The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-02
A GAME FOR TWO.
How Mr.. and Mrs. Gibson Brown
Spent the Evening at Home.

61ACC4C11 iOAu VI Each Quiet, IOuQu ere
they had been many months married
that there We're various things about
which they did not agree.
Hundreds of other young married
couples have made the same discovery,
and although it surprised and shocked
them they have been too wise to allow it
to wreck the happiness of their married
lives.
Mr.. and Mrs. Browne were thus wise.
They wasted no time in undignifed and
Improbable ~wrangling over their differ
ences Of opinion, but neither of them
yielded M jot or title to the other.
They simply kept silence on all topics on
which they should disagree.
Happily also for them their differences
of opinion were in regard to the minor
things of life, and, although it is the
''little foxes that destroy the vines"
their little differences did not destroy
their worldly happiness, each of them
being blessed with abundant good nat
ure in spite of the frmness Of opinion
that made them decline to yield n to
the other.
Mrs. Gibson Browne was a high
church ~Episcopalian, while Mr.. Gibson
Browne was inclined toward Unitarian
ism, but Mrs. Browne did not become q
Unitarian, nor did Gibson renounce his
faith and become IN Episcopalian-and
yet they were happy as married folks go.
Mrs. Browne was decidedly opposed
to all operas in which there was a ballet,
while Mr.. Browne was fond of q ballet
purely because Of the artistic effect it
gave to operate scenes, and he went to
the opera whenever he felt like doing so,
and he did not annoy his wife by telling
her anything about it.
And when Mrs. Gibson wished to do
anything she felt it was perfectly proper
for her to, even though Gibson did not
approve of it, she simply and quietly did
it, and Gibson was none the wiser.
There were times when Mr.. and Mrs.
Gibson Browne exempli6ed the old ad-
age, s'Silence is golden"
One morning at the breakfast table
Mr.. Browne said:
"My dear, don't forget that the Van
Horns give their party tomorrow night"
81 remember it," replied Mrs. Browne
without lifting her eyes from her plate.
"What dress shall you wear?:'
81 am not going" replied Mrs. Browne
calmly.
"Not going?" Mr.. Browne dropped
his knife and fork in surprise.
"No, / am not"
"Why not?'
81 have my reasons, Gibson. Rest as
sured that they are good ones. And I'd
rather you didn't go either"
"But | think I shall go, my dear"
"Td rather you wouldn't"
81 don't see why | shouldn't CO."
"Let the fact that / don't wish you to
suffice for this once"
For the first time in their married
lives, Mr.. and Mrs. Browne engaged in
O heatei discussion. Mrs. Browne firm
~ refused to give her reason for remain
ing at home, and as firmly insisted on
Mr.. Browne remaining with her. There
was, in fact, a good deal of frmness on
both sides.
Mrs. Browne did not resort to tears;
she never did. MI. Browne did not rage
int fume and use ungentlemanly Ian
guage; henever did; but their voices grew
harder and colder every moment, and as
they rose from the table Mrs. Browne
said decidedly:
You shall not go, Mr.. Browne;' to
which MI. Browne replied with equal
decision:
sIndeed ! shall go, Mrs. Browne"
But he went down town in O more un-
comfortable frame Of mind than he had
eve experienced as a married man.
Never before had he seen such a look of
firmness on his wife's face, and he knew
by this time that Mrs. Browne was a very
determined woman. But he was dog
gedly determined to resist her opposition.
He would go to the party.
81 guess she'll hardly hide my dress
suit" he said. 'But hanged if | feel
like putting it on and marching off be-
fore her very eyes. Pm afraid therell
be trouble if I do. But I shall go, all
the same, if II know what I'll do!
Yes, sir; Ill do it, and we,n have a big
laugh over it afterward, although it
wouldn't be much Of a laughing matter
if Mrs. Browne knew / intended doing
it. But I'll do it, sure as guns!"
And when Mr.. Browne went home to
tea the next evening there was tucked
away in his vest pocket a little phial con-
tanning q colorless liquid he had just
purchased at the druggists.
"She often puts a few drops Of this in
a glass of milk or Of water, and takes it
when she can't sleep or when she has a
~toothache," he said, "and it never fails
to send her right off to sleep. Now I'll
manage to put o few drops of this in her
tea tonight. She always lies down for
a little while after each meal, and she'll
be asleep before ten minutes tonight,
and / can dress and be off without those
keen eyes Of her upon me, and without
any d~isagreeable arguing Of the matter.
for go will"
Browne found it easy enough to ''doc-
tor" the glass of milk his wife always
drank at the tea table, and according to
her usual custom Mrs. Browne lay down
on a sofa Immediately after tea, and, as
Browne had predicted, she was soon fast
asleep.
"But hanged if / don't feel mean owe,
It," said Browne as he sat in his big easy
chair looking at her and picking his teeth
with the gold and pearl toothpick she
had given him only three DAYS before.