The national leader., 1889-04-13
A Picture of Married Life.

Dr. Aikman, in Life at Home, gives
a picture of the domestic circle which
some husbands would do we'll to study;
for they would without doubt derive
great benefit from it. What we refer
to especially is the Indifference of many
husbands TO the arduOus household
duties of their wives. Many man
seems to regard these duties of the
wife, as not to be compared, for Il mo-
ment. with those which engrosS his at"
tention. When business has perpleXed
him and when he is pressed down by
the weight OF care and anxiety, he eX-
poets, when he comes home at night,
to have his wife's sympathy and en-
c0uragement, never imagining that
during the same day anything could
have occurred to perplex and trouble
his wife. He returns from his work
shop or Office. soured, perhaps, by some
bad bargain, or annoyed by stupid
workmen, or unreasonable employer. or
morose from some ill-spoken word, and
expects to be received with smiles. 1t
matters not how surly his looks may
be, he expects his wife to be, in dress,
In cOuntenance, in word, all sweetness
and amibility. He may have no pleas
ant word, may take his place moodily
at the table, but his wife's words he
expects to be affectionate and her
looks full only of gladness. ''What
can my wife have to trouble her, al
these household affairs are but trivial
matters, compared with mems business
affairs" During thlss same day the poor
little wife has gone through long and
weary routine of arduous and annoying
household duties. She has been toll
ing with family work and veXatious
care till her heads aching and feet
and hand and heart are sore with the
worry. The tea IS dispatched silently,
very likely with Sombre complaints
over the trials he has had during the
day, or the badness of the times, and
then the evening paper is taken in hand
and read over and over until the very
advertisements are devoured, or the
readers face is bowed upon the crum-
pied page in sleep. Or, if he be not
weary enough for that he selZes his hat
and rushes for the Reading Room, or
more probably for the lounging place
where such as he do congregate; there,
with fragment of cigar in his hand and
desultory talk from his lips, he fingers
till the noise Of the closing shutters
warns him to leave. He goes at last
home again, because he can go nowhere
else. Meanwhile the wife has, with a
heavy heart and tired step, got the
little ones into bed and, as best she
could, has worn away the long hours of
the evening in loneliness.
Should a thought of his selfshness or
injustice cross the mind of the husband,
he responds, with ready self compla-
cency, 81 require rela Xation, and must
see my friends.' The night is witness
of the same or greater lack of sympathy.
Perhaps the babe is not well, and is
restless. But that is not his business.
1t matters not that the poor, pale wife
has had the child in her arms through
the long day-a days work with sick
babe, one of the weariest Of mortal
coils-he must not be disturbed |
have known such husband provide II
distant sleeping apartment that he
might not be disturbed. and he snOr-
ing in deep Inconsistencies while a
frail wife, with swollen eyes, and limbs
that almost refuse to obey an iron will,
was walking to and fro with his child.