Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-11-05
THE AMERICAN WIFE.
Is This a True Picture Of Her Atti-
tude Towards Her Husband


tude Towards Her Husband ?
But the American wife? Henry
James has summed up the American
wife in just one sentence. He says
1.-THE American wife knows nothing of
her husbands affairs except that they
are not of the slightest consequence,
This is both epigrammatic and ex-
actly true. The American wife has
quite genuine affection for her hus-
band. Even after years OF marriage
have gone by she thinks. of him with
unaffected friendlines. He Is so use
full. She credits him with almost all
the virtues, except, perhaps, the viz
tue Of being interesting, and she over
looks that one defect of his with char
liable liberation. She sees him come
and go each day with clock-l1ke regu-
1arity. She vaguely knows what his
profession or vocation is. She thinks
better of him If it is a profession or
vocation that is generally regarded as
quite creditable; but this is practl-
cally all she knows or cares about II.
She ses him rising early and hurrylng
to his office. She hears him sitting
| late into the night in the room over
head; and she is probably aware that
49,
and documents Of some kind or other
-tiresome and stupid things that he
will persist in bringing home and fuss
| ing over.
She finds that he must sometimes
STAY in town all through the summer
when the thermometer is in lne nlne-
| ties and when the sickly heat sWeats
on the very walls or sizzles on the
pavement. She thinks it very incon-
siderate Of him to do this. She would
really rather have him go with her
| to the cool, wi1id-swept nook that she
selects for her own summer outing.
Just why he does NOT go she cannot
possibly imagine.
1t is one Of the curious irrational
| traits which he possesses and which
prevents her from taking him quite
seriously. Perhaps he will run UP
there for day or two; and when he
does come she is very nice to him,
apart from scolding him little for
getting so hideously sallow and thin,
But he is not particularly comfortable
there. He follows her meekly into the
dining room three times day for a
while and then has to go back 70
whatever he does in town. just what
it is she does not know. The house
hold bills are paid; the checks come to
her regularly. She does the things
she likes to do, and sometimes dimly
recognizes the fact that it is pleasant
to have somebody to see that her va
rious projects and arrangements all
come out SO nicely. Her husband is
really quite what husband ought 10
be- He does his duty perfectly, and
she has very accurate notion of
what the duty is. TO provide what
ever she requires. to fetch and carry
out her bidding, to leave her absolute
ly free from care, responsibility or
worry-such is the whole duty Of the
American husband.
And then, she is so very sure of
him! Tt never enters her head that he
has anything to wish for, that he can
possibly be conscious Of a void some
where in life. or experience even the
faintest stirring of dissatisfaction;
that he could ever imagine anything
different from what he has; that he
might ever dream of an existence
where he should be something better
than the household banker. glorified
butler a, superior maitre d'hoteI she
is absolutely satisfied with herself and
absolutely sure Of him. she does not
want another kind of husband, so why
should he desire a different sort Of
wife?-Ainslee's