Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-09
nv Brother l0-LaV'S HQidaV Visit

I was not long married. My husband I
was a very rich bachelor of thirty-five. |
very fond of me, and very proud of my |
beauty; and was very proud of my own
family connections, and Of my present |
position as the wife of one of the richest
and most influential men of the place.
/ was young and one of a numerous
family; and although my husband was
nearly fifteen years my senior. all my
friends and ~neighborS envied me my
good fortune in securing 80 excellent a
match,' and for once the world WAS
right. My husband was a man of sound.
plain, practical sense and good temper,
with a fund of sly, dry humor that made
him detect and sometimes lay bare With
rather an ~unsparing hand the Weaknesses
and follies of those around him: but l
must own that he was very lenient to-
ward mine, and except when he wished to
correct some affectatiOn or fOible that
threatened to impair the future excel
lence or stability of my character, he was
very indulGent to me.
l said that | was proud of my family
connections; I admit that there was even
a vein of weakness running through the
whole kin on that score. My w father
was somewhat reduced in circumstances
at the time of my marriage, but on both
sides of the house we could boast Il
pedigree scarcely inferior TO the nobility.
But | must not dwell too long on this
part of my subject, only TO show how |
became by birthright the inheritor of a
becoming sense OF family pride. | had, as
] said before. no fortune, but in consider
alton of my youth and good looks (and /
daresay he was influenced in a degree he
would not admit. even to himself, by the
great responsibility of my connections
l suppose IL must have been that-my
husband selected me out of a very large
family of girls, and took me to a very
substantial, desirable home of my own.
The house was rot really elegant, but
] saw at Il glance that it had capabilities,
and | was eager and Interested, for here
was scope and legitimate outlet for my
peculiar genius. If | had a gift for my
thing it was making the best of every
thing, and making things have an air
Of elegance and 'outside show" my hus-
band called it, with a slight curl about
the mouth that | must OWn was OCCASION
ally rather Il damper upon my best eff
forts.
But ! made allowances for the defects
of his early education, and | hoped in
time to bring him over to my tastes. and
to cure him of some of his matter-0f-
fact ways that grated harshly upon my
feelings. However, l had too sincere q
respect and regard for hi. to rudely VIC
latte any of his EXPRESSED wishes, and
contentea myself With gradually intro
ducing alterations Il fancies of my OWn,
and he good naturally bore with my inno-
vatiors; but in return ! was often OBJ
liged to lough-With a bad grace, 1 con-
TESS, sOmetimes-at a jest at my " eN-
pense. And Frequently when I did join
i'll the laugh | did not perceive at all the
point of the thing: but. not liking to ap-
pear il~l-natured or ObtuSe, | laughed rs
heartily as anybody, especially as ! found
by these means | Warded off a more fire.
Qucnt repetition Of his jokes; for my has
band often kissed me aIfectionateiy.
saying: after all, you are 4 dear. good
latured little soul. and it is a pity to veN
YOU and not let YOU have your own way"
Nevertheless he was an excellent hus-
band and father, and I have always been
grateful for his faithful kindness to me
and mine.
The nearest | ever calne to think him
unkind OF too regardless Of my feelings
was upon the occasion. a few months af-
ter our marriage, of his brothers first
visit to our home. The brother was COM
ing to spend two weeks during the Holt
days. ] had never seen any of my hus-
bands family. | forgot to state that
I was in the habit of making my extra
household eXertions in the way of produce
ing all uncommon effects. When he was
absent from home On business. Then I
made everything yield to that, and gave
myself up to the freedom Of loose dresses,
abandoned for the time all little feminine
articles of dress, and regularly 'boned
down to it," as our old housekeeper and
W~on1an-of-al work styled it.
L had a new carpet to make, and an old