Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-10-25
1T NIGHT BE WORSE

| | uI greatest waste OF sympathy IN the
world is undoubtedly that pity expend
ed by the public upon the woman VINO il
not married as happily as society considers
she should be. Women are pharisees wheI
it comes to their own domestic grievances
pharisees thanking Providence in theil
hearts that whatever may come to them
they are at least spared the notifications
that fall to the lot Of certain other women
they know.
II you doubt this assertion take your sew.
ing and make round Of visits in the neigh
borhood, as | did one morning recently.
Mrs. Jones, Of the tricky husband, was
the first one / called upon. Her home was
luxurously and artisticaly furnished; it
had the air Of material comforts; Mrs.
Jones greeted me in gorgeously embroi-
dered kimona. She is a worldly woman,
and although the things she has found out
Through some lawsuit in which her husband
was proved a rascal have furrowed hard
lines OF eynicism and distrust in her face,
there beams above and beyond this ex-
| preston one of material comfort and
Astounding self-satisfaction.
| admired the kimona She smiled with
gratified vanity. "Yes, | think it beauty
Tom bought it for me on his last trip from
japan"
think. just here Mrs Jones saw in my
eyes speculation as to what sort Of an un.
derhand business venture had taken Tom
to that country, for she said, with a quick
fash Of comprehension; Il declare, Tom s
the best fellow in the world to his family,
40 generous, so eonsiderate. He loves me
to have handsomer clothes than any other
woman, and as for bills, he never fuses
about them. Did | tell you he has just
given Mabel diamond necklace
"Ao," | replied.
well, he did. You know, she has her
eoming-out party this winter and she was
crazy for one; diamond necklaces are SO
swell for debutantes"
1t is lovely" ! said, "for her to have
such a generous father"
Yes" agreed Mrs Jones, compacently
Il tell you a woman can stand lot Of
shortcomings in a man. She has to put up
at least with some dreadful fault when she
marriss but / think / could endure any
thing better than selfshness and stinginess. |
II a man is open-handed and generous 10
he family. often things can be forgiven |
They vii be human, you know
Her hard lips gave a cold. comprehensive, |
81 MANaN AMAkAAr 4 ntM she ANNhfA ANMN at 1
her giittering rings with a smile Of cheerful |
complacency 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
serted him long ago. He is what people
call heightened in a way, but don't call il |
honorable for man TO live ike the lilies
Of the field, TO dress Immediately, and /
- ~ l. l..
on his blessed self, leaving wife to strug
gle and sklmp out an existence any way
she can for herself and a lot Of children
That's not my idea Of honor"
Nor mine, either" | agreed And then,
after bit of mere chat, betook myself
next door TO see what Fred smiths wife
had TO say about H. | found her darning
beside a basket Of stockings that must have
seemed as hopeless as the sea did to the
vessel with the sieve. She smiled and Of
Tered me a cordial greeting. Her face was
worn and pinched, her gown out at elbows;
the room was bare and comfortless.
Il have just been over 70 Mrs. Jones"
said. "she wore a gorgeous kimonA Tom
brought her from japan
Mrs. smiths lips curled into a smile OF
amused derslon. How can woman &C
sept anything from such MANI" She
isked. inpatient disgust in her voice
Why, how can she live with him. OF
course, she knows We all know she knows
Why, she doesn't deserve any more respect
han he does"
she seems TO think he's al right. | said
'Oh, that's a pretense confidently and
With some degree Of satisfaction. 'She
ant be happy with him"
He has just gwen Mabel a diamond
ecklace," ! answered
We'll, ! can't have any respect for either |
Mabel or her mother Why'-her eyes r
lazed and ! knew she was in earnest-'I I:
an understand womAn's enduring a lot
b a man, all women mus; endure some h
hing more or less, but to have him an IN a
Irrigated sharper, like Tom Jones-that I
ndurance is beyond me-" "
You think you'd get a divorced" d
sked n
Certainly" she answered. "All the i
money in the world would not keep me tied RI
} a man like that Anything but that" 4
Her eyes fs. on the basket Of bulging W
iockings and her face flushed bit "Of n
purse, she said, rather haughtily, as II N
ID spoken, men are not perfect. Some "
ave been accustomed to more indulgence Of
IAN others. one has to concede in mar. q
age to ones husbands peguliarities He m
sy have fragrant faults. but Il be is up
SHIT, man to man, in has business dealings. 81
hy, that fact makes up for al foibles" Il
] gasped. | knew II would be this way, 81
I'd yet it had turned out so absurdy true ri
iat the experiment gave an amused aud u
so a guilty feeling. | felt as Il | had lived W
ne with both these women through their 50
together different marital experiences, th
"a as # | could see and understand the as
lint a view a each. What infinite sol.
E We find. thought to myself, in the th
'mestie miseries Of our neighbors" a
My theory became a rock Of adamant IA
hen | talked with the woman whose hus pu
nd gamhled most Of the time and was ~
yer az home, day or night She spoke rs
III peculiar bitterness Of a NEEDING man q
the house, and simply wouldn't stand IT, m!
ie woman whose husband loafed at home az
"a hossed said. give her anything on earth IN
1 gadding husband; that no matter 81, .
W much a man fused around his own 70