The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-30
YOUNG WIVES.
If They Only Knew 1t the Way to Keep
Husband is to Practice the Pretty
Arts They Used so CIeverIy to Win Him.

If They Only Knew 1t the Wav to Keep
a Husband is to Practice the Pretty
Arts They Used so CIeverly to Win Him.
Why do all the watery-eyed, shaky-
kneed young wives appeal to you for
sympathy when they have rocked their
first Seraph to sleep in a cut-teeth
Mother Hubbard (only meant for
babies), and why do they all, as a
class, wipe the corner of their off eye
with new ten-cent pink bordered
mouchOir and plaintively tel you that
''Dick has changed; o, how horribly
changed" and that he doesn't love
baby one bit-nOt half so much as his
nasty sleuth-hounds, pointers and
pOodles? As for horses, goodness
knows. he prizes them away beyond
her and young Richard"
Now all this is sadly true and truly
sad. One by one they come, too. for Il
key to the family rebuS. after a trip to
Europe and Il disappearance for time
in Ohio, which is great State for
Presidents.
When YOU shake your head, which
knows a vast deal too much. you say
YOU know not the reason why of this
wherefore. You tell big story and
think she will take that round-cyed
Young Dick to the park. leaving you to
answer YOUR last love-letter in answer
to one in which he promises so many
kingly things and Il dog-cart.
But she takes up baby. who is
swallowing his left leg and mewing like
Il mlk-hungry kitten, and she looks at
YOU 50 soberly that YOU dare not trille
with her. In turn you gaze on her
who was one of the ioiliest, neateSt
girls YOU ever saw thirteen months ago.
Dick is still Jolly to everybody but his
wife, of whom he seems in awe because
she is the daughter of her mother. He
has lately walked on tip-toeS. and
romps only in the Stablc-yard with the
dogs.
The real fact of the matter is that
Young girls lop down after having
caught 4 man, tired from the effort. and
they spend twO-thirds of the year with
mar who points out frailtieS in Dicks
constitution much too often to suit
Dick He loved jolly, cleanly girl,
but he did not bargain for a weary,
pale, sl.pShOd wife, who never cr.mps
her ha'r for him any more, nor wears
pretty house dresses or clean collars
unless company comes. He expected
that some time he should have to do
the right thing by an heir. bat again he
did not bargain for a damp, Sickly,
bottled-reared. poor. alm,houSe stvle of
baby, who means his days away and
howls out the nights.
A Jolly mother brings up jolly babies
Won NAV be sure of th,t-and vice
versa Dicks smoking den is full of
slop-water and baby garments in the
process of drying. Smoke hurts Alice
and Young Dick. so her mother SAYS.
His old bright-eyed. red checked girl
has grown into a down t-the heel,
quiet. non-reading. nOn-talking woman.
full of complaints and neuralgia. with
only Il thin crust over her tears. and,
to cap all. she is jealous because he can
st IL laugh and admire pretty woman
neatly dressed. No woman expects to
change so. but they make the grave
mistake of fancying that maternity will
also rouse some hidden paternity, and
that the father will grow solemn and
teary with the mother. Not bit of it.
The baby adds another chap to rOmp
with, and if he isn't that kind of little
animal he is voted IN. g." until he is
old enough to know dada and to know
a papier-mache pistol from doll.
All the time this youngster is looked
upon as an interlOper if his pretty
mother gets slouchy and wears old
flannel. musty, cOndensed-food smelling
wrappers. Be bright, talk to him OF
the days news. save some pin-mOney.
and get trusty woman who will look
after the baby when you go out with
Dick. but for your child's sake. don't
trust him always to that social fraud
a1d horror, a baby-nurse. Chicago
Tribune /