Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-22
RoCKING-CHAIR HABIT.
How Lovely Woman Destroyed Her
Home with Rocking chairs.
From, the Philadelphia Press.

nome with Rocking -chatrs.
From, the Philadelphia Press.
believe that the alarming increase of
divorce in this country during the past
two or three years is due in very great
measure 10 the rockingham habit.
Men may well rise up in alarm and look
about them for means to stifie the terrible
evil, for the rockIng-chair habit has in
sidiously fastened its fangs upon the wO-
men OF our country. A few years ago
they were content with one plain, unpre-
tentious rocking-chair, but now, alas the
lndUlgent husband looks aghast upon his
nrst annual expenditure for rocking
chairs, and then goes out and makes an as
signment.
knew a lovely bride who was endowed
VITO many graces OF mind and person
ana all the charms Of tender, contdng
womanhood; she was the idol OF a fond
husband, the pride of tender parents and
the charm Of a wide circle or tried and
true friends. She and her husband were
not rich, save in love, but they had a pref
ty home and were happy.
She began with just one rockingham.
Even the second caused no alarm. Per-
haps the fond and indulgent husband may
have encouraged her habit thus lar, snd
thus unconsclOusly helped the one dear
est 10 him on earth to that course which
could have but one ending. From the
second rocking-chair the way is easy to
the third, the fourth, the fftn and even to
the sixth. Aud yet when this woman pos
sessed SIX rocking-chairs her friends did
not seem to realize her danger. They may
have been blinded by affection.
When this fair young wife had dozen
rockIDg-chairs and still craved for more.
her husband began gently to demonstrate
with her, but he was too late. The habit
had become too firmly fixed. After one
or two feeble efforts TO reform. she gave
up in despair and rushed on in her mad
career Of buying rocking-chairs. All day
long she hung about the furniture stores.
She bought big and little recking-chairs,
new-tashiOned and old-fashioned rocking
chairs, upholstered and hard-bOttOmed
camp and wicker rocking
chalrs-thus she went on until the hIrni-
ture in that once happy little home seemed
to the tortured husband one vast cOllec-
ton of rocking-cbairs OF every size, style,
shape and condition.
When that sOrrOW-stricken but patient
man would come home from the lodge at
the still hour CT midnight a large able
bodied rocking-chair would meet him al
most at his door and knock him TO the
noor and fall over upon him. Then, as be
would rise to bis feel, another rockingchair
would lay him low and bring down upon
bis head shower of bric-a-brac. Aud
thus he would 60 from rOcking-chair to
rockingham until he would reach his
own chamber, where thirteen rocking
chairs would meet him in rapid success
sion and have very large amount OF fun
with him. Each one as he would meet it
would knock fresh piece of bark from
one or the other of his shins or break a
toe that had escaped earlier in the battle,
and would then throw him violently to
the floor. And his wife, whose reason
was tottering on its throne from the eff
fects OF her terrible habit, would get up
and strike light and try to persuade him
that there was only one rockingham in
the room, just one plain, ordinary cham
Der rocking-chair which he in his wander
ings around in the dark had fallen over
thirteen times.
Poor deluded woman! With his Sims
barked in thirteen places, and some TWEEN
ty other wounds and Commissions on vari-
Gus parts OF his person. the husband
would be too much veXed 10 humOr the
delusions of his wite's disordered brain,
and, holding himself erect by placing one
arm around the bedpost and using the
most emphatic language, he would point
to the thirteen rocking-chairs sitting
about him in circle. True, they were
all OF the same pattern, but that was
nothing; the time was when he had seen
twenty rOcking-chairs OF the same gem
eral style all in one room.
Such scenes could lead to but one end
ing. Love could not continue to abide
amid such occurrences. AT first there
were mutterings, then came more en-
phatic language, and finally separation
and divorce.
There is nothing that will disrupt
home so quickly as a tall, able-bOdied
rocking-chair, standing fair in mans
way when he is hunting for something in
the dark. II meets him with extreme
suddenness. 1t throws out no warning
that it is there and about to strike, and
the defenseless victim goes down in
heap, confused and demOralized wreck
Of humanity, while the rockingham, in
its own peculiar demoniacal way, jumps
and dances upon his postrate form.
Sweet woman, beware Of the rocking
chair habit, and, oh man, hearken ye un-
to the words that utter: Give the tall,
able-bodied rocking-chair elbow room at
midnight's holy hOurl SCOTT WAY.