The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-10-05
First and Second Wives.


the second wife have better time
than the frst?"
Most OF the ladies present took the
negative. They agreed that mans
first love is always dearest, that she is
loved more and in consequence has
more advantages and privileges than
.he second or third. Moreover, that
as man grows older he grows poky
and prefers quiet life and expects
his wife to conform to his ideas.
| think they are wrong. If l were
young, attractive woman and looking
for nice, soft sinecure in the way Of
a livelihood, I should lay siege to
middle aged widower. consider
such man about the softest PROPOSE
tion in the market.
A widower is like baby. He is
helpless. Then he sits up and takes
notice. He is just hungry fora sweet
consolation and grateful to the one
who testows it.
The first wife works and scrimps
that the second may spend. That is
shown every day. Poor dear Maria
Jane ioes her own houscwork, makes
over last year s gowns, denies herself
all the little Injuries that women 80
dearly love in order to lay by for "a
rainy day"
The "rainy day" matcrializes in the
shape of Eugenia Maud, who, after
Maria Jane, tired out, is laid under
the daisies, steps in, takes her places
and makes the old man pay the freight.
That is life in America.
So, whenever see woman fretting
and stewing and worrying over piling
up fat bank account I wish TO say to
her: "For whom are you scrubbing
aud pinching? For the next wife?'
The widower just cannot help him
self. No. i was 30 kind, 80 forgetfui
Of self, 80 economical, so prudent and
made such lovely pic crust, and he is
so lonely.
So the first young girl with dim
pied chin and saucy air who makes
"goo- GOO eyes at him sets his middle
aged heart a-6utter.
lie wcds Eugenia Maud, implicitly
slieving he has caught another Maria
Jane. lie is soon undeceived.
But this new wife is so graceful, so
pretty, 30 vain, so lazy, 80 helpless
that he at once becomes her slave.
For after all there is nothing man
go absolutely adores as helpless wo-
man. He may admire an alert, inde-
pendent woman, but when it comes
to doting he wants Ginger.
l have seen big, strong, splendid
men the absolute serfs of languid.
lackodaisical, helpless wives. It's
grotesque and it's pitiful, but it's
true.
The second wife quickly persuades
"papa" as she is fond of calling him,
that what went before Jane died is
now impossible. Poor James best
black silk and gold brooch shrink away
abashed before Eugenia Maud's chif-
fons.
| The house, too, must be brought up
to date. Aud No. 2 must have span
and victoria. Poor Jane drove an old
nag hitohed to side bar buggy.
Servants? Jane had one hired girl,
Maud has three and q man. Every
! ahing changes on like scale. The
queen is dead. Long live the queen
And the poor besotted king? Well,
at first he is rather frightened. But,
bless you, he soon grows to like it all
the show, the style. the extrava.
gance, especially the bevildering little
creature, half child, half wife, who
cuddles him carelessly and oajoles him
to the top Of his bent.
When she trails her laces to his side
and puts her peachy cheek close to his
aud murmurs, "Who ia IT,, dearest,
loveliest old thing in the world?" he
rises like Gsh to the bait. Poor,
dear Jane was always too busy and
too tired to pet him. But Eugenia
Maud knows her business,
or course there are times when he
thinks about Jane. He uneasily re.
calls her uusel6shness, her thrift.
He wonders what she would say could
she see all this extravaganza. But
when he falls to dreaming of her, lying
in her grave with her tired hands
those rough, toil-worn hands-crossed
meekly on her breast, he hears swish
of silk and presently two satiny hands
hands that know no work, hands to