The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-09-20
FIRST AND SECOND WIVES.
Edith Sessions Tupper Declares the
Later Have All the Best OF Life.


the Chicago Chronicle. says:
l heard heated discussion the
ether evening on the subject: Does
the second wife have better time
than the first:
Most OF the ladies present took
the negative. They agreed that
mans first love IS always dearest,
that she is loved more and in con-
sequence has more advantages and
privileges than the 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.
I think they were wrong. If I
were a young. attractive woman and
looking for nice, soft sinecure in the
way c+f livelihood, I should lay siege
to a middle aged widower. / consider
such man about the softest PROPOSE
ton in the market.
A widower is like a baby. He is
helpless. He weeps constantly for
a while. Then he sits up and takes
notice. He is just hungry for a
consolation and grateful TO the one
who bestows it.
The first wife works and scrimps
that the second may spend. That is
shown every day. Poor dear Maria
Jane does her own housework, makes
over last years gowns, denies herself
all the little lllxuries that women so
dearly love in order to lay by, for "a
rainy day."
The rainy day materializes in
the shape of Eugenia Maud, who, af-
ter Maria Jane, tired out, is laid un-
der the daises, steps in, takes her
places and makes the old man pay
the freight. That is life in America.
So, whenever I see a woman fret
ting and stewing and worrying over
piling up fat bank account I wish
to say to her: For whom are you
scrubbing and pinching: For the
next wife,"
The widower just cannot help him.
self. No was so kind, so forgetful
OF self, so economical, so prudent and
made such lovely pie 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 mid
die aged heart a-hutter.
He weds Eugenia Maud, implicitly
believing he has caught another
Maria Jane. He is soon undeceived.
But his new wife is so graceful, so
pretty, so vain. so lazy, so helpless
that he at once becomes her slave.
For after all there is nothing man
so absolutely adores as a helpless wo-
man. He may admire an alert. in
dependent woman, but when it comes
to doting he wants Ginger.
| have seen big, strong, splendid
men, the absolute serfs OF languid,
lackadaisical, helpless wives It's
grotesque and it's pitiful, but its 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 dress and gold broach
shrink away abashed before Eugenia
Maud's chifons.
The house, too, must be brought
up to date. And No ? must have a
span and victoria. Poor Jane drove
an old nag hitched to a side bar bug
gy.
Servants: Jane had one hired girl,
Maud has three maids and man.
Everything changes on a like scale.
The queen is dead. Long live the
queen!
And the poor besotted king? Well,
1t first he is rather frightened. But,
bless you, he soon grows to like it
all-the show, the style, the extrava-
gance, especially the bewildering little
creature, half child, half wife, who