St. Paul daily globe., 1886-09-19
CRUELTY OF EXTRAvAGANCE.

People were inclined to laugh at the cow
ardice of the man who a short time ago
filed bill in one of our state courts for
divorce from his wife on the ground OF
cruel treatment. The idea of a man being
woman might find its place in a legend of
the Catskill mountains. but it is entirely too
ludicrous for serious consideration in this
practical age. So people were disposed to
laugh at the poor fellows exhibition of
cOwardice until the details of his complaint
were published in full; then it was that
the laughter of many was converted
into downright sympathy. He doesn't
say that the woman beat him, or that she
even shook her fist in his face. He doesn't
allege that she cursed or reviled him. or
that she even treated him with contumely.
There is no allegation that she sent him to
bed supperless OF refused to sew buttons on
his clothing. Her cruelty was of different
order. 1t was the Outgrowth of that rage
of extravaganza which is desolating so
many homes and severing so many domestic
ties in this nineteenth century. This poor
man felt that he was being killed
by the toll. the fret and the
worry produced by a straining, cease
less struggle to obtain the wherewithal
for the demands of an extravagant wife,
and he appealed to the courts for release
from this sort of torture. His divorce bill
reveals story which is familiar in all its
details to many another man who has been
carrying the same unseen load in dumb
patience for many long year. 1t Is a
short story and is soon told. He is
tradesman. and as the world goes, is an
honest man. He has a wife and one
grown-up daughter. His wife is some
thing of lady, and has Sc
cured position in society which
she is anxious to retain for herself
and daughter. The income from his busI-
ness is not sufficient to meet the demands
of the extravagant wife and ambitious
daughter. He tries to reason with them,
but they will not listen. He finds at home
neither sympathy for himself nor compre-
hension of his situation. When he goes
home at night, tired out with the days la
bOrS, instead of rest, and domestic quiet
and comfort, he hears nothing but the dis
ties and pleasure excursions. When he re-
minds them that trade is slack
this season they look at him in
langud surprise and lemind him in turn
that ''slack" is not an elegant word. He has
spent the day in looking over bills long
overdue from his Eastern creditors for goods
which still lie ON his shelves and counters
He has worried and fretted and perplexed
his mind over them until the sight of bill
is a torture to his soul. Yet when he
reaches home in the evening he finds an
other stock of the same worrying sort of
literature. In addition to the legitimate
bills from the butcher, the grocer, the
baker all classes of tradesmen, there
are bills for silks and laces and fiounces
and rurbelows, bills for carriage hire, bills
for gloves and shoes and silk hosiery. bills
for wine, lunches and spreads. and bills for
sundries without limit. He thought, when
he left his desk to come home in the even
ing. he saw a way to straighten
out his accounts by the end of the month.
But now the Strengthening out vision has
again disappeared, and the poor, harassed
brain is more than ever clouded with per-
plexity. He sits down and tries to think.
His meditation is interrupted by the
cruel wife breaking to him
plan for herself and daughter to
spend the warm season at fashionable
resort. With what little executive power
tkat is left to him he vetoes the measure,
but only to find that the wife and daughter
rapidly form combination and carry the
measure over the veto by a two-thirds vote.
He goes out the next day to shin around in
the same old way. lodging his creditors who
are pressing him on every side. When his
brother tradesmen hear him talk about trade
being slack they understand him and SYM
pathize with him. Too many of
them know how it is themselves.
At last, in sheer desperation, his