The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-12-01
VALUE OF THREATS.
HOW DESIGNING PERSONS TAKE A
MEAN ADVANTAGE.

WIVES Are Frcaurnti, Terr"rired by Their
Husbands. While ScapcErace sons and
Wasward Br"th.r. ~. Their Positions
To EStuSt Money.
The threat a. weapon of ,ocial war-
fare has not YET been given it, truly i'm
portant place The sanest persons are
inclined to regard rhe threat Is the out
come II a vain and feeble mind and are
prompted Ia laugh when tue villain
CRIES beware Much a. We may de
spi,e the threat YET It Is indubitable that
more people are influenced aud made 10
10 what j, against their wishes by this
means than by actual violence.
The threat wielder Is naturally punilv
prnporiioned. mentally and physically,
and exercises his power most effeetually
in fhs wofnans world. Women NOR.
than men have reason to dread the
threat. for man can either afford 10 run
it, dangers or proceed 10 immediate
punishment. The woman is defenseles>,
and though she would frequently hike
to proceed To extreme, yet traditional
convention keeps her within BOUNDS.
Threats are 50 varied that it would re-
1uire large volume to describe them
all. but we will speak of the more conf
mon.
The dissatisfied son is well known to
-oeirtv He greediy seiZes every occa-
sion to drag his name through the mire
aud besmirch the family. He il fire.
quently demonstrated with; prayers,
tears, exhortations are i'll vain. Then
comes the last injunction. If Won per
sist IN this last course will disinherit
you." Go ahead replies the Young
reprobate; Won cut off my supplies, and
I'll disgrace the whole family
One threat is sufficient to procure the
means for his vile wants, and the house
hold lives in abiect terror lest the
promise of further fortunes 1t Is not
only bad sons who exercise this baleful
system of money gettlng; it is a. freely
employed by bad brothers and husbands.
The pleasant and affectionate brother
is probably now reading the society col
umns of the daily and weekly papers
with the utmost care. His drunken
comrades once twitted him about his
'.crazp.
Well" said the unblnshing scoun-
drel. dye see. have a sister who's no
end way up, and when find she's going
to give party to the nobs ! drop her a
line and say I'm coming. 1t fctches the
stuff. it does" This heartless scheme TO
fitch from her money to cover her dis
grace found Il peculiar charm for the be-
sotted minds of his companions. The
threat was more potent than the per
for1nance, for if the good lady had had
the moral courage 10 send for an officer
and declare the fellow a lunatic Size
would have been saved from his NOW
never ending persecution.
How many women suffer from the
threat Of thei devoted husbands Md
how many wives Slave thenselves to
death through threats from then Spouses:
The threat eannoi be- successfully
welded ~ E1en whose mentality lacks
intuition 10 i man whose lutuilions
are good, and who iead, human nature
easily, the threat IS powerful weapon.
1t really requires II lnan whocsen analyze
emotion and passion IL reaen the acme
Of perfection as Il threat Wleider The
vulgar threatener loseS lis charm, but
the accomplished villain can 50 torture
hi, victim or victims that the pangs en-
dure,t by the patrons Of the anto da fe
were exquisite pleasures i'll comparison.
Apparently the kindesr and most sub
servient husbands can, by j'piiciouslv
handling of the threat. driye their wives
almost to- desperation at IA social fnne-
ton. and none but them know of the
secret punishment. To employ the
threat so that it posters every fiber
Of Your victims body the tenderest
points in your opponents armor must be
known. That once being discovered it
is marvellous what qualifications the
threat can take The merest glance can
become Il threat. and the person is as
completely under the glamour of this
delicate inquisition as the dlminutive
mouse in the claws of a powerful cat,
The most successful threat is not To
! the woman herself for IA woman's pa
thence and pluck under such circum-
stances can be provokingly Illuminating
and there is no man who feels exactly Il
hero when the person he has sworn Ia
honor and protect will regard him with
humid eyes and meekly say, AS You
like, dearest
Women, as n general rule, love martyr
DOM and there are some SO peculiarly
constituted a. to derive the severest Ell
ioyment from the contemplation that
t il liege lords We're harboring i'll their
minds some hideous schemes of yenge-
ance against them. But where this
would fail the threat of the amiable in
dividual to do something to himself
would be eminently successful. Women
above all things feel disgrace and the
anguish at the loss of an unamiable hus-
band by being hit over the head with "A
bungstarter is trivial when compared to
the sorrow for the manner of his death.
1t would not be for the flight of her hus-
bands soul the tears We're shed, but fol
the disgraceful circumstances attending
the departure The fact that it was not
a respectable demise for which she could
be properly consoled would be the only
bitter remembrance of her sweet widow
hood San Francisco Chronicle,
Fun for the Monkey.
A pet monkey was sitting i'll my grand
mothers drawing room when lady
came in and sat down. The monkey
after watching her for some time from
the back Of the chair on which he was
perched, snatched the visitors bonnet