The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-05-24
The Sad Fate of Joshua Tear.

fTOW tue -NttC fOfh IItUuht
The Tribune has several tines called
attention Ill the past to individual in
stances of the abuse of man by his naTu-
raj enemy, woman, ranging from the case
of the South Carolina woman who shot
her husband because he forgot to get a
spool of thread at the village store, to
that of the New Jersey woman who ran
away with the hired man and took the
best cow on the place with her. We have
heartily advocated the formation of a
National Mans Rights Society, bat SO
far the men seem rather 10 tamely bear
the abuses to which they are subjected
than to take steps for their own relief.
But now comes the report Of case which,
it would seem, must awaken the men of
this country to a realization of the fact
that the time is at hand To act. A man
has been driven to suicide by his wife
constantly urging him to go to work.
Still woman claims that she is oppressed.
Joshua Tear lived in the thriving young
city of Bundle Bee, Idaho Territory. He
was a mau 80 years of age. Some years
ago, we do not know how many, Mr. Tear
married. joshua Tear had lived in this
world for half century and had never
done DAYS work. Naturally he recog-
nized the fact that there was less reason
why he should work IN the second half
century Of his existence than in the first.
AS he used periodically to rem urll to
Hiram Livingstone al Schroder'S grocery
store, "Wurk dent come easy, like it
ulster thirty year ago" Not that he had
ever done any work thirty years ago hut
he loved TO pretend that be had. So did
Hiram Livingstone. Caleb Johas was
another sympathrzsr. They frequently
met at Schroder'S, and held long consul
tations on work in the abstract, drawing
on imaginary rem Iisconcss as they sal
| by the stove and Nue Of them helped him
self to 4 Cracker md an0:her s3orped up
"A handful of dried psuaeS aud the third
dipped the long blade of his jack knife
| claimed that he built a mill dam across
the upper Snsqnehaupa river when he
| was IS years old, doing all of he work
alone. He always said shat he was
glassblower by trade, but there was no
glass to blow in Bundle Bee. IL the
| winter be would tell how well he enjoyed
the work of binding wheat in harvest.
| and as harvest approached he would
| mention to Livingstone. as he cAewed
| refectiveiy on one Of Schroeder, dried
apples, how be would like to get q job on
| the railroad AT shovelling Snow.
But this is not wholly TO the point-we
introduce it merely to give a hint at
Joshua Tears character, and to show
what great provocation he must have had
before be turned to suicide. For all the
time Mrs. Tear WAS making his life mis-
cradle about work. Sac kept AT him
morning, moon aud night. Ii vain he
pointed out the fact that she was doing
well at supporting the family, that he
had no fault 10 find. Am | i<iakiu'?"
he used to ask patheticaliy, at which the
heartless wOmaa would ultimate that he
was TOO lazy to kick, and he would put
On his bat aud go down to Schroder's
Gradually Livingstone and Johns began
to notice that he neglected the salt cod
fish and took only small, half hearted
bite when a stranger came in and passed
around plug OF tobacco. They observed,
too, that as he sat on salt barrel by the
stove it took him half day to whittle a
hole in stave, where formerly he had
never required over two hours. 1t began
to be whispered about town that Joshua
Tear was growing gloomy and despond-
ent. Livingstone remarked to John that
he was afraid Tear would be driven to
work by that wife of his after all.
Schroeder said he didn't think there was
any danger of it, and he rolled the crack
er barrel back behind the counter with a
gloomy countenance. The sequel proved
that the grocer was right. Mrs. Teal
kept up her prosecutions. Last Friday
Joshua Tear decided that lie could en-
dure it no longer. He borrowed Schro-
der's gun-some people now whisper chat
Schroeder was rather too willing to lend
it-went ont in the woods, shot himself
through the head anC died.
The facts in this case are so eloquent
that nothing remains to be said Here
was strong man driven directly to sui
eide by his wife. To day thousands OF
men in this country will heave sympa-
thetic sigh as they think OF j osbua Tear,
of Bumbie Bee, Idaho, but what woman
will give him kindly thought?