The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-09-06
n NIGHT BE WORSE

l
W0',I rublic upon the woman who Is
q Wv nj az happily as society considers
BOT mali, ho Women are pharisees when
ibe 'oo's =. ,beir own domestic grievances
tome Honkine Providence in their
,,, that whatever may come 70 tneli, ,
Ea. are at least spared the h'ol Vll'oat'ons
%g I,, fall to the lot OF certain o'ner women
Der know ,.;. ,,sor,iop take YOUR sew.
i lUTI make round Of visits in the neigh
ins auu os did one morning recently /
hIDO'fI fo,cs. Of the tricky husband, was
l'',a a.,, oe| one | called upon. Her home was
lhe sn.y n' and artistically furnished; 1t
lN~ ,%a Go mir Of material comforts; Mrs
la1 "rroeted me in a gorgeously embroi
lone1 tt;,,ora She is a worldly woman,
da'u u.,,bcrgh the things she has found on,
$40 az az INC lawsuit in which her husband
iA'O's".ysJ rascal have furrowed hard
va rf cynicism and distrust in her face,
ll's % boom. above and beyond this ex.
MY one of material comfort and
S,nndinr dissatisfaction.
'y''Ii 'In,irod the kimona. She smiled with
.s.5 ,onity. Eyes. | think it beauty
c., hongbt il for me on his last trip from
japan NJ. r..o. .o.,,. j., ,,v
sr. speculation as to what sort oi an un
g,b,pd business venture had taken Tom
" hat country, for she said, with a qulcA
al Of comprehension: Il declare, lom Is
'be.t fellow in the world to his family
.srerous so considerate. He loves me
have handsomer clothes than any other
,ron and as for bills, he never fuses
'sor, ,r them. Did tell you he has just
,,ysn Mabel diamond necklace?
no" I replied.
aWeu he did. You know, she has her
,,mipg.out party this winter and she wal
,.,,r for one; diamond necklaces are sc
,rel for debutantes.'
at is lovely" | said, "for her to hav.
,ch generous father.
oyes" agreed Mrs. Jones, complacently
T roll Won a woman can stand lot OF
ior,oominrs in a man. She has to put W
!. least with some dreadful fault when she
r,rries but ! think | could endure any
hing better than selfshness and stinginess
II A man is open. handed and generous to
M family. often things can be forgiven.
They will be human, you know.
Her hard lips gave a cold, comprehensive
rvpical twitch. Then she looked down at
her glittering rings with a smile of cheerful
rompacency Why" she went on, there
are some things a woman just can't endure
Look at Mary Smith, next door. Now, If
had husband like Fred Smith, I'd have de
srted him long ago. He is what people
esl hightoned in way, but don't call il
honorable for a man to live like the lillei
oi the field, to dress Immediately, anc
lpend every bit of the little income he hai
on bis blessed self, leaving wife to strug
ne and skimp out an existence any way
he can for herself and lot of children
That's not my idea of honor
Nor mine, either" l agreed. And then
LITTER bit Of mere chat, ! betook mysel
next door to see what Fred Smiths wifi
had to say about it. | found her darninI
beside basket of stockings that must hav
seemed as hopeless as the sea did to tn
vessel with the sieve. She smiled and OF
lered me cordial greeting. Her face wa
worn and pinched, her gown out at elbows
The room was bare and comfortless.
q have Just been over to Mrs. Jones :,
sAd. "She wore a gorgeous kimona Tor
brought her from Japan"
Mrs. Smiths lips curled into a smile G
amused derision. How can woman az
cep. anything from such a man" Sh
asked, inpatient disgust in her voice
why, how can she live with him? {
course, she knows we all know she know
Why, she doesn't deserve any more respec
than he does"
"She seems to think he's all right" ] sale
"Oh, that's pretense an
With some degree OF satisfaction. "Sh
can't be happy with him"
He has just given Mabel damon
necklace" | answered.
We'll, can't have any respect for eith'
Mabel or her mother. Why''-her ey'
bazed and | knew she was in earnest
can understand woman's enduring il
a man, all women must endure som
thing more or less, but to have him IN u
nitisated sharper, like Tom Jones-th
Endurance is beyond me-"
You think you'd get a divorce"
asked.
Certainly" she answered. "An Il
money in the world would not keep me tit
70 man like that Anything but that
her eyes fell on the basket of bulgil
Stockings and her face flushed bit '''
course" she said, rather haughtily, as if
iad spoken, men are not perfect. Son
nave been accustomed to more indulgen
'hah others; one has TO ooncede in ms
mage to ones husbands peculiarities.
may have fragrant faults, but If he is u
night, man to man, in his business dealing
WY that fact makes up for all foibles. y
gasped. | knew it would be this wa
ana yet it had turned out so absurdly tr
mat the experiment gave an amused a
Sso guilty feeling | felt as If | had liv
4ohs with both these women through th
altogether different marital experience
tlo as If could see and understand t
point of view of each. What infinite S
tCe We find" l thought to myself, 'in
uoheStic miseries of our neighbors,"
hy theory became rock of adama
NAen talked with the woman whose h
D'nd gambled most of the time and v
never at home, day or night. She spc
WIN peculiar bitterness of meddling IL
NJ y, the house, and simply wouldn't stand
Ihe woman whose husband loafed at no
end 6ossed said; give her anything on eal
Uut gadding husband; that no mat
sO" much man fused around his o
~eSlde, wife felt much more comforta
:" nave him there, She knew then he '
HVE getting in mischief somewhere else.
40 cap the climax, on the very day tn
Ou'eTsations occurred called upon MAJ
Iy Washerwoman, and found her with
mead tied un