Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-01-21
HOW DOMEsTICATED MY HUS'
BAND.

HOW I DOMEsTICATED MY HUs-
BAND.
A little over eight years ago mar.
ried man in whom there was very
little promise of his ever becoming a
domesticated husband. He was sew
eral years older than myself, fond
of society and change, and for at least
decade had never lived more than
six months in one place. For ten
years or so prior to this he had been
a thorough Bohemian, one of those
careless, good-for-nothing fellows you
quiet people very often read about but
seldom see. Then he suddenly faced
about. aud became one Of the most
orderly men l ever met. He got in.
PRODUCED into society, and being
good talker, if nothing else, was
here and there, dining out on an aver
age FIVE days in the week. If he had
been handsome man, which emphat-
ically he is not, he might have sunk
down to the level of drawing-room
"tabby," a pet squire of danes. pur-
veyor of gossip. dandy at once envi-
ed and despised by his fellowman.
But as kind nature has made him
prodigiously plain q quote his own
words). he was spared that degrada-
ton. He had good income at the
time, and was independent, in a Pc
cuniary sense, ofhospitality but there
is no doubt that he was very fond of
the "festive board" had no aversion
to garden parties, enjoyed toxophil-
lite meeting, and could be seen at
flower shows apparently in high spirits.
At home--he knew nothing of domes-
tic cares. Paying we'll, and without
questioning his weekly bills, he was
waited upon with the attention his
easy-going entitled him to receive.
He is bad hand even now in dealing
with money, and if it we're not for me
but l must not anticipate. You
will see that / had not what the world
calls first-rate material out Of which
to mold a domesticated husband. i
was only ninteen, and helm the thirties.
After thirty a man becomes Set
he gets fixed ideas, and is not 80 pill
able as a younger man. If a man
when he turns thirty does not improve,
he has little chance of doing so later
on. There is no sinner SO hardened
as an old sinner, and if your husband,
provided he has been thoughtless and
foolish, does not mend before he is
forty, fear you will have to give him
up in despair.
Why | married my husband is a
secret shall not reveal to you, but /
assure you that had no intention Of
doing so until he asked me. l used
to see him very often crossing our
farm with his gun, and two or three
dogs at his heels sometimes alone,
and sometimes with the harumscarum
sons of our rector /; and l used to say
to myself, 81 do not think that / could
marry such a man as that" He was
always so painfully neat in his attire,
the antipodes of Bohemisnism had
come to him, and l pictured to my
self his eyerlastingly grumbling about
his collars and cuffs, and moaning
over speck of dust upon his coat.
But l married him, and after our
honeymoon we settled down in a very
nice house in Berkshire village. !
then discovered the sort of man /
had to deal with. He was not un.
kin, or Intentionally exacting, but
he seemed to take it matter Of course
that everything was to be done for
him. He did not even attempt to
brush his clothes, beyond giving them
touch with the brush as he was
going out, as that Office had been per-
formed for him in recent years. AS a
Bohemian l do not think he possessed
clothes brush. If he did he kept it
concealed from his brethren, who
would have secuted him for his apos.
tasy. The old habits and longings
chung to him. He liked society, and
we went out great deal. We also
entertained in return. As a single
man he had had no need to do so, but
now that he had a wife 1t was expect
ed of him. / saw from the first that
it would not do. His ideas of money.
spending were very loose, and he
seemed to forget that giving dinners
cost money. The income that was
ample for him as single man was
not sufficient to keep up our home at
the rate which we started. Every.
thing but his business my spouse left
for others to do. There was not the
slightest thing necessary to be done
in the house-and there are things of
almost daily occurance-bat some
man or woman must be called in to