The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-07-26
TOO MUCH GOODNESS
HOW AN EXEMPLARY HUSBAND
ALMOST DROVE HIS WIFE
TO LUNACY
THE STAY AT HOME
AS CONSTANT IRRlTANT
Woman Should Be Taken to the Thea
ter, to Concerts and Balls - Man
. Should So Arrange as to Spend
Portion of His Evenings Away From
His Domicile. E1-,h

My friend, Ebenezer Butterworth
Snagues, tells me that I have made
quite a favorable impression among
his employees. When he called to see
me, socially, the other evening, he said
him If he supposed that I could tell
him what allied his wife. told Snagues
to send Clenough up to my Office some
afternoon and~I would talk the matter
over.
Mr.. Clenough called the next after
noon and briefly described his wifes
condition. He said: Il can't imagine
what the trouble is. MY wife is very
quiet; doesn't like society; don't like
to go to the theater, or to concerts, or
lectures, in fact, all she does want to
do is to stay at home. She doesn't go
out of the house to call on any one
once a week. I do all the shopping,
such as buying groceries, meat and
vegetables, and make life as easy as I
can for her in every way"
I asked Clenough if his wife had to
work very hard. He said: "Oh no!
She gets up about half past five in the
morning and builds the fire. I'm
ashamed to say. that, but it's pretty
hard work in the store, and don't feel
much like getting up mornings, and
soon build the fire as not. I get up at
and she has breakfast all ready for
me. Then have to hurry, because the
train leaves at half-past seven, and as
/ don't have time in the store read the
paper while I am eating and finish the
paper on the train. linen, of course,
after I have gone, the missis washes
the dishes and tides up things and
does her routine work about the house.
She's a great woman for routine, my
wife is. She has set days for certain
kinds of work; washes on Monday:
irons on Tuesday, and so on through
the week. She is too busy to get any
dinner for herself; she just takes
lunch; a bit of bread and a cup of tea,
and not always that, because she says
it's so lonesome to eat alone In the
afternoon she begins to get the regular
dinner, and that keeps her busy until
I get home at half-past six. Then we
have dinner, and read the evening pa
per while she does up the dishes, and
then she takes her knitting or sewing
and employees her time while I am so
tired that after I have had my smoke
I usually fall asleep and don't wake up
again until bedtime. = $50 . -
Irritable and Fitful. 49,.
Nothing especial seems to be the
matter with her, but lately she has be-
come very irritable and f1tful. If don't
listen to what she is saying, when she
Is asking questions or talking of what
has happened in the neighborhood,
she actually loses her temper and
scolds, and that prevents my reading
or thinking, and disturbs my nap, and
If tell her not to bother me, she goes
off in a fit of the sulks She has been
aWfully su1ky and norose, lately, and
she complains that she is so nervous
that she feels as if she would fly, and
she is so tired that she can hardly
drag one foot after the other. It's
strange, though, I don't see why she
she should he hpco11So
there's nothing to disturb her. It's al
ways quiet in the house. She doesn't
have much company. There's nobody
in the house to worry her, not even a
child"
"Well," said, ct think know pref
ty well what the trouble is, but with
your permission I will drop in some
morning and talk with your wife, In
accordance with this promise did call
and found things as I supposed
should. Mrs. Clenough was one of those
long and lank women, of an extreme
1y nervous temperament, very unas-
Stunning in appearance, of retiring,
difhdent disposition, and not at all self
assertive. After gaining her confidence
by cheerful small-talk, I said it must
be rather lonesome here. ooh, doc
tor" she exclaimed, lonesome is no
name for it; it's perfectly horrible; it's
worse than confinement for life on a
desert isle. But wouldn't think Of
saying that to my husband; he's SO tir-
ed when he gets home, and he has so
much to worry him." >.s,. +
thought it was rather strange that
Mr.. Clenough should have so much to
worry about, as he was a steady going
man, had no bad habits, had a good,
permanent position, and was well and
promptly paid; but I didn't say SO to
his wife. I did ask her if she liked
amusements. If shetland her husband
t,p owl o. II tow
in while. -s.-.. sr.. w.
Would Like to Go to Theater.
She said, ooh, no. should dearly
ly, but, as have said, my husband
is so tired that he doesn't want to do
anything when he gets home but eat
his supper, smoke his pipe, read the
paper and take a nap; and he never
thinks of even suggesting that we go
call on our next-door neighbours; he
says he is no society man, and of
course If we don't call on the neighbors
they won't call on u.s. Els b Is -
II suppose, Mrs. Clenough," said I,
.'that you don't have very much work
to do" well, yes, do have good
DEAL" she replied. TT isn't hard work,
but it keeps me busy all the time. My
husband is awfully hard on clothes.
He has to have a clean frock every
day as well as a clean shirt and collar
and cuffs. So my washing Is quite
large. Wednesday it takes about all
my spare time mending. Then the
house is so near the railroad that II
gets awfully dirty, and it takes a good
deal of my time sweeping and scrub
bling. Mr.. Clenough is a hearty eater,
too, and cook big dinner every day
and Saturday cook cakes and pies
for the week.
didn't make any comments, on her
work, but thought that she had
enough Of 1t, and rather too much.
said: "Of course you and your hus-
band go to church on Sunday" and she
replied: ooh! no! Mr.. Clenough does
not want to dress up Sunday. He
says he's tired and wants to read and
rest; he says that's the only time he
does have to himself'
T suppose" said, "you take 1ittls
trips during the summer-trolley rides
and so forth" NO. said she, .tMr.
Clenough doesn't want to go; he says
there's such q crowd and that he sees
enough Of crowds In the city every
day. Il he has a day off he goes with
some Chum somewhere in the woods.
fishing cor cunning. He says that's
the kind Of q rest he likes.
Is Handy Man.
'sWelI, OF course, them" said i '.you
both spend q week or two jim the coun-