The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-02-29
WIVES N v
Little Disagreeaments Row and Then
The Salt of Married Life.

Little Di-sagreeaments Row and Them
The Salt Of Married Life.
From the London Globe.
The chartered libertine, in a certain
work of fiction, who declared that he
ought to have 40 wives, one for each of
his varying moods, may have flown
straight in the face of all the proprie-
lies, but did not speak without q grain
Of r~edeeming sense. Most husbands, it
will perhaps be said, find one wife suifi-
cient; and, at any rate, society has come
around to this opinion, after a fairly
long experience of the different ways in
which great matrimonial problems may
be solved. But, if the one thing need
full We're to settle the affairs of humans
ty i such a n as to insure that
there should be the greatest possible
number of domestic situations, then
doubtless o distinct wife for each
distinct mood would appear
to be necessary. Of course,
from the wlfe's point of view the def
cheney is oil the other way ; and, mood
for mood, she probably has the best of
the argument. But as this is q discus
son which cannot well be carried be-
yond the sage of theory, it is sufficient
to say that the perfect agreement Of
husband and wife depends very much
upon the strength and variety of their
moods.
Complete accord can only exist in the
absence of everything which might pro-
duce discord-that is to say, in absence
of wit, and principle, and fixed opinion.
The vast majority Of men and women
are subject to as many moods as the
weather has changes; and On the whole
it has been found that this constant
shifting of the social ~weathercock is
quite compatible with an excellent
agreement between husband and wife.
who can if they will. show at the end Of
their lives q fairweather record for every
day of their voyage, however the wind
may have chopped and veered. Indeed,
there are plenty of persons to be found
of either sex who are so infatuated as to
consider that a little disagreement now
and then is the salt of married life,
affording contrast which, like the vari-
ations of music and color, prevent o
dull monotolv
At all events, we may take it for
granted that we cannot live after the
fashion of Turks and heather, nor con
sole ourselves with spiritual wives, the
best thing that a married man can do is
to regard his own particular matrimon-
ial venture MS a specially happy and for
tunate marriage, This belief. like al
most every other, will presently tend to
justify itself, and, ven as it does not eff
feet much good, will certainly do him
no harm. There is only one equally
sound piece Of counsel which experience
can recommend to youth and that is to
consider well beforehand what kind OF
apartner for life is most likely to en-
courage this pious belief. The advice is
doubtless at least as old as the food,
and it has been more frequently de-
spised than acted upon: but it is none
the less good on that account. For, il
our moods are variable, our wives vary
still more; and 1t is worth mans while
TO ask himself whether he cannot ~ .
little fufethought, secure the n wom-
an, or kind OF woman, whose qualities
hold out to him the greatest promise OF
future happiness. Does he want, fol
instance, the wife who will be always
waiting upon him, or the wife who will
; expect that he shall be always waiting
upon her?
These two types are perhaps more
> very hard to tell Of a young at q
; marriageable age, to which Of the two
she belongs. 1t may concern the whole
life and comfort Of a man that he should
!, ask and answer this question while he
. is free to turn the knowledge to account
> ; In no respect is a wife more likely tt
have her " way than in respect o.
e g her disposition to wait or be waited up.
on. The restless, nervous, active WON.
t an who takes her husband for lord ant
3 master, from the altar to the grave, vii
, set about her work with so much super
! abundant energy that it is impossible tt
prevent her from making herself u slave
, and her husband, whether he likes it o
i not, is doomed to assume the characte
: off grand pasha, and often tx
incur, without deserving it tn
q reputation of a selfish man. Blu
; the lazy lymphatic comfort
/ loving woman whose nature and train.
9 ing have predisposed her to look for
d Thousand small attentions, will Just q
y certainly get what she needs from an,
aimiable man who has selected her a
n his companion. Many a masculine sou
e of average dignity and independents,
:, has been converted by his love for sucl
d o wife-and they are mostly lovabl,
women, however self-indulgcnt-int
the creature whom his friends are won
: to dub a Betty and a m~ollycoodle, eve
' while they secretly envy him his domes
d tic felicity. It is clear that a marryin!
man should walk into either of thes
predicaments with his eyes well open
for there is no place of repentance O
q the other side Of the honeymoon.
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