The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24

A Husband Who Settled Things I'm
Lasting Fashion.
Washington Star.

A reporter was walking along New Jersey
avenue recently with an acquaintance OF
his. a. man OF fifty or upward. mnen r .IT,g
to coerce her son. lad OF fourteen or NJ
teen, into obedience She wanted the young
ster to go into the house, ana ne refused
whereupon she took hold of him and he be-
gan to fight her. In a minute the reporters
companion was alongside and ne had the
how by the collar shaking him. 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
That was a risky thing you did, said
the reporter, when his companion reJoined
him. TITS a wonder you didn't have TO
II know how these things are" he
laughed, but / can't help helping the
woman, 1 don't care what the results may
Most men. think. feel that. way. but
most men are wise enough to keep their
hands off a fanny row."
said the man. COR. perhaps. rather learned
to respect mother. was an only son-an
S Spdy enia Ny n rather died Rhen WAS about
fifteen, leaving very nice property 10 my
mother. She was foolish about me-. and let
as she could spare Sometimes more. than
that but IL was all the same to mel blew
in all 1 could get, and wanted more was
good many spoiled boys. IL did not occur to
me that my mother should be treated by me
as L treated other women.
1T wasn't that / was lacking IN the
sense of gallantry. for L was not; 1t only
seemed to me that she was my mother anc
had 61ys right to be imPolise ana o rude DE
twenty-five had improved little and mother
still treated me as a boy, and / was ruder
than ever for l needed more money anu
she couldn't give IL to Well about
this time she married again; one of the nic-
est men that ever lived he was, too, and rich.
At first he was quite liberal with me. but
w he o. Il
and how / treated my mother, ne let up On
that and began to lecture me on my con-
duct L didn't pay any attention to his
advice, and one day, after he had been my
step-father about a year, he called me into
| his office for another talk. may say here
he was about sixty, very gentle, at least
fifteen pounds lighter than / was and three
inches less in height.
:. Now, john ne said, when he had shut
the door and locked ii. L want to seti:e
i've taiked to yon about ,o Your Conduct 10
your mother, what a boy owed to his moth
er and all that, and you paid no attention;
then l tried to talk you into a. chivalrous
feeling for her as a man should for wom-
an, 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 man, and am. That lady
Is my wife, and ! allow man to trea;
my wife as you have treated her, and
propose to thrash you for 1t Just as would
any other man under the same circum-
| stances. Throw of your coat
but why dwell on tn, painful scene tina,
| followed?" laughed The reporters compan-
ION, II never In my life got such a terrific
| licking, and from that day forward the re-
| spect, difference and gallantry / showed tc
the old gentleman's wife was really beauti-
ful. That's the way 1t began, but IL WASH
! long till felt toward her as a man should
| feel toward his mother, notwithstanding how
much she spoiled him, and until the day
her; and as for her husband, well, / was
ready to back him against all Corners"