Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-09-01
LED BY LOVE

MAJ Hannibal sparhawk wss bsEa
hero and warrior His spirit was martial
and commanding.
lie stood q seet inches h bis stockings
snd turned the tzeam Of . true ard sruse0
Fairbanks al go pounds xsoirlupoiA
He was the as-knowl lodged leader of his
party ia our town. aud his party Was IN tas
ascendant
The ma ior vas aos quarrsiSome, but b.
Vas oi,inionatk4i and nnyi-isllug- He was
-, bi. tsaA;i TO quarrel and too conscious
Of his own powers 10 yield poiut In any
thing
Major Sg.arhawk had lived a bachelor 70
the age 81 20 At length, however, the
sratie dart touched bis heart. aad be offered
10 take a wife zrsi n1ske her mistress OF the
xEfr's appropriate department, OF his house
Sylvia Aspen was a small. delicate WON
an, pseity and accomplished
For severs,i yeats she had taught the
primary department. Of our common school.
and the experimenting COMMITTEES were
forced TO acknowledge that by no other
TEACHER had Ia. scholars ever been 80 thor.
oughly gossry,ssi rs b. her
She hs.d ses4i ~ years Of life, and for rea-
all offers OF marriage.
And. now Major Haanihai S2arhawk Of
fereai her his hand and his heart
Mis-, Aspen. he said in hts blunt, die
.atoriai way. YOU bave known HE long
siough and we'll enough TO know some
Thing at tho hotne can provide IL you
hke the, you will take a rough. blunt man
rho nu>i lss h,- 'sxu master through life.
have my oWB iH4uiiar views OF The true
marriage r,isitH,n. The man is the head OF
the household eau love and proside and
protect. hiit | must be master As am
offer myself. fn,i will not tr. deceived"
Sylvia smiled one oi ner sweat, eeceutric
Smiles aud with Der snail white hand rest
ing eoutislinglY upon the majors arm she
told him she accepted tue situation
"Yon are sure" he querieti.
Il am snr. II this. she said. looking up
into his face with candid fersor Il love
yau wrll snnrtsh 10 marry ,"n and as for
domestic government the rc-alt must be
Us the result il the world osei-thr weak
must depend npou the strong
iIaunihai Sparhnwk kissed the little
woman and assured b.i that Le would never
hs tyranuical az uuIist, aIrl Tie day toI The
wedding was fiScd.
People wondered. when IL was published,
that Sylvia Aspen ~ To bvcume the wife
Of Major SparIia@k.
She will i,e sIase and a drudgei" was
the general opinion
In due tiut' IN early af'aun- Hannibal
Sparhawk aud sylvia Aspen became man
and wife Tie major had planned to have
the wedding a grand aHair-to have his
IL IN full
with a full band of music and appropriate
fivinSs. bHt sylvia persuaded him not. She
said hnt littlr-iust .nuigh TO make him
understand. that it would please her To
have 1t different, and he concluded lo please
her
They had been married two weeks when
the major proposed that he would invite
the officers of his regiment to dinner-staff
and line--about - Of them.
Il suppose such a dinner means wine and
tobacco, and plenty OF it, said Sylvia
Certainly" respaIdod her husband.
When invite my friends 10 my house, I
expect to treat them according To the fash
Ion OF the times
Then Hannibal, would rather You did
not Invite them
The major laughed at the absurdity OF
bis wife's whim. sylvia was mild. but
firm.
"Of COURSE" She said, with smile. you
will do i'll this matter as you please"
"Of ourse-I will" declared the hus-
dand emptiatlcally. You know what
told you in the beginning. l must be
master i'll my own house.
But" interrupted Sylvia, with the
sweetest smile imaginable. suppose l
could show you that the greatest possible
amount Of comfort and JOY you can find
will come from pleasing me:'
"Ehg" H13s'
She kissed him and then ran away
Already Major IIAuuibal Sparhauk felt a
nippng at his cai, as though something
we're biting it.
Days and weeks passed, and the officers
Of the grand old regiment were not invited
to the proposed reunion Mt The majors.
II was Whispered that his wife would not
allow it, ard yet when the officers individ-
ulily had occasion to call ut the ma or's
residence Sylvia treated them so kindly
nd so considerably aud bestowed upon
nom 80 much cztr-fnl attention ~ friends
oil her husband that they went away loud
In her praise.
IT, va, on a pleasant afternoon of the fol-
lowing spring TINT the social circle con-
hceird with our religious society met at the
majors ltu,isc late in the evening "A knot
Of gentleman wprt. seated in the great oriel
Of the back parior, whilr at the center ia
BE near by were a few of the ladies at
work.
In the oriel the conversation turned upon
NATIONAL affairs. Deacon Rich advanced an
nlea in opposition 10 the cherished political
opinions of his host. The major was fired
IN moment. -.
II tell you, SIR" lac exclaimed. shifting
his huge fist upon his knee, 1.-The political
sentiments which,
IIarl< -s-*
1t was the tapping of knitting needle
upon the arm II Sylvia's chair The1najor
looked up and met the glance of his wife.
He coughed and stammered and then
smiled rs he said;
We won't enter into a political discus
sion in the presence of ladies. At another
time. deacon. will give you my opinion
upon the matter"
On their way home Deacon Rich and
Squire Lewi. walked together.
well. deacon, what do you think now
about poor little Sylvia's daring to say her
taul's her own in the presence of her hus-
band'"
II am amazed" confessed the deacon
why, bless ne, she rules him with u rod
II iron
"And yet" suggested Lewis. "he seems
happy and couteuteti."
AYE, and there's the wonder. | can't
comprehend it. can youf"
II think ! can. There is one way, and one
ray only. in which small. weak woman
sn entirely suhjugate and control a
,risaue. herculean husband The ma jor is
not governed against bis within fact, his
kife does not directly govern him at all.
She leads him to govern himself"
Other people wondered as Deacon Rich
pndered, for it was apparent to all that
{ don ghty man of war and bluster had
frrome a model husband
The only man perhaps who did not won
i,r was the major himself. He was CON
cut with the prlze be had gained. Once a
friend asked him il lie was not governed by
us wife.
NO, sirf' was h. emphatic reply.
But you d. her biGd ne nevertheless"
Aajor loft.ly, ''aad il it pleases me to
lease my wife whose business is itf''-
boston GioEe.
81 IL r.