Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-18
The First Requisite
ef Love -

rage failure and must make the best
of it. He resumed his place at his
clubs. This is mans advantage. II he
does not find companiOnship at home,
he can get it abroad.
It was not SO with the wife. She
could not thus coolly make up her mind
that there had been a mistake and
partly resume her former life Of inde-
pendence. Instead of gathering about
her her former friends, practically
avoiding any serious pitfall, she listen
ed to the first man who chose to whis-
per soft word in her ear, and he, be-
ing encouraged, poured forth torrent.
This In a measure supplied what she
had lost. 1t was like being widowed
| and exchanging hearts anew.
1t was the anniversary Of their we'd
ding, but the husband had forgotten it.
When the wife discovered that this
first anniversary, which a year before
she supposed would be passed in a
more intense cooling than before, was
absolutely unremembered by her hus-
band, she gave way to irritation.
Nothing that he said pleased her, ev-
erything displeased her. '"This is one
Of her moods" he said to himself. II
don't understand them, and 1 don't
want to understand them. know a
place where can get quiet and COM
fort, place where no woman may en-
ter-my club. There will CO." When
he returned at II o'clock at night, the
new source from which his wife had
begun to draw the sympathy she could
not live without was sitting in his par
lor. The husband, entering suddenly,
caught a look that was passing be-
tween the two and believed that his
place was supplied.
IA philosophic nature led him to think
out a plan and follow it-a plan that
his wife the least trouble. II shall be
Emo dog in the manger,'" he said. IF
khe prefers this man, she shall have all
Ehe wants Of him. I will 60 abroad
Eand live. But that my affairs shall not
Ebecome common talk I must have an
idtensible object In going. I will ap-
Ipay for some petty consulship in a
W ucIc uO A"Cl1CdA WOOiN Ndlo
Leo live; then I will live elsewhere and
pay a deputy" After he had given
himself plenty Of time to form an IT.
revocable resolution he went to an
nounce it to his wife.
| We are creatures Of happenings. We
mark out a course, take a week,
month, perhaps year to digest it, then
when we are ready to put it into execu
ton a circumstantial zephyr blows it
away. When the husband was about
to communicate his plan to his wife,
she forestalled the announcement by
one Of her own. The germ of new
| life had come into the universe.
| In a twinkling the mans mind, in
tentions, affections. were diverted into
a new channel. He was enough Of
Psychologist to know that the mother
must have the best of care, both for
her own sake and for the sake Of her
and his child. He was chained to
necessity. He would bear with her
every fault, her irritability, her pee
vishness, her unreasonableness-ev
thing. 1t would be time when this sea-
son was over to carry out his plan OF
living abroad or form another. He be-
gan by putting his arms around his
wife affectionately. She yielded to his
caress. While they were standing ST.
lent in each others arms a servant
raped at the door and announced the
man who had been called in for SYM
pathy. The wife expressed annoyance.
Tell him that I am not at home"
Then the husband made discovery.
Controlling himself, bearing with those
faults which had shattered his ideal
of married life. giving his wife occa-
sional expressions Of affection which
meant nothing, but which were part
Of his plan, he soon found that there
were no Objectionable traits to bear
with, or, rather, that they had lost
their virulence. His wife often ap-
peared to him more unreasonable than
ever. but the defect was atoned for by
expressions Of affection for him which,
unlike his own, were sincere. The pain
he had suffered from an uncongenial
Innate was changed for one of anxiety,
softened by mutual affection, mutual
interest in an expected pleasure. And
now that this delightful sympathy was
restored he began to dread lest he
should lose her. This redoubled his
attentions. his sympathy, his demon
strations of love, and these quadrupled
the return.
One day after hours Of physical ag-
ony to the wife and mental agony to
the husband in a twinkling the sun
shone through raindrops. smiles broke
through tears. There were not only
two lovers, but three. King Baby set
up his throne in the household and
ruled, an autocrat 1t was what will
your majesty please to wear? And
: what will your majesty please to eat?
And when will your majesty please to
: sleep? And, most Of all. when will
your majesty permit others to sleep?
q f. Then the husband made a second dis
covery. The first was that marital at