The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-09-23
MRS. HICKS-BROWN.
How a Lesson Of Mutual For
bearancS Was Learned

bearance Was Learned.
There is always a beginning To an
end. What il was in the case of Mr.
and Mrs. Hicks Brown, | do not pre-
tend to know. What | know most
about is the end and the appendix. OF
course all the differences leading mp To
the last act were thoroughly aired in
court and in the newspapers, but il was
the final act of brutality on Mr. Hicks
Browns part that was especially
dilated upon. and for weeks this ''hend
in human form" was eXecratcd by
danes and damsels all over this broad
land, and Mrs. Hicks-Browu was an
object of heartfelt commiseration on all
sides.
! am inclined To think that If Mr.
Hicks Brown had been more like the
men who are held mp As model husbands
by the knowing members of certain
ladies societies, he and Mrs. Hicks
Brown-she whom only two short
years since he had promised 20 love and
cherish-would be living in peace and
amity, TO say nothing of coujugal
happiness, even unto this day; and if
Mrs Hicks Brown had been anything
but the only child of very rIch and
foolishly indulgent papa, things might
have been different. But Mr.. Hicks
Brown was just a. much used to having
his own way as was his pretty spouse:
and the natural result was family
rows, more or less insignificant in
character. At first, Mr.. Hiclls-Brown
was inclined to give in, just as all
dutiful bubbles are; but he saw the
h l. ,% 10 on 70 yNh IRh h1G
course was causing him to drift, and
concluded, after mature consideration.
that it was his will that should domin-
ate in the Hiclxs-Brown family, and he
fixed his plan of procedure and gov
erned his actions accordingly. Mrs
Hicks-B Brown, with feminine insight.
perceived. at an early stage of the
game, what her lords intentions were:
and, as she had always been accus-
toned to have her way, she decided
that it was too late to begin knocking
under-and there you have what was
presumably the beginning of the end.
1t was dog that caused the climax.
If there was any creature on earth that
Mr. Hicks Brown loathed and despised,
it was pug. and his better half, aware
of this antipathy, had. with character
lSllC AiNA
self Of the first opportunity TO possess
herself of one of those interesting ami
mails, which speedily won, it seemed,
first place in her affections, aud made
Mr. Hiclls-B Browns life miserable.
He stood it, however, as long as he
could, but the end had TO come.
Mr.. Hicks-Brown was an architect,
and it came to pass that he had, on one
I'd i,
plans for a public building. The plans
were drawn and accepted by the com
mittec, which however, returned them
TO him for certain important altera-
tions; and they were laid on the table
in his den, to be attended to when he
returned home in the late afternoon Of
a certain day.
Now, it so happened that Vic, the pug
aforementioned was of an inquiring
turn of mind, and she chose this very
afternoo for an eXplol ing tour in the
upper part OF the house.
When Mr.. Hiclls-Brown entered his
den, about five o'clock, he saw at once
that portions of his plans were missing,
and supposing that his wife had taken
them To show to some visitor, he hur-
ricd downstairs.
Where are those plans?' he asked.
What plans, dear?" softly inquired
Mrs. Hiclks-Brown, sliding her caramel
into one check, and still keeping one
eye on 4 particularly thrilling page of
the yellow back novel in her lap.
"What-what plans, Do you mean
10 say you didn't take those Calumet
building plans from my table, asked
Mr. Hicks Brown, in some agitation.
"Oh-h," sad his spouse, mildly sur
prised. Why, it must have been
those that Vic had"
''That-Vic-had,' howled Mr.. Hicks
Brown. "And, pray, where are they
now?"
Don't get excited, dear. We're
they anything in particular? Vic had
some old, soiled pieces OF cloth, playing
with them awhile ago; but l supposed
they were some you had thrown into
the waste basket, so / burned-Henry 4.
What are you going to do?'
But Henry did not answer. He strobe
over TO the cushion whereon the offend
ing Vic was taking her afternoon 81
esta, griPped her firmly by the nape of
the neck, and, despite his wife's hyteri-
cal protests, opened the door and kicked
the bowling animal into the street,
and, not satisfied with this, when Mrs.
Hicks Brown would have rushed To
rescue her pet, he took her by the
shoulders and forced her into a chair,
noting with grim satisfaction as he did
so that couple of street arabs were
making off with Vie.
That day Mrs. Hicks-Brown went
home TO her mother, and two weeks
later she was a member of the divorce
colony in a western city, seeking free
dom from matrimonial bonds on
the ground of cruel and inhuman treat
meut," which she expected the court,
when her case was presented, to under
stand as having been applied TO her, in
stead of to Vic.
In the state where Mrs. Hicks
Brown sought her divorce, it takes
Cnly three months to establish a resi-
idence, and the legal formalities con
sumo very little time; but strange tC
say, Mrs Hicks Brown did not find il
easy TO pass the time. The first three
or four weeks, in her flurried state oi
mind, she did not notice-but, after
that, time passed very slowly, indeed.
Strange as it may seem, life apart
from Mr.. Hicks Brown was very,
very dull-and lonely Yes, she had