Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-22
HER REFORMS KEPT HER BUSY,
So Mrs. Stetson Could not Com.
fort Her Husband.
Charles Walter of Boston Tells His
Version of the Affair.
He Does not Consider His Literary Wife
Crank and Admires Her Ability.
Some of Her Frank Letters-She
Declines to Live with Him.

uouCo, Hs 1sS uatou GhO iOthj "AAoA
reads as follows:
Up two crazy flights of stairs in the
Fleur de Lis building, which in its early
days might have been artistic in the
eyes of some, though now it smatters o
dirty plaster work and paint, the Exam
liner correspondent found Charles Wal
ter Stetson, who has tested reform ideas
and found them not to his liking. Mr..
Stetson is OF retiring disposition, q
noticeable proof of which was his card
uaon the door announcing that no visit.
ors will be admitted save on Saturday,
unless by appointment or on business.
Suspended0abov this was brass cow
bell attached to rough strip OF leather,
and there was further injunction to
ring, the noise reverberating through
the rafters Of the artists barn-like
building.
NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF ABUSE.
Mr.. Stetson does not look like an
abused man; in fact, he is reserved in
demeanor, and in conversation showed
that he was happy at the thought of a
separation in the near future OF mar
riage ties. His not the ideal tale OF woe,
but he tells it in the easy manner OF the
gentleman.
1--WE were married in this city May Q,
1884," he said, "by Joshua A. Stetson, a
free-will Baptist clergyman. My wife
was Charlotte Anna Perkins, and she
came of fine family in Hartford, Conn.
When married she was % years of age,
and was three years her, senior. |
have lived in Providence "a years, with
the exception of about IA months in Pas
adena.
"Our married life for year or go was.
quite pleasant, but she early espoused
the Bellamy doctrine and began contrib
uting letters on dress reform, discarded
corsets, heels on her boots and the like,
and practiced daily in a public gymna-
sium. She thought it her duty to sacri-
fee the domestic and conjugal relations
for what che felt she was called to do in
the cause of women's rights, dress re-
form and Nstionalism.
PLACES BETTER THAN HOME.
'In order to sustain marriage rela-
tions she frequently declared that she
would have to stay at home more than
she wanted to, and she said she could
not, therefore, devote as much time as
she wished to the preparation of her
articles and lectures, for she began to
think that her sphere in life was as
lecturer and writer on reforms. She
often declared that domestic duties took
too much strength which should be
given to something more important, as
she expressed it, her whole soul being
wrapped up in her literary labors.
"She has since year after our mar
riage written articles for the National
ist, New Nation, Century, New England
Magazine, Cosmopolitan and Kate
Fields Washington. Her contributions
were of two kinds-fction and purely
literary efforts and articles advocating
the current reform movement of the
day for the elevation of the race. She
soon got to be a radical reformer, and
her articles largely advocated such re-
forms. She has made a remarkable
reputation as writer and has been de-
eervedly commended by Oliver Wendell
Holmes, William Dean Howells and
numerous literary lights.
HUSBANDS PRIDE.
81 have always taken an interest in
her success, and have regretted that our
separation became necessary. She often
expressed desire to discontinue our re-
lations and would have done so long ago
could she have reconciled what she for
several years regarded as her duty to
me with her duty to the work she
wished to do. In October, 1888, she
decided that she would not stay here
longer with me, and made arrangements
to 20 to California without consulting
me, She thought her health would be
better there and she would be able to
do more work. When I found it out
consented to her going and
in the following December l went to
Pasadena, being induced to do 30 by
offers of professional work by friends.
IT never considered Mrs. Stetson q
crank, though her ideas do not agree
with mine. Twas always faithful and
provided good home for her. While
We lived in Pasadena, in July, 1890, she
became go decided in her views that it
was by compromise that she consented
to even stay in the same house until /
saw fit to leave. was ummoned
back in January, 1890, by the death
of my mother, but Mrs. Stetson refused
to accompany me, though begged
and implored her. was then con iem-
plating trip to Europe, but she said
ehe would not go with me. Her reason
was that che wanted to be free. re-
newed by letter my requests for her to
live with me, but she cast me of, and
in October last resolved to get di-
vorce. We never quarreled to any ex-
tent, and the whole trouble was that
ehe wanted to be woman's leader, to
show others how to dress, go as to be
strong and healthy and bring up
healthy children"
AN EXPRESSION OF VIEWS.
One of the letters received by Mr..
Stetson was az follows:
PASADENA, June 16, 1890.
DEAR WALTER: It seems to me possi-
BILE that from my continued friendliness
and, perhaps, tenderness, in some past
letters that you may have misunder-
stood my position-have had some hope
that l would some day be yours again.
Do not deceive yourself. dear. My life
il too precious to me to waste any more
of It like those seven years we
spent together; not wasted in
some ways, l grant; full of deep
experience and that pain that means
growth. But you we'll know how it un-
lifted me for my work, and now that
you have left have done good work and
lots of it--have made reputation in
one year. The difference is too great.
Good Looks.
Good looks are more than skin deep, depend
ing upon healthy condition of all the vital
bilious look; II your stomach be disordered
you have dyspepiic look, and III your kid