Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-05

Ine married men are beginning LO come brilliantly to the front as ushers at weddings and the bachelors are re- served for duty as best men. says the Boston Herald. The matrimonial vet erans are the proper men to take charge of the new recruit in their ranks and give him the regulation "set up" in domestic drill. They are more in sympathy with him and can brace him up for his appear ance under fire. They can also give him number of valuable pointers as to how he is to keep the peace. In one country, at least, it used to be the custom for the brides father to give the groom the switch, as a symbol of a transfer of his paternal authority and as a significant reminder to the bride of the importance of wifely obedience. In America, however, this relic of barbarian would not be nec- esary. it being undertood that all the brides are going to be obedent. loving and faithful wifes. As proof of this one has only to look around among his friends and read carefully the daily di- vorce court proceedings to see how far lovely woman is living up to the stand ard, and, on the other hand, how the whole coast of society is Strewn with thd wrecks of lives through the disobe- dlence. fractiOuSneSS and eXtraVagance of women and the misguided forbearance and general inability to enforce their au- tnority peculiar to American husbands.
 It is here that the married men who are ghttering successes can. as ushers, guides, philosophers and friends get in their finest work by their advice, exam pie and precept. If may be that they are making beginning by having the or ganist play "Oh Promise Me That Some Day" you will obey; it being, under the circumstances, proper to point nor aI' in song. instead of having it "adorn a tale" of woe hereafter. It may be that the married men as ushers chuckie among themselves over another prisoner brought in-another doomed man, as it were, in matrimonial row. Be this as it may, they rarely have the nerve to open- ly indulge in ghoulish glee at the we'd ding breakfast. right under the noses of their own vigilant-eyed spouses. Let us hope, however, that there is likely to be rejoicing over the one sinner of baehe- Tor who has chosen the better part and forsaken the evil of his ways, and is now numbered with the elect, with the halo of beauty's love and the harp of domestic harmony in his hand. The Tyre will come later. Make friends, then, girls, with the married men. They kRow who will suit you better than you do yourselves. They always have in stock or up their sleeves among their friends the very best mate rial out of which the kindest and blind est husbands are made.
 I clip the following from an exchange, which is a pointer for lovers:
 One knocked at the beloved's door, and a voice asked from within, "Who is there?"
 And he answered. 'Tt' is I.'
 Then the voice said: This house will not hold thee and me- and the door was not opened.
 Then went the lover out into the des- ert. where there is nothing but Allah, rnd lasted and prayed alone. and after a year he returned and knocked again at the beloved's door, and again the voice asked;
 'Who is there?"
 And he said. ''1t is myself" and the door was opened unto him.
 Charles Sumner, who was more petted in English society than any American since his day and was accused of anglo mania on his return by even his partial friend, Longfeilow. wrote about this time: "I have always enjoyed the refine ment of the best society, but have never sat in the palaces of England without being pained by the inequality of which the inordinate luxury was token"
 It is not unusual for woman to writd a play, but women composers of opera are so rare that the recent achievement of Mile. Augusta Holmes is especially noteTorthy. Her new opera, La Mon- tague Noire" produced in Paris a few weeks ago. was a thorough success. Mademoiselle Holmes is well-known in the musical world of Paris where she has fine reputation as a pianist. But little is said of her personality except that she is of Irish parentage and of French birth. She appears to be a lady of varied accomplishments, for in addi- ton to composing the score of the opera she wrote the libretto designed the scenery and superintended the rehearsals. The opera deals with Montenegran af- fairs (whence the title) in the days of -.the struggles between cross and crescent.
 Cyrus Edson comes back at Lady Henry Somerset Harriet Prescott Spof- ford and Marian Harland for their de- fense, in the Review last month, of nag ging women. One of our own bright matrons. whose name am not at lb- erty to divulge. gives her views on the subject as follows:
 Nagging As An Act.-A writer in a re- cent number of the North American Re- view says: "A shrewish wife can make husband brutal and profane, cause him to resort to drunkenness, or drive him to a mad house."
 Not having a personal acquaintance with this writer, or even knowing his whats his name or where's his home" or the sort of women with whom he most ly comes in contact, one can only draw ones own differences.
 The world knows that for every home where the wife and mother lies in wait. having in reserve for the home coming husband the expected, because well de- served. tongue-lashing hundreds of homes are swept and garnished as a