The Globe-republican., 1901-01-24


one that hardly any other editors
wife ever possessed: She was a read
er of her husbands paper. parts of it, |
For several years Editor Pod suf- |
fered grief because of the loss of his /
wife, his meek, sober-faced, plain |
minded, plant and achromatic wife |
When approaching fifty he became |
oppressed with feeling of loneliness |
in his abode. He felt the need of q |
daily echo in the house 1t seemed to |
him that the world had grown dull
Now, Editor Pod had always main
tanned in his paper fashion" depart
ment, to please the fair, or soft, sex
the reporter for which at that time
was middIe-aged woman of rather
attractive manners. about whom. how
ever. he knew very little When they
crossed each others path in the office
of the paper he would give her a nod
and hasten to his sanctum. One day
he noticed, after nodding, that genial
smile sufused her countenance, and
he took occasion to speak a few words
to her. She replied with timidity, for
he was her employer. upon whom she
was dependent He addressed her
again the next day, while she was
scanning a fashion plate designed for
the paper; he spoke with her many
times during the next few months
The members of his editorial staff
often smiled, for they saw that he had
taken a fancy to her.
To make a long story short, it hap
pened that. before the end of the year.
| he married the smart, stout, middle
aged woman who had served as
| fashion reporter for his paper.
| Oh. the gossipi oh, the buzzf For
days nothing but that marriage was
| heard of. The young women laughed
at the bride, and the young men at
the groom. The older folks shook their
1 Dc ha Of
all agog. The news was telegraphed
| to other places Plenty of people sent
| wedding presents, along with con
gratulations, to the happy couple. a
gang of schoolboys made bonfire, set
| off punches of crackers and sang
| Hail, Columbia in front of the house
| Well, how did the twain get along :?
Welded bliss had not lasted for a
| very long time wheE Editor Pod made
| the discovery that the second Mrs.
| Pod. unlike the first Mrs. Pod. had a
| mind of her own. He found out that
she also had positive and distinct opin-
ions upon all subjects of public con
Germ, and that they were, in almost
every case. the opposite of those which
he held, and that she was not in the
least afraid to let him know it She
did not believe in the politics or the
policy that he advocated in his paper.
and her brain was packed with inde-
pendent thoughts upon questions of a
moral, dramatic. financial logical,
musical. governmental. diplomatic,
theological. educational and business
character. She said that domestic
! politics should be treated satiricaTly,
that foreign affairs should be handled
without gloves, that a half column Of
household poetry should be printed
daily, that the price of advertising
should be raised, that Canada and
Mexico should be annexed. that Eng
nd
pean powers should be told 10
stand off. and that the fashion de
partment'' of the paper. we'll ilIustrat
ed. should have full page of every
issue.
Her opinions. too. about everything
We're fixed and solid
Editor Pod was disturbed; he was
| sometimes irritated- Never before hat
f he undergone such experiences as now
{ | affected his life and mind. his powe,
: and his pride of editorship- Never be
] fore had any one contradicted hin
:, without suffering for it
She would tell him that the argu
D ment in one of his editorial article.
: was illogical; she would find fault will
: | his treatment of public questions; sh,
[ ! would point out errors in his state
S ments; she would criticise the styl'
: which he favored. or the syntax o
: his writings; and she often urged hin
z to tear up his manuscripts. Upon on,
: occasion, she discouraged him by say
Y ing that he ought to put some mcr
t, curry into the veins of his paper.
= Editor Pod often thought of his frs
t wife. while he bore these trials. II
= wished that he had remained n wid
n over to the end OF his days He wa
e so much disgruntled. one time. by tn
e second Mrs Pods dispara cement of
5 piece he had written and printed tina
he began to think OF divorce as tn
5 only means of quieting his nerves. Brs
s he could not bear to face the scand3a
r that would be raised by this proceed
e ing He often thought that he wouli
e go mad
v But. before the end of the first yea
, of his second marriage. Editor Pc
n was somehow led to suspect that, 2:
l. ter all. he might not be infaIlfble. o
Z perhaps was not a yerftable 1uminary
5 or an aIl-knowing editor. or control
IS ling boss He fen into the dumps: hi