Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-18
PROTECTING HIS WIFE.
A Husband Who Settled Things In
Lasting Fashion.

A Husband Who Settled Things In a
Lasting Fashion.
Star rep)rter was walking along New
jersey avenue last Sunday with an ac-
quairtance OF his man of fifty or upward,
when their attention vas attracted by a
woman trying to coerce her son, lad of
fourteen or fifteen, into obedience. She
wanted the youngster to so in the house,
ard ne refused, W1lereupon she took hold Of
him and lie began to fight her. In a minute
the reporters companion was alongside and
he had the boy by the collar shaking MINI
The mother, instead of taking up the fight
on behalf of the boy, as some mothers would
have DONE thanked the man, and the boy
followed her into the house.
That was a risky thing You did," said
tEe reporter, when his companion reioined
MN. Its a wonder you didn't have to
nSnt the woman"
II know how those things are" he laugh
ed, but l can't help helping the woman,
don care what the results may be-"
MOST men, l think. feel that way. but
most men are wise enough to keep their
hands off of family row."
Let me tell you how l learned not to-"
SAID the man; or perhaps. rather learned
TO respect a mother. I was an only son.
an only child, in fact, and naturally l was
spoiled My father died when 1 was about
h1teen. leaving very nice property to my
mother She was foolish about me and let
me nave my own way and as much money
as she could spare. Sometimes more than
tflat, out II was all the same to mel blew
IN all l could get and wanted more. l was
polite enough to other women but like a
good many spoiled boys, it did not occur 20
NE that my mother should be treated by
me as treated other women.
1t wasn't that l was lacking in the sense
OF calamity, Tor / was not; it only seemed
TO me that she was my mother and l had
BOY right to be impolite and rude to her
fn-n rntx- fS,,r
mad improved, very little, and my mother
sun treated me las boy, and l was ruier
than ever, for / needed more money and
she couidn give 1T TO ME. Well. about this
llme. she married again; one of the incest
men that ever lived ne was, too and rich
Al hrst he was quite liberal with me, but
"nen he found ,Out what kind of a chan
was and how treated my mother, he let
up on that. and began to lecture me on nv
conduct I didn't pay any atten lion to his
advice. and one day, after he had been my
step-tather about year, he called me in TO
MS once fQr ANOTHER talk. 1 may say here
Le was ABOUT sixty. very gentle at least
fifteen, pounds lighter than ! was and three
inches less jim height.
Now, John he said when he mad shut
the door and locked Il, I want to settle this
business with you f9P good and all. I've
talked TO You about your conduct to ,your
mother, what a boy owed to his m other and
an that, and You paid no attention: then
tried TO talk You into a chiyaIrous feelin "
1or her as a man should have for a woman
and you paid no attention. This morning
you acted toward her worse than ever
Now, want you to understand this in a
different light. You are d man and am.
l hat lady is my wife, and allow no man
to treat my wife as you have treated her
and propose to thrash you for it just as
would any other man under the same cir
cumstances. Throw your coat
But why dwell on the painful scene that
fcllowed?' laughed the reporters compar-
ION. Il never in my life got such a ter
rlhc licking. and from that day forward
the respect, Difference and gallantry 1 show
ed to the old gentleman's wife was really
beautiful. That's the way it began, but it
wasn't long till felt toward her as a man
should feel toward his mother notwith-
standing how much she spoiled him. and
TIL the day of her death never lacked in
courtesy to her; and as for her husband
well, was ready to back him against all
comerS.".- -I..-