National Republican., 1886-01-02
YOUNG nousoN,s wIrE.


year. Young IIouson is wcll-meaning
young fellow, but he made queer mess OF
II in this marriage. lie told me about II
tonight. lie sent for me, because he was
perplexed and wanted me TO explain how
It was that things had gone so utterly
wrong.
OF course ] couldn't tell him. There was
no reason why couldn't tell him but this
he couldn't understand IL. turned II over
in my mind in o dozen ways while he was
telling the story, for saw almost as soon
as he had begun what the matter was, but
| couldn't find any form of words 10 show
him how It was that Priscilla Herbert had
turned out so wretchedly. Ic was really
anxious to know II lie had done wrong.
lie couldn't see how things could
have happened so unless some one was at
fault, could only assure him that he had
been In no fault except to have been born
I'm Philadelphia In the last half Of the nine
teenth century. He couldn't understand
what meant. Ileft him dazed and sm1k-
ing in his house ON Nineteenth street. His
dead wife and child were In O room over
head / am quite sure that he went up
there again to look at them and try to find
cut where the trouble had becn.
II seems us II all that white uncarthliucss
and beauty must have told him. Yet aui
sure It didn't. I am sure It only left him
perplexed and scared and dimly conscious
Of something in life and death OF which he
knew nothing, and that he went back to
his room and sat up and tried his best TO
remember something he had done which he
could call wrong according to his code and
that Of his kind-some reason for his young
wife's having always been nearly ~ cold to
him rs she Is now-but infinitely less con
tent in his neghborhood.
He will find nothing, although he sits up
till the parson and the hearse are at the
door. There is nothing wrongiabout young
Houson. lie is like all young fellows,
kind hearted, well hammered, and simple
natured. lie is 20 years old, and has a
good bit Of money in his own right. He
has n round, pleasant face, and little
whskers on the sides of It, lie has a
round, frank eye and white teeth. He has
little fringe OF hair on his forehead and a
half an inch back of IL he begins to part the
hair of his head. He wears a high collar
and a black crGyat before dinner, and q
high collar and white tie at dinner. The
coat he wears before dinner Is called a
frock, and the coat he wears after dinner Is
known by divers names, among them
"swallow-tail" and ''claw-hammer." There
is great difference between the two kinds
Of coats. 1t was after dinner when we
still picture Of maternity in death. and
therefore young IIouson wore the latter
kind Of coat. Young Houson attends to
these matters OF coats because IL Is part of
the law Of nature to him. At the same
time he sometimes acts from principle, not
instinct. | am quite certain that he cur
tailed, by his example two years ago, the
extravugant lengths to which the bell
crowned beaver was running, and that at
the present time he exerts the same con-
seTvative influence In rcactionary tonden-
cies toward the chimney pot.
When l called on him tonight he said,
"Old man, wanted to SEQ you. thought
You might be able to explain something tc
me. You always were cleverer than IL
This is young Houson's formula when
ever he asks my advice. 1t is not a strictly
necessary formula, and generally laugh ni
it; but tonight, of course, laughing wa,
out of the question. "There's something
wrong.n the young man went on; "somc
thing that's been wrong, and don't know
at seems rs II | had been figuring as {
brutal husband, and l can't make out how
have been. don't believe In such things
anyway, except in books and among low
people. AT least ] never knew of but on
case, and that was Larry Poundell. III
used to drink too much, and | guess hi
wife gave him as good as he sent-and sh
was no earthly use, anyway. used to b
ashamed Of her, for mypart, and had yer
little to do with her, compared with som
fellows.
swell, my wife was afraid of me-.deathl
afraid. You've seen us together, haven
you? Nothing unusual about us, eh ? No
Well, she was afraid Of me from the start
deathly. She acted all the time we live
together as II she feared was going to
something to her. She looked at me so tina
I've often gone to the glass to see II ha
hump or horns on my forehead, or any
thing beastly about me. She concealed thit
of course, in public, but 1t was there all tn
time. It's queer"
Young Houson looked out of the wlndo,
at the bare lilac tree in the court. lie dre'
a penknife from his pocket and filed hi
nails abstractedly before he went on. Thi
took for a sign of agitation, for his nail
always came perfect from his dressing
room, and / knew he would only spoil ther
by filing them. Besides, in an undisturbe
mental state, he would consider 1t maxim
a part Of his toilet in II manner In public
"I've thought might have been tight" h
said suddenly. ~ mean tight when "
were married. I've known fellows so whe
they were married. But wasn't. / loo
back and i remember that took especii
pains not TO be. was afraid of the In
preston II might leave. knew she wa
shy; knew she was just out Of school.
knew she would be shocked II ! appeare
any way Off. / knew she was diiferel
from girls who had been out mucl
That was why she was great relief Wh.
those flirting old widows and young marie
women used to make me sick, 'pon m
word, after met her-women, by CAD, thi
most young fellows would just as leave
talked about with-and that was why
know wasn't even what she'd call tigh
/ mean by that, any different from usual
spoke q bit louder or faster, or laughe
easy. So just acted rs II I'd met her O
come ones house and was glad to see her.
"But she was changed as soon as we We
alone. She was Observation-Disclosures
death. / know what frightened to deaf
means, too. ] saw stag once, just befo
he was shot in Lake Saranac, come rig
alongside my boat, and his eyes looked III
hers, only hers were blue, and I've nev
gone In for that sort Of thing since. l sa
this, say, and went out on the balloon
was out. Well, sir, walked up In ii
middle Of the night and she was out on ii
balcony where I'd been. She'd put on alol
blue wrapper, and her hair was In q lor
yellow braid down her back, like schoc
girls wear.
alt was very still. You could inst he
the waves, and there was waltz music on
yacht In the harbor away of. She was loo
ing outon the bay. II was moonlight, al
could see IL shine through the little fu
Of rumpled hair about her forehead. 5
turned around once, and / could see
same frightened look come into her ey
again. Then there happened somethi
queer. When she turned toward the wal
again heard her say, i wish could pra
She said IL in distracted kind of a way,
II praying was the only thing TO do and !
didn't know how to do 1t. Now that "
queer. What would she want to pray 4
and why the deuce--I'l take that back;
Isn't right, suppose, to swear about PR
inG-but why couldn't she prayY She col
pray fast enough other times. She used
say her prayers every night and mornil
ard went to St. Surpllce's about twice di
should think"
The deepening shadows Of the night
myfRce and tue smile on it. But should