Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-09-05

BILE feeling that iu g tie of his love and
his pride. that Mamie came first in his
calculations aud she came the second
Now no woman in the wide world likes 70
be second when she feels she ought TO be
the first. and Julia Howard was no excep-
ton to the rnle. 1t would have done no
good if she had explained rs much TO
Stephen-he would have said, and natu-
rally enough. that Mamie understood
business. particularly Australian busl-
ness, while she did not, that he not only
did not want TO talk over his sisters al
fairs, finding them quite trouble enough
as it was and even If he did 1t would
scarcely be quite honorable TO Mamie
However, Julia did not say anything TO
her husband about this, so he dld not
make the remarks which he would IN
evitably have made had she done so. 30
this risk to their married happiness passed
over without coming near enough 10 en-
danger it.
How odd it is that most husbands and
wives generally begin their life together
in much the same way. The wife's past
is TO be not only al open book but sheet
of blank paper too. Her husband is 10
share her most secret thoughts, he IS 10
guide as well as protect her. she is his
darling, his angel, his little wife, his
everything. But on the other hand how
different it all is! The man takes posi-
tive pride in not having been sheet OF
blank paper, and If he opens the book OF
his past life it is generally found not fit
for publication! The wife who must share
her inmost thoughts with him must not
y too closely into his past, and he Will
Just at first in the very early days OF their
marriage, even 20 so far as to say that
he cannot tell her 50 and so, because 1t
would be a breach of confidence. 1T is
nothing to do with you" he will say, 1T
is only little business matter between my
mother and me-" or, my sister and me,
as the case may be.
II is this phase which is so hard for
new-made wife to bear-but happily it
does not last long. In spite Of the open
book, blank sheet of paper, the guided
and protected idea, with which man
starts as n husband, if the wife be ordi-
narily wise and judicious, in the course
of a year tn ere is nothing, l repeat 1t en-
phatically nOthiTlg that the ordinary man
will voluntarily keep from her They say
that a woman cannot keep a secret! Well,
there may be something in that but
know that would rather trust any VIC.
mup I ever knew sooner than | would
trust myself to keep anything from the
dear and charming lady whom | call the
wife OF my bosom. ! might try mig It
start with a valiant theory that wild
horses should not drag it from me. True,
wild horses would be as powerless against
NV stern resolve as unfledged uestlings of
an hour old, but should have to tell Nell
all the same She might be wholly un-
suspicious, she might even go so far as
not to wish to know-but | should have
to tell her all the same.
What do you say, gentle reader' Very
weak Of mel Perhaps! But | can tell
YOU this, if YOU are man who honors
this page with your attention, you are not
a married man, if you are of the gentler
sex and YOU are also married lady, you
must have been singularly injudcious in
your treatment of "him' or you would
recognize the fidelity and truth of the re-
marks have just set down.
Oh! YOU ask why is it 50! Faith, that is
a difficult question to answer. | do not
know-nOt because | have ever had a
quarrel with my spouse, perhaps because
/ have never had one. Well, well, be that
ms it may, have told you how the little
! cloud no bigger than II mans hand arose
on the matrimonial! horizon Of two lives
! for the rest, 1 must ask you 10 read on.