The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-05-25
IAN AMERICAN Man
LIVELY AND INTERESTING DESCRIP.
TON OF HIM FURNISHED.
He is an Exceedingly Well Meaning
Person, Very DOcile and Tame, and
TrOts Well in Family Harness.
America Has Produced the Model
Observation-Disclosures Husband is Not
Expected to Remain Home.

the rest Of the animal world, our males
were always the brilliant members of a
community, Haunting their gaudy plumage
at nome and abroad while their women
folk remained in seclusion tending the chill
dren directing the servants, and minister
ing to their lords comfort Is the way
that the idler, in the New York Post, begins
that much discussed description of the
American man.
The husband formerly ruled supreme Of
MS own freside, receiving the homage Of
the family, who bent to his will and obeyed
MS orders. During the last so years, how
ever, the part Of better half has been
getting less and less attractive in America
one prerogatiVe after another having been
escamote by the enterprising wives These
modern Delilahs have yearly shipped off
more and more of Samsons luxuriant curls
ana added those ornaments to their own
coltfures, until in the majority of families
the husband finds himself reduced to
state of bondage compared with which the
Blblical hero enjoyed a pampered idleness
Ilmes have changed, indeed, in America
since the native chief sat in dignified repose,
bed1zened with all the finery at hand.
while the ladies of the family waited
tremblingly upon him. Today the American
husband turns the grindstone all the year
round without a murmur, and his petty
tyrants enjoy the elegant leisure that a
century ago would have been considered a
masculine luxury.
10 America must be given the credit of
having produced the model husband, a new
species, as 1t were, Of the genus homo In
no role does our compatriot appear to such
advantage as that Of Benedict. AS a boy
ne IS often too advanced for his years or
hls information; in youth he is conspicuous
helther for his culture nor his unselfishness
But once in matrimonial harness this nm
framed animal becomes bridle-wse with
surprising rapidly, and proceeds for the
rest or his career to go through his PAGES
Wa!tz1ng. kneeling and saluting. with hard
~ a touch of the whip. Whether this is
the result Of superior craftsmanship on the
part OF American women, or a trait peculiar
to sons Of Uncle Sam, is hard to saw. but
tfe TACT is Self-evident to any observer
that our fair equest1ans rarely meet with
a rebellious mount"
ANY one who has observed marital ways
IN other lands will realize that in no coun-
try have the men effaced themselves so
gracefully as with rs. in this respect no
ICrclgn production can compare for mo-
ment with our domestic article. In Eng
llSh. French and German families the hus-
band is all-powerful. The stable is mounted
guests are asked and the year planned
out to suit the husbands occupation and
pleasure. Here he is rarely consulted until
such matters have been decided upon by
the ladies, when the head of the house is
called in to sign the checks
nave had occasion more than once to
man, so l take particular pleasure in ap-
plaud1ng the modesty and good temper with
which he fills his part. He Is trained from
the beginning to give all and expect little
IN return, an American girl rarely bringing
any dot to her husband, no matter how
wealthy her family may be; or If. as oc-
caSlonally happens, an income is allowed
d prlde by her parents, she expects to spend
1t on her toilets pleasures. This con-
dltlon Of the matrimonial market exists in
no other country; even IN England, where
marriages de CONVEYANCE are rare, settle
laents form an inevitable prelude to con-
jugal bliss.
The fact that she contributes little or
nothing to the common income in no way
embarrasses the American wife: her pre-
tensions are usually In an inverse propor-
ton to her personal means. A man I knew
some years ago deliberately chose his bride
from an impecunious family Gin the hope
that her simple surroundings had inculcat ted
homely tastes). and announced to an in
credulous circle of friends at his last bache-
lor dinner that he intended to pass his even
lngs. IN future. by his fireside, between his
books and his pretty spouse Poor, inno-
cent confiding mortal! His wife quickly be-
came the belle Of the fastest set in town
having had more than she wanted of fire.
sldes and quiet evenings before her mar
rage. Her one idea was to go about as
much as possible, and, when not so occu-
pied. to fill her house with company It
nectlon that man marries to obtain a
home and a girl to get away from one.
hence, disappointment.
The couple in question have in all prob
abllty not passed an evening at home alone
since they were married: whether in town
or In the country, the lady rarely stonn,ne
IN the round Of her gayeties until she col
iapses from fatigue. Their home Is tvn,ca,
or their life, which itself can be taken as
sooo example OF the existence that most Of
our smart people lead. The principal
noors are given up to entertaining. The
thlrd Is occupied by the spacious sitting
Datn ana sleeping rooms Of the lady. a
loxl2 middle chamber suffices for my lord :"
the only den that he can rightly call his
own being little room near the front door
ABOUT as private as the sidewalk which is
turned into a cloakrOom whenever the cou
PIE receive. making it impossible to keen
books or papers Of value there. or even to
use IL as smoking room after dinner. 40
~. ms men guests sit cheerlessly around
the dlsmantled dining table while the ladies'
are enjoying suite of parors above
AT first the idea of such an UNEQUAL
DIVISION of the house shocks our sense ~
!ustlce' until we reflect that the American
husband is not expected to remain 81
home. That's not his place If no g. a.
downtown making money fashion dictates
that ne must be at some club house PLAYING
game. man who remains at home. and
reads or chats with the ladies of his family
~ N"Ai"iNSi ou d OoIe ana unmanIy. There
seems to be no need in an American house
Tor the head of IT.. More than once when tho
1rlend L nave referred to asked me- at the
CLUB, to dine zen famille' with him we
nave found. on arriving, that "madame'
having an evening off, had gone to bed and
forgotten to order any dinner, whereupon
we returned to the club for our meal.
Wheh, however, his wife is in good health
she expects her weary husband to accom-
pany ner TO dinner, opera or ball, night
after night, oblivious of the work the
morrow holds in store for him.
In family I know paterfamilias goes
by the name of purse" The more one
sees OF American households the more an
propr1ate that name appears Everything
is expected of the husband, and he is ac
corded no definite place in return. He
leaves the house at S3Oa When he returns
at II his wife is entertaining one or two
height of indelcacy for him to intrude on
that circle for his arrival would cause a
chill that only his departure could remove
When couple dine out the husband Is
always Ia bette nOire Of athe hostess, as no
woman wants to sit next to married man
IL she can help it. =
The fewS married men who have had the
courage to break away from such tradi-
lions and amuse themselves with yachts
salmon rivers, or "grassebachelor" trims to
Europe, while secretly admired by the wo-
men, are frowned upon by Society as dan
gerous examples likely to sow the seeds OF
discomfort among their comrades: but II
is the commonest thing In the world for an
American wife to take the children and 60
abroad on a tour.
Imagine German or italian wife an
nouncing to her spouse that she had de-
c1ded to run over to England for a year
10 fho{ +1a1N