Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-04-22
The First Requisite
Of Love
COriginal.J

periods of misery. He had found mar
rage failure and must make the best
OF it. He resumed his place at his
clubs. This is mans advantage. If he
does not find companionship at home,
he can get it abroad.
1t was not so with the wife. She
rou1d 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 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
drst anniversary, which a year before
she supposed would be passed in a
more intense cooling than before, was
absolutely aforementioned 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 l don't
want to understand them. l know a
place where l 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 look that was passing be-
tween the two and believed that his
place was supplied.
A philosophic nature led him to think
out plan and follow it-a plan that
would do the least harm, give him and
his wife the least trouble. II shall be
no dog in the manger,'" he said. If
she prefers this man, she shall have all
1he wants Of him. l will go abroad
and live. But that my affairs shall not
become common talk must have an
ostensible object in going. l will ap-
ply for some petty consulship in
place where no American would care
to live; then l will live elsewhere and
pay deputy" After he had given
himself plenty Of time to form an ir-
revocable resolution he went to an
nounce it to his wife.
We are creatures Of happenings. We
mark out course, take week, a
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,
abe .forestalled the announcement by
one Of her own. The germ of a new
life had come into the universe.
In a twinkling the mans mind, in
tentons, affections were diverted into
a new channel. He was enough. of a
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 irrita bility. her pee
= v1shness, her sOnableness-every-
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 l 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
mate 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?
Then the husband made second dis
ncovery. The first was that marital at
fection could only be gained by his
sacrifice to the wife; the second was
: that the sacrifice Of both to the child
was imDeratiVe. This submission of