The San Francisco call., 1895-12-15

independence on the part OF her TRENDS ana
playfellows. They must love or hate
according to her ruling, else would she
wash her hands of them altogether-as in
the case of Rose May, her own especial
chum, with whom she broke all her ties
OF confidential friendship and even social
acknowledgement because that young lady
would marry Fred Fowler after Mrs. Up
permost had taken HIM in horror and de-
barred him from her drawiDg-room. The
Fowlers were her family friends; but what
did that matter? Mrs. Uppe-most chose
to quarrel with Fred, and, according to
her, her whole world was bound to follow
suit. Thus 1t came about that there was
general iubilation when Mrs. Uppermos.
herself was engaged, and as general hope
that she would receive from her husband
some OF the coercion she had been SO
liberal with to others. "It would serve
her right if he tyrannised over her." said
her long-suffering victims as with one
breath; and many of the more vicious and
outspoken said warmly, land / hope he
will!'
But he did not. As luck would have it,
she married one of those good-natured,
rather stupid, rather dense-witted giants
who let woman rule the roost in her own
way, and do not interfere whatever that
way may be. Impressed with profound
belief In her mastery abilities, he allowed
her to use them on all matters pertaining
by right to him as well as on those which
were her own. By degrees she invaded
the whole province of masculine privilege.
ana there was not circumstance on which
she did not lay her dominating hand. 1t
was she who allowed or disallowed the
cigar, the game of billiards, the hunt, the
golf link, the friends, the associates, the
vote and the color to be worn at the cleo
ton. She allowed the poor fellow not so
much free will as would give space for
IN o,,I
view, and his part was to conform
and obey. So he did-partly from the
good-natured giants feeling that if it
pleased her that was the main thing, and
partly from the gradual absorption Of his
will in hers, and corresponding weakening
of his backbone. 1t would have taken
stronger man than this poor Titan of hers
to withstand her constant attacks on his
freedom. 1t was like the granite and the
dropping of water, and the water had the
best of it. She was known all through the
county as the domineering wife and the
Mrs. Uppermost in society. Wherever she
went she somehow managed to take a place
of procedure beyond her social standing.
But no one much cared to cross swords
with her, so arbitrary and so uryielding
as she waS-and with a husband, too,
who always backed her up, act as outrage
ously as she might. Whatever was set
afoot in the county Mrs. Uppermost
either quashed, if she had not been made
the principal and leader or took out
of the originators hands, if she affected
the idea and held it as one rich in prob
able honor. Before you knew where you
were, Mrs. Uppermost, and not you, the
originator of the scheme, had her name in
big type, and was the acclaimed of all
sympathizers. To Mrs. Uppermost, and
not 10 you, came the reward of merit-the
thanks for zeal and industry and unfag-
ging endeavor = the celebration of the
noble thought which prompted the busy
hand. Mrs. Uppermost's name was in all
mems mouths, and if some made wry
faces in the dark, IN the full sunshine of
publicity they shouted huzzas! and smiled
full featly. Thus was her cup full, and
her portion very Beniamin's; but not a
crumb more than her deserving de-
manded-she thought omplacently to her
self, counting her theft as gain.
AS / house mistress and the manager of
men and maids, Mrs. Uppermost has the
tightest hand of any in the district. Her
servants are well treated, but terribly in
terfered with; nursed and doctored when
they are ill-for Mrs. Uppermost is great
as an amateur ''leech" and nurse-but
scolded as much as they are ministered to-
and treated with more rigor of regime
than affectionate sympathy. They have
no holding, indeed III her affections at all
and no sense of stability in her service.
Energetic as she is, she changes them with
less compunction than she throws away
pair of soiled gloves; and she changes
them for the merest trifes. Things which
another person would pass over with
mild remonstrance or half-smiling rebuke
she makes into crimes worthy of instant
dismissal. So that in spite of good wages,
good food, rigorous nursing when in sick
ness and not too much to do, Mrs. Upper
most's place is not favorite with men or
maids, and no one is found to stay in it
longer than can be helped. Over her
children the same domineering spirit
reigns supreme. The liberty she fought
for so strenuously when she was girl She
denies to her own daughters-and, so far
as she can, to her sons, even when these
men are grown and equipped for their
life's ventures. Before that time they live
and move and breathe only by her per-
mission, and those of them who develop a
will of their own are "sny bbed" as sharply
as ever Chaucer's Pore Persoun snybbed
the "persone obstinat" of his flock. Thus,
as she is, Mrs. Uppermost lives as in q
sense the terror of her world-arbitrary,
positive, managing, supreme, unsoftened
by love, unmoved by sympathy, herself
her own divinity, and her own will her
sacred law.-London Queen.