Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-06-27

illustration.
Being IA = .chelor. and the kind of
bachelor arr, l see more wives than do
most married men. III this were not So
| might not have an objection to them as
a class. / might think, as some OF my
married male friends do, that even II my
own wife (supposing i had one, mean,
now were disappointing to me as com
panion and distressing to me because OF
her unwarranted exactions my married
neighbors may be more lucky Their wives
may be their chums and companions, their
wives may not demand slaves attention,
a fathers indulgence, lovers unques-
tioning devotion and rich and doting
uncle's unstinted allowance and expect
nothing in return.
Do make myself clearf Do ] suggest
that because visit many homes where
know the husbands business affairs and
see the wife's attitude feel myself equip.
ped 20 discuss the question OF American
wives better, being bachelor OF some
what extended and varied acquaintance,
than could IL ] were married and (possi-
bly,, therefore) possessed of greatly con-
tracted sphere of observatory
Well, then, Mr. Editor, / want to ask
You if you do not think there is something
essentially faulty in the social relationship
of American husbands and wives, which
relationship is brought about wholly by
the assumption on the part of the wives
of rights. privileges and exemptionsS The
husband is bound by every obligation, le
gal and moral, TO give his wife o home and
such material comforts as he Is able to
supply to himself also. Please sir, OBJ
serye that "also" Is 1t not fact, ask
YOU. that the American wife OF any man
above the grade Of common, unskilled la
borer demands-even expects without de-
neutrality-suspicious. and luxuries in which
the husband could not also indulge with
out mourning debts he could not pay II he
is less than merchant or capitalist, and
! perhaps inviting bankruptcy through OK
trayagance and neglect OF businessY
Perhaps you never thought of that be-
| fore Well, let us see. Besides sharing In
such comforts as the husbands home and
| board afford the American wife at once
assumes the right TO the luxury of idle
ness. That is a very great deal. 1t means
an additional cost for one or more serv-
| ants, which cost is imposed upon the hus-
/ bands earnings, be they large OF small.
| Ii they are large, l have no complaint. III
those earnings are small, then surely the
! husband has q complaint-but he seldom
makes it.
But this Is only the beginning. In mat
ters of luxury the American wife not only
! INDUCES ut his expense in many more than
does the husband, but frequently she in
| dulgcs in many when, and again therefore,
| he can indulge in none. What right has
she TO this? Take the luxury Of fine dress
ing, for example. / know mani shall
make homciy example-who before his
| marriage was noticcably well dressed
man. He cared for well made, fresh nice
| clothes in a perfectly rational way and
| artistically. Now he wears trousers which
bag mt the knee pitifully, and his coat
shines Mt the elbows and shoulders, He
holds "a responsible place, and has for years,
! In big conlmerciaT firm, and know his
salary is not less than 81, 900 a year, and
should not be surprised to hear that it was
more. dined with him Mt his home tho
other night, and in inviting me he said, as
he Away does: Don't take the trouble to
dress, old man. Well just dine informal
ly."
Now, he knows perfectly well that Ii Il
no trouble for me 10 dress for the evening
and that do SO nearly every day, and, tc
tell you the truth, this letter was first sug
gested to me by my conviction that hi.
evening dress is in a pretty bad way, and
he doesn't feel that he can afford the OK
! pense of another.
That Is one side of the picture; here Il
the other: Madam appeared in a pretty,
dainty dinner gown which she told mC
was new before I'd been in the house five
minutes. I've known her ever since sht
was child
tolI ahpnt N fyntpa1 A IN
lean wife of man who can be said 10 b.
i'm comfortable" circumstances by the
standards Of the best class of salaried men
She is no more extravagant, thoughtless
exacting or unreasonable than the averag,
OF her class, was we'll brought up, helped
her mother keep her fathers nose tC
the grindstone always, is bright goor
enough natured. If you please do not
know, thank God, just what that dress
referred to cost but / know its price woulC
cover my friends expenditures for clothes
for year. The dinner was good, ms sh,
Judged 1t, no doubt, but she did not know
what n single dish was to be until 1t wa
served
Well, after dinner my friend and hat
Just lit cigars and stretched our legs for {
comfortable talk, when madam exclaimed
at will be deadly stupid staying al
home Let's go and see an act or two o
some theater
She was dressed in street gown (hand
some and new before we had half finished
our cigars. and she dragged ms out TO some
fool show whore she saw hat she an
nounced she should have copied for horsel
the next day. Having this letter In mind
was mean enough TO ask my friend thu
next day how madam was that morning
and he answered. as l supposed he would
that ne had not seen her. She does no
breakfast until some time after ! leave To-
the Office, he added.
Now, there is that man, earning 81, 90,
or 81. 600 q year, working from in tn
morning until i'm the afternoon so week
a year, dressing like $40 n month clerk
not saving penny, supporting his wife il
idle luxury at the cost of probably two
thirds If not three-fourths Of his earnings
and she would look at any one In big eye,
amazement who should suggest that sh
was unwarrantably, heartlessly, unrcason
ably, exacting and enjoying privileges t
which she had no manner of right whatev
er Furthermore, she would call the mar
n brute " no told her SO. Is she unique n
an Americans wife2 Well, rather thnl
not Cor New York Sun.