The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-21
BY IAN MACLAREN.
Aut1lor of Beside the Bonnie Briar
Bush Etc.


Antnor of Beside the Bonnie Brian
Bush" Etc.
Copyright, 1895, by John Watson)
I'VE must have Trixy Marsden on
the Thursday Mrs. Leslie was az
ranging two dinner parties. 'She will
be in her element that evening, but
what are we TO d. with Mr.. Mars
DEM"
Isn't it rather the cus-om tc invite
q husband with his wife? JIe might
even expect to be included" said Soan
Leslie. DO you know I'm glad We
came to Putney: spring is lovely in
the garden"
Never mind spring just now" as
Leslie threatened an exit to the lawn;
you might have some consideration
Tor an afflicted hostess, and give your
mind to the Marsden problem.
1T was Marsden brought spring into
my mind" and Leslie sat down with
that expression of resignation On his
face peculiar to husbands consulted
on domestic affairs; ''he was telling me
this morning in the train that he had
Just finished a table of trees in the
order Of their budding, a sort of spring
priority list; his love for statistics is
amazing
HE is getting to be known on the 9
train; the men keep their eye on nm
anG bolt into thirds to escape; he gave
a morning on the influenza death-rate
lately, and that kind of thing spreads"
But he's not a bad fellow for all
that" concluded Leslie: hes perfect
ly straight in business, and that is
saying something; rather enjoy half
an hour with him.
Every likely you do.'' said his wife,
with Impotence, because your mind
has squint, and you get amusement
out of odd people; but everyone has
not your taste for the tiresome. He
SIS enough to devastate a dinner table.
do you remember that escapade of his
Fast year?"
You mean when he corrected you
about the American passage, and gave
the sailingS of the Atlantic liners since
'S0,'' and Leslie lay back to enjoy the
past; ''it seemed to me most instruc-
tive, and everyone gave up converse
ton TO listen
Because no one could 90 anything
else with that voice booming through
the room. 1 can still hear him: the
Columbia, six days, four hours, five
minutes" Then 1 arose and delivered
the table,"
1T was only human to be a little
nettled by his accuracy; but you
ought not to have retreated SO soon,
for he gave the express trains of Eng
land a little later, and limited at the
American lines. One might almost
cali such a memory genius
(which is oftener another name for
idiocy; some one was telling me yes
terday that quiet, steady men rush
out or the room at the sound of his
voice, and their wives have to tell all
sorts OF falsehoods.'
''Trixy is one of my oldest and dear
est friends, and it would be a shame
to pass her over; but I will not have
her husband on any account
Perhaps you are right as a hostess
1t is a little hard for a frivolous circle
to live UP to MarSden, and I hear that
he has got up the temperatures of the
health resorts; it's a large subject, and
lends itself TO detail"
1T will not be given in this house
What TriXy must endure with that
mani He's simply possessed by a
didactic devil, and ought never to have
married. Statistics don't amount to
cruelty, I suppose, as a ground Of di-
vorce2"
Hardly, as yet; by-and-by, incom-
patibility in politics or fiction will be
admitted; but how do you know that
Mrs. MarSden Goes not appreciate her
husband? You never can tell what a
woman sees in a man. Perhaps this
woman hungers for statistics as a
make-weight. She is very amusing
but trifie shallow, don't you think ?''
she used to be the brightest and
most charming girl in our set, and
have always believed that she was
married to Mr.. Narsden by her peo-
pie. Trixy has $500 a year settled on
her, and they were afraid of fortune
hunters. Mothers are apt to feel that
q, girl is safe with a man Of the Mars
den type, and that nothing more can
be desired"
Perhaps they are not far wrong.
Marsden is not a romantic figure, and
he is scarcely what you would call a
brilliant raconteur; but he serves his
wife like a. slave, and he will never
give her a sore heart"
DO you think it nothing, John, that
g woman with ideals should be tied
to bore all her days? What a con-