The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-06-12
IN THE WRONG NICHE.
How Devoted Wife Passed
from Darkness to Light.

Halstead Swinger, having tried almost
everything else, and finding nothing to
his taste, took unto himself wife. He
did not exactly love Rose, but he was
confident that she loved him, and on the
whole, he reasoned, the next best thing
to marrying one whom you love is
marrying one who loves you. Rose
was q village girl fair of face, devoid
of experience, but with great capacity
for loving. She was the daughter of
nobody in particular, as her husband
averred; that is, of course, he made
haste to add, nobody that anybody
would care 10 know or descend from.
Nevertheless there was one creature
who presently took it into his head to
descend from this obscure nobody, and
that was no less person than Halstead
Swinger's son. 1t was great pity that
he arrived at that inopportune moment,
for his father had just come to the con-
clusion that he was in the wrong niche
as newspaper reporter, and that his
real vocation was the law
1.-The law" he said to the admiring
Rose, is in this Republic of ours the
only sure way to distinction. Look at
the cabinet ministers, the President
and the foreign ministers-they have
studied law, at some time or other,
every one of them"
"But are you sure, Halstead dear,
that you have talent for the law?"
queried Rose, timidly.
Talent, did you say?-talentr' ex-
claimed her husband, pacing up 'and
down the floor rumpling his picturesque
hair talent, my dear Rosep Do you
mean to say that you doubt my ability?
Alas! and to this have come, that my
character is questioned and aspersed in
my own family"
"But, my DEAR" Rose demonstrated,
tenderly, 'there is no one here who has
said word against your characters
there. baby dearP" she cooed sweetly,
STOPPING down and rubbing her face
caressingly against the baby's chubby
cheeks.
Speech, Rose, Speech" he went ON,
somewhat pacited, sis what moves the
souls of men. / have felt from the hour
of my birth that fate destined me for an
orator. To sway great masses of men
by the power of my speech-that has
always been my idea of happiness.
but that you can do by means of
your pen, too" Rose observed quietly;
for since baby had arrived she was
afraid of encouraging Halstead in fur
ther changes of profession.
"My pen!' cried Mr. Swinger; 'did
you say my penP The living word lies
in the pen, and is henceforth but an
inky pen scratch. Must you reach the
heart of humanity by reporting prize
fights and family scandals for the
Weekly BdSS0om?"
Rose made no further remonstrance.
for she always, at heart, agreed with
Halstead in almost everything he said.
1t was undoubtedly true that if he only
got into his right niche he would make
the world aware what q man he was.
and honors and distinctions would
shower down upon him. She therefore
agreed, after an all-night's talk, to have
him give up his place on the Weekly
BdSSoon and take up the study of law.
She could take in sewing in the mean
while, and perhaps get a little writing
to do for the papers, for she had few
modest observations to make concerning
things in general, and was anxious to
get chance to print them,
II.
In certain outlying quarter OF
Brooklyn, where ash barrels, ancient
shoes and decrepit hoop-skirts play a
predomnating part in the scenery,
Halstead Swinger prepared himself for
his forensic triumphs. He made Rose
long speeches on foreign and domestic
politics, and Roses foolish little heart
swelled with pride in her bosom. She
sent him in fancy to Congress, to
foreign courts, and even to the White
House, and saw baby as handsome
young man marching down the Fifth
avenue, proudly erect in the conscious
ness of inherited distinction. She ran
her needle into her finger occasionally
in her self-forgetful zeal, and sucked o
drop or two of blood out of it, while
Halstead addressed an imaginary Con-
gress on the subject of Indian wrongs.
Her index finger was, indeed, so per-
forated with needle points that it was
horny and ragged, and seemed to have
lost all sensation. 1t was q great re-
lief to her when she could write. But
that she could never do except when
Halstead and baby were in bed, fol
otherwise they would both persist in in
terrupting her. Halstead's eloquence
was always overbrimming, and OF
course the poor fellow needed some one
to listen to him. AS for her stories,
they were naturally of no account, as
he amiably declared, and she had, in
deed, no conceits about them. They
were bona fde pot-boilers, and pro.
fesSed to be nothing else. But they paid
the rent for the two little rooms, and q
good many other things besides Hal.
stead could not be expected to make
any money while he was studying; but
when he had finished-when he had
electrified first the bar, and then the
public, by his fiery eloquence- then,
ali! then she would reap her reward.
The only thing that troubled her was
her eyes, which seemed at times to be
full of sand, and caused her no end of an
noyance. She spoke to Halstead about
them, but he told her cheerfully to hold
them open in cold water, and they
would be all right. She tried it, but Il
had no effect. 1t seemed to her. too. after
awhile, as if her mind was BEGINNING 70
run dry She had, in the stress for
matter written articles in which she
had given advice about hundred things
which she knew nothing about. She
had written about babies and materna
duties until that subject, too, seemed
fairly exhausted. Her Hygiene in the
Nursery" and advice to Young Moth.
ers" had been quite successful, though
she had scarcely tried or practiced 8
single rule that she recommended. Hel
accommodations were too poor and hel
life too busy. In fact, she was too tired
to see even the humor of her own situa-
ton as the experienced adviser of hun
dTeds who probably knew more than