the
husband the head of the household and
told the wife to submit; and that's the
end of it,"
1t is impossible for me to portray the
smiling graciousness of the deacon's man.
ner,which gave these words sound quite
different from that which they will bear
in cold print to the average reader, un-
interpreted by the deacon's delightful
and uninterpretable eye and tone and gen.
ial smile. But he was, Enthusiastically,
dead IN ear1est. "
"But," said Mrs. Geer, when at length
the deacon came to pause in the recital
of his creed, "don't you think that a
woman ought to have mind of her own?"
"And," added Jennie, "don't you think
that your doctrine would make men ty-
rants and women too abject 2"
Humph ! " said the deacon. "Why,
bless me know, and SO do you, cou-
pie whose lives answer that question.
The man is as opinionated an old bear as
ever walked on two legs. He is as I'M
bending as piece of cold steel and if
anybody contradicts him he bristles all
over like hedgehog. His wife has lived
with him these twenty odd years, and no.
body ever doubted that she had mind
of her own; or thought that she was alb.
ject; or questioned her quiet, womanly
dignity and her independence. But fol
twenty years she has never contradicted
him; never refused to do what he wanted
or done what he didn't WANT never
offered him advice unless he asked for it
aud never refused it when he did. And
that little woman can do anything with
her bear she likes; he'll dance any time
to any tune she plays. She never yet ha.
demanded woman's right, in all these
years; and never hesitates to make &
woman's request. Aud, she gets it, too
We all laughed for we all knew who
the deacon was describing, with some ex
aggerations of himself, but none of hi
wife and his wife softly put her han(
up and stroked the thin hair that fringeG
his bald head.
| Il -
deacon, "who says she never will consen
to her husbands smoking in her house
If were wife, my husband should make
every room, from the garrett to the cellar
smell like tobacconist's shop before
would try to stop him, unless l could
stop him by a request, for loves sake"
$50 you don't think that a HUSBAND
ought ever to submit to wife ?" salt
Mrs. Geer, inquiringly.
"Don't l p said the deacon. Asl
Mary here. Yes do. But don't thinl
wife ought ever to ask her husband Il
submit. God has made him, not her, tn,
head of the household. He is commits
stoned captain. He must answer at God
judgment-bar for the conduct of the ship
And he can't do it, if his mate is all tn
time trying to be captain too. She is no
responsible, and he is."
"Don't you think, deacon" said MI
Geer, that they share the responsibility
for the children between them ?"
"Nol" said the deacon and he said i
with refreshing positiveness. "Not if tn
wife understands what wife ought b
be. The husband is responsible for tn
children. All the wife has to do is to sui
NIT to his directions; and if they dom
turn out we'll, she can 60 up to Gods jude
, ment-bar and say, This is the husban
you gave me; and you told me to ODE
, him and have done it; and you mus
take care of the consequence
"That doesn't help the matter much.
said Mrs. Hardcap, sadly, "if the chi
dren 60 to ruin"
, There was moments pause for W
all knew that Mr.. Hardcap was sever
father and Mrs. Hardcap was tende
> mother, and that she feared the cons,
! quences of his despotism. Then the del
; con answered gently:
4 "That is very true, Mrs. Hardcap. An
: | think nothing can be harder than for
, wife to submit when she sees her husban
. doing an injustice or an injury to tn
4 children she has borne to him. Aud d
not say there are not cases where she