Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-04-17

MNidens and Wives.

1t is only when woman becomes
a wife you can see her true character,
says an exchange. Before this epoch
she is SO cramped in conventionalities
that her very soul is kept covered up,
and the heart has no room for healthy
action. But the bonds are broken on
her wedding day, when, from a chrys-
alis condition, she comes out butter
fly or bee, or perchancc wasp.
Then she begins to breathe freely and
to aim at the supreme happiness Of
womankind-the having her own way.
The husband, still stiff in his own CON
ceit, is fairly startled and shaken
with the shock Of a surprise. The
meek and modest maiden whom he
courted so cavalierly soon shows him
she is woman with tongue and
with a temper, and woman who will
have her own way. When he talks
about home and happiness and the
duties of a wife, all in capitals, she
laughs at him for his innocence, and
wants to know if he would treat her
as child, as did her nurse and her
governess and her mother and her
chaperon, to keep up the propreties.
Possibly some of his overweening con-
ceit is thus laughed out of him, and
he agrees to take his proper place as
his wife's husband, giving up with IA
sigh the good old copy-book and
church-service notices about being
her lord and master and getting moth
ing but honor and obedience. If
this sensible conclusion be quietly
come to, all may yet be well; and
should he bear the yoke gracefully,
his wife will be easy with him, will let
him have his own way in little things,
and look as docile as a dove when
company is present. Bat in case the
unlucl>y husband clings to the ancient
superstition of his own authority, then
will be war to the knife, and none can
tell what will happen, save the certain
ending that, at some time or other,
the wife will have her own way. To
watch woman training her husband
to fetch and carry is delightful pastimc
for those who are inclined to philo-
sophie study. With heaven-born in
stinct the wife knows exactly when to
smile and when to frown, and where
touch Of the whip or tongue will be
most ehectual. Graciousl " giving way
to his wishes, after they have been
suggested by herself, she turns him
round her little finger, and holds him
up laughingly to the gaze of a wonder
ing world. Women are not generally
humorists; but they cannot help
feeling the fun of the thing when they
SO successfully manage their husbands
who all the while think they are
managing them. This artful appear
ance of innocence and obedience is.
indeed, the surest sign that wife is
having all her own way. She is not
SO foolish as to care for all the sem
dances of power. He may seem to
be the master, and really act as the
fgure-head of the vessel; but The wife
rules the rudder, and steers the ship
whithersoever she may chance to wish
Every wise married man knows this
to be SO, and bows to the inevitable
But then few husbands are wise; and
they, therefore, only too often expose
themselves to the rdicule of the phil
osophic few, who see things as the,
|: are, and smile serenely at the spectacle
of the bold lions being driven, eacl
in single harness, in the chariot o
Home. They are but poor company
these married men; being eithe
tanned out of all knowledge, or els,
restless in chatting under the reins
Their wives are far more sociable ans
amusing, because they are women o
the world. who have shown tn,
strength OF their character bv choos
ing men for husbands, and then hav
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