The record-union., 1891-09-04
SHE REFORMED HIM.
A Chicago WOman's Peculiar Crusade
Against Liquor and Tobacco.


Against Liquor and Tobacco.
That women of refinement no not wage
war against liquor and tobacco as mere
matter Of taste, to say nothing of
the moral aspect of the habits, is simply
another proof of the marvellous patience
of the gentler sex. Il like the scent of a
good cigar" said young married wo-
man at an informal gathering the other
day.
"Do you?" retorted wife of twenty
years. "Well, l don't believe it, The
fresh smoke Of q cigar is not particularly
unpleasant, but l can't understand how
any healthy person can enter a room in
which tobacco smoke has grown stale and
escape a nausea, and the breath of a
smoker is something TO which | simply
cannot become accustomed. Some years
ago my husband complimented me upon
the tolerance for tobacco which l had ac-
quired. | told him it wasn't tolerance,
but merely that sort Of martyrdom which
accepts the inevitable in silence. That
made him angry, and we had a few
words which are seldom seen in romantic
novels. That night, just before his time
to return from the Office ate a good, large
strong onion. When he came smiled, put
my arms around his neck, kissed him and
asked his forgiveness for my previous
impatienCe. / noticed on his face a strur-
gle between look of disapprobatiOn and
one of kindness, but he is a generous
man, and he kissed me and didn't say
anything about the onion. The next
afternoon | boiled cabbage and purposely
| left the doors open between the kitchen
and the sittingroom. When he came in
the air was dense with the OdOr. I had
on my prettiest dress and welcomed him
with a true honeymoon tenderness, but
the cabbage was too much for his pa
tience, and he GROSSLY inquired whether
l hadn't better move the kitchen range
in the parlor and do all my cooking
there, However, | was all patience and
sweetness, and shifted responsibility for
the vegetable atmosphere upon the care
lessness of the cook. The day after this
my husband sent home a mess of frogs
legs, 4 dish of which he is especially
fond. | saw that the cook prepared
them exactly to his liking, and when he
entered the dining-ToOm they were on a
big dish near his plate. Crisp and brown
and garnished with water cresses But
he didn't eat any Of the frogs legs Why?
Wen, at a great inconvenience / had
secured from the grocer a packet of Ger
man cheese which was so redolent that
one could almost see the odOr That
cheese reposed in a pretty glass dish
in the center of the table. The
in the name of - when I burst
out laughing. When / was able to con-
troll myself [ explained to him. I've
just been trying to give you a little object
lesson,' ! said, in the punishment a
woman has 10 endure with a husband
who uses liquor and tobacco. At present
/ am not very fond of onions, cabbage or
Limburger cheese, but the habits of men
teach me that one can acquire a taste for
anything that is naturally Objectionable
if time and patience are devoted to the
task. hope that you'll get used to it,
dear, and that in a month or two we NAV
enjoy our tobacco and beer and onions
and cheese together, and create a home
atmosphere which will be the envy of all
the neighbors.'
~ suppose he gave up liquor then,'
said the young woman, cheerfuIly.
The married woman of twenty wears
did not answer directly. after you've
been married ten years." she said, "you
try to break your husband of something.
However, nothing so irretrievably de-
stroys the romance with which every
bride regards the man of her choice as
the recognition of the fact that he is the
slave of habits which render his presence
unpleasant in the extreme. Such a man
wouldn't think it strange if his wife
should object to his constant appearance
in dirt and rags, and yet in the matter of
household happiness and content the
sense of smell is about as important a
factor to a woman as that of sight. t."-Chi-
cagO Herald.