The Dickinson press., 1884-05-17
sE.rrisa by Their Wives.

I firmly believe that a large number
of men are married by their wives. Out
side her natural charms a woman has a
certain mesmeric will-force to bring to
bear on a nan which is dangerousto his
welfare. There are critical moments in
a mans career when it will take all the
resolution he can master to refrain from
compromising himself for life.
was much amused with the expert
ence of a friend of mine who a short
time ago received his first lesson in
what may be called bachelor prudence.
It seems that the affair commenced in
good nature, took on a little crescendo,
as the musicians would say, and finally
ended with an allegro marziale.
Ny friend is one of those good
natured men who look at everything
from a sentimental point of view.
Overlooking the excellence of his
motives, he is the most uncomfortable
being to get along with possible. In
his head are all the virtues of the Pala-
din, chivalry of a Sidney, and the
heoric self-abnegation of a s ocrates; and
with every new book he reads he adds a
new ideal of conduct. It is not surpris-
ing that he sometimes promises more
than he can carry through.
He got into trouble in the most natur-
al way in the world, and indeed the thing
has happened to others than he. A
young man had been grossly impertinent
to q girl friend, but in order to saw
that girl friend a scandal the matter
had been overlooked. The cub who did
the deed, however, is rich and marriage
able, and consequently still has a foot
ing in society. A girl, a%-stranger to my
friend be it said, snubs the cub. In
tense enthusiasm of my friend. Noble
etc; will be- introduced at
once. (What a dangerous thing it is to
be introduced at once! Mem.-Always
make it later if you CAM Ny friend is
pressement on the part of my friend;
gracious reception on the part of the
girl. One dance, and then another.
A german favor, WHICH is returned; an
invitation to call, which isaccepted with
alacrity. The call is made and proves
agreeable. Further invitation to call,
and then a promise to read from these
authors who combine beauty of Thought
with weight of meaning. Vows of pla.
tonic friendship, (What a dangerous
thing VOWS of platonic friendship are!
Mem.-Never make them.)
The drama moved on. One evening
my friend called with a particularly
well-chosen assortment from Ruskin,
Emerson, and DeQuincey, as pieces de
resistance and a little of Barry Corn.
wall and Mrs. Bro wning's Portuguese
Sonnets as plats cucres. The fire was
burning brightly on the dogs. A few
flowers were arranged in a slender sill.
yer vase, and an almost imperceptible
perfume pervaded the room. As my
friend threw himself back in the long
easy-chair and experienced the exquisite
masculine thrill of pleasure in running
the lace tidy, he fell to thinking what an
agreeable duty was his to fill a fresh,
pure mind, with angel eyes and sylph-
like form, with fair thoughts taken from
the masters of prose and song. This
train of thought was peculiarly agree
able to him from the fact that it was
quite disinterested. "Some day, Thought
my friend, "some good fellow will be
made happy by the influence of this
teaching" These delightful imagina-
tions were brought to q close by the
appearance of the fair pupil herself.
After chatting pleasantly for a little
while, my friend asked whether he
should begin reading.
II should like it very much" she said,
quietly.
So he began. First with Emerson's
Napoleon; then with DeQuincey's
"Joan Of Arc;;" then followed a sonnet
or two, and then a love song by Barry
Cornwall. And as my friends voice rose
and fell and became strong with noble
scorn, awful with elevation, quiet with
reserved strength, and melting with the
accent of pathos and love, he could not
! help thinking. GLOW much I am doing,
to be sure, for the other fellow. TIE
reading was concluded with the rapt
air of one of whose thoughts were too
full for utterance. He closed the beauti-
fully bound volume of Ruskin's "Queen's
Gardens" and looked vaguely up from
the glowing logs to the mantel-piece
above.
"How beautiful it is, j" finally said the
pupil.
Eyes, tits very beautiful" replied the
master.
The latter now rose to take his leave,
when the fair pupil herself rose, and, it
seemed to him, fairly planted herself
before the door. Without the slightest
note Of warming, she thus addressed
him:
II WISH" said she. with a sentiment
tally desperate air, "you-would-not
call any more"
Ny friend felt a cold chill of horror
stealing over his members. His knees
trembled. The eyes of the young lady
were firmly fixed upon him. He was
expected to do something; he knew he
was. What was it?
Certainly" he managed finally to
stammer out.
"You know it is different with q girl
than with a man." she continued, sadly;
you have been coming here SO often
that people are beginning to talk" =
he now knew too we'll what was eX-
pected of him, and for a moment he felt
an overmastering impulse to comply.
He overcame it manfully, and as he re-
covered his selfcontrole, and managed
in some measure to meet those search
ing eyes, he became, after the manner
of men, brutal.
"He would cooperate with her." he
said, coldly, sin giving the lie to public
opinion"
How, I do not know, he got out of
the house. As he gained the garden
gate, he ran from the haunted spot