The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-07-27

country the example of rare heroism
and unstinted devotion shown by the
martyred President Mckinley, to his
delicate and suffering wife. That as
siduous care never varied. The utmost
pressure of state affairs did not inter-
fere with it, and in the last hour of
mortal pain, his final thought was for
her.
In city, not far from New York, a
woman has been prisoner upon her
couch of pain for many weary years.
She has been unable to turn herself
in bed, or to use her poor, twisted
hands in holding so much as the light
est book. Never once has the patience
of her husband failed nor his indomi-
table courage, which has matched her
fortitude, once lowered its crest. She
has been surrounded by the most deli
cate attentions, musicians have been
brought to her home, concerts have
been planned there, flowers have
bloomed for her, and all that wealth
and love can do have been lavished to
make her invalid condition endurable.
In the same city. in very humble
home, q cobbler has stitched at his
bench year by year, mending shoes and
earning bread for himself and his wife,
who has lain most of the time help
less cripple in a little room just over
his shop. The CHEEKY German is a man
of few words, but he has had the in
vincible patience of love just as Nc
Kinley had, and as his richer neighbor
has.
Robert Louis Stevenson gives an in
stance of devotion on the part Of hus-
band which should put the man o:
whom it is told, high in the roll of
saints. A young wife was taken sud-
denly and alarmingly i'll, on a chilly
September night. Her husband ran
two miles to bring the doctor, and
drenched with sweat, returned with
him at once in an open gig. On their
arrival at the house the wife half un-
consciously took and kept hold of her
husbands hand. BY the doctors Or
ders windows and doors were set open
to create thorough draught, and the
patient was on no account to be dis
turbed. Thus, then, did the husband
pass the whole of that night crouch
ing on the floor in the draught and not
daring to move lest he should wake the
sleeper. He had never been very
strong, energy had stood him instead
of vigor, and the result of that nights
exposure was flying rheumatism, va
ried by settled sciatica.
The wisdom of thus inviting disease
may be doubted, but the -forgetful-
ness that prompted it, was never out
done by the most unselish woman and
wife in the world.
The most loving husbands are not
those who talk most about love. A
mans reticence often leads him to
keep his affection very much in the
background. Nevertheless it is there.
know a devoted pair, who have al
most reached the hour of their golden
wedding. No human being, neither the
most intimate friend, nor the dearest
of their children has ever heard the
husband address his wife except in
terms of formal courtesy. She observes
an equal ceremony in talking to him
before others. No one has ever seen
anything like sentiment expressed by
either. Yet no one suspects or could
suspect, that there is between them
anything save the most undying at
tachment. The wife's slightest wish
is always gratified. The husband lives
and has always lived for her alone, her
happiness the essential theme of his
thought. Needless to say, this couple
did not learn their reticence under our
sparkling skies. They were brought
up in the hill country of Scotland, and
the silence of the moors early stole
into their souls.
Before many weeks shall have passed
thousands of American husbands will
be facing solitary weeks. They are
fast chained to business, and are for
tunate If they can get away for q
week or ten days, or fortnight dur
ing the hot weather from the ledger or
the shipping room. Their wives and
their children will be sent to beautiful
country places, to the sea beach, or the
mountain side, with trunks full OF
dainty clothing, and every opportunity
/! given to pass time in thorough recrea-
ton and enjoyment. For the wives
there will be hours of some fancy
work, of reading summer novels, OF
tennis, golf or driving; and for the
husbands there will be long days OF
toll in tropic temperature and q
lonely house to go to at night, with
meals picked up at restaurants, and
every variation of discomfort.
Men say little about it, but they fee
acutely the loneliness of the summer
weeks, when their families are away in
the full heyday of diversion and pleas
ure. It is indeed question for wives
to consider whether they are justified