The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-24
A GREAT MISTAKE.
The Happiness Of Two Lives Destroyed
by a Foolish Resolve.
One OF the Many Cases OF "Incompsti
bility OF Temper" and How the
"Incompatibility" Had
its Origin.


legal separation who have become tired
of their partners. There are evil
dences in the courts almost every
day of great outrages perpetrated under
cover OF the laws governing divorces. 1t is
to be said, however, that the Judges OF the
various courts are very careful in their ex-
animation OF the evidence in such cases,
and II there is single weak spot in them,
the cases are thrown out OF court. 1t some
times happens that divorces are refused by
the Judges when there are evil
dences of the intermeddling of rela-
tives, or Of too great sensitiveness on the
part of one or both the parties to the suit.
In many cases the stories are romantic,
Here Is one, the moral to which may be
sought by the reader at his leisure:
John Smith-smith will do in this case,
for several ressons-married his wife,
Mary, good deal as other peo-
pie do, except that they we're
perhaps less cautious of how people laughed
at their love.msking in public This, how
ever, msttered little, and for nearly a year
they lived quietly and happily together in
che city, John sticking closely to his business
and doing as well IS could be expected He
had been with his firm for several years,
was not a spendthrift, had no bad
habits worse than chewing to-
bscco, and was very sue.
cessful man in his line. One day the firm
told him that they would have to send him
to Kansas to attend 10 some of the partner
snip business, as all the other available men
were gone out and he was the only one in
the house to be trusted with the matter.
Could he goP Yes. How soonp On the next
train, IL necessary. So he was told to go
home and prepare for an absence of q week
or ten days John was disappointed, because
the next Gay was Sunday, and be had
counted upon staying at home with his wife.
He, however, was little proud that he was
selected as the proper agent for 50 important
q business, and with these conflicting emo
tons he went home and told hts wife
of the matter. Poor Mary, the tears
came to her eyes and she evidently strug-
gled SO hard to avoid crying over the matter
that John sat down, and, taking her in his
srms, said il she wished him to he would
60 back to tbs Office and decline the mis-
sion, even if il cost him his position. Mary
then choked back her tears and said, No;
il the firm said he must CO. then he would
do so, and not mind her tears over SO small
a matter. He would be back again before
two weeks had gone by, and she would be
brave and bear up until he returned. And
so the valise was packed and in q few hours
Mr.. John Smith had hidden good.by to his
wife and was going over the Vandslia Road
toward st. Louis.
The business was satisfactorily accom-
plished in the West, and with light, happy
heart John had started home. He knew Just
how 10 report to the firm and lust what they
would say, for they were kind-hearted men.
His wife would be at the depot to meet him,
for she knew that he was to arrive at o clock
! -. i
pass thinking over the meeting.
Finally the time brought the train to
within few miles of the city. Then some
thing suggested to John that he must be dig
nifed when he met bis wife; no soft caress
ut the depot. She would look up to him in
the years TO come for his practical and cool
manner of disposing of the trip. Then the
to be out on the platform looking for his
wife, but no! he must remain in his
seat and pretend to be reading the paper
utterly forgetful of the fact that the
sweetest woman in the world was anxIously
walking up and down the side of the train,
looking for the only man in sll the world
10 her. The train stopped and the passen-
gers rose up 10 leave the car, but John kept
his seat until the brakeman succeeded in
uncoupling the patent couplers, and then
be assumed an Indifferent cir and
walked leisurly away. Poor Mary had
tears we're already on her face when she
saw him. She ran with half scream OF de-
light and put up her mouth to be kissed,
but John had only too we'll prepared HIM
self for his assumed part. He crested her
coolly, hardly kissed her and seemed to be
in fit of abstraction. Mary wondered
and was about to ask IL ANYTHING was
wrong, when he saw the tears on her face
and asked her what was the matter. She
timidly said she cried because she did not
see him on the train when it came in, for
she was already feeling the effects of Johns
demeanor, and dreaded some unknown
evil; John sharply febpked .. her more
ne wanted to show off his great selfcontrol.
! His words hurt his wife more than she knew
! until she thought it over but the tears came
10 her eyes, although she said nothing.
The walk home was made in silence, both
now feeling perfectly miserable. John felt
sorry he had caused such state OF affairs,
| and yet he could not admit TO his wife
bis fault. Mary's heart was full OF grief and
| bitterness, but the GOODNESS of her husband
changed her in that hour, and she became
rs cold and reserved as he had tried TO ap
| pear. The supper was eaten in silence, and
then the man OF the house went to the store
| ostensibly to make his report, bat really 10
| get out of the unpleasant atmosphere
of his own home. He sat at the Office for a
long time and thought s0rrowfully over bis
| mistake. Finally he went home. Mary
! was asleep, and he entered Quietly and was
himself soon in bed aud ssleep. Mary's re-
serve ard cold tone were very marked the
next morning, and il was Johns time to
feel sggrieved. He proudly resolved that
he would now be the last to
| yield, and 30 the two who
had but few hours ago looked forward to
the time when they should be again together,
were now utterly miserable, and each wish
ing to get away from the other as soon as
| possible.
The time passed on, and the breach be
tween Mr. John Smith and his wife widened,
and they driited farther and farther apart as
the days went by, until hardly q word was
spoken which was not a cutting, harsh
or insulting epithet. John began keeping
late hours and Mary went out but little.
| People talked some, and not q few were
there who said that 90 sweet beginning
was sure to have a bitter conclusion, AL
the details of the domestic ruin can not be
given here, but the reader may picture to
himself the constantly growing GOODNESS
until be Gees the family broken and
the wife returning to her parents. a
year or more elspscs and she files suit for
divorce, which is granted a month later. In
compatibility of temper is the cause, and IL
seems such pity to the Judge, who hates
! to see families thus broken up, but he does