The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-06-08
Why Tempt FATE?
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX
ELLA WHEELER WILCOX

A bevy of intellectual and cult
ured people were discussing a do
mestic tragedy the other evening,
and the discussion brought out
some interesting points of view
concerning the principles which
lie at the foundation of our
homes.
A man who had seemed to be a
happy and devoted husband of a
good and charming woman for
ten years had suddenly informed
his wife that he no longer loved
her, and that for two years he
had been acting a part, as he was
infatuated with girl of twenty
one. II will support you and see
that you want for nothing" he
said, "but you must give me my
freedom and leave me to follow
the leading of my heart"
The wife, who had not suspect
ed any change on her husband
part, was overcome with dispair
and frantic with grief. She beg
ged a friend 20 find who was her
rival, that she might go on her
knees to her and beg the return
of her erring husband. The friend
replied that such course of con-
duct would be as fruitless as un-
dignifed, and urged her to speed
the departing husband with as
much readiness as she had well
coined the eager lover a decade
ago. The subject under discussion
was whether the man acted a brave
or all ignoble part in making a
clean breast of the matter and de-
claring the truth to his wife.
One man of the party thought
him brutal. "It would have been
far kinder to let her remain il
ignorance of the true condition, y
he said. "If the fellow could not
control his infatuation for the
other woman, then let him al
least be kind enough to deceive
his wife about it," All the Other
men disagreed with him, and OF
course all the women became
indignant at such a suggestion,
All believed they had rather be
slain than deceived.
One man expressed deep pity
for the "poor fellow" and seem
ed to think his plight more pa
thetic than thai of the wounded
wife.
"A man is not in fault for fall
ing out of love-" he said. "Ht
could not help it, and the only
thing for him to do and be decent
was just what he did.
Two women mildly suggested
that man might avert such {
disaster as had befallen the hus
band by turning his back on thu
first indication of dangerous in
fatuatlop, as hundreds of wives
do under similar conditions.
at is vanity and self indul
gence and selfishness which leac
nineteen men out of twenty into
such situations, they said. Their
there was a wild protest from thu
men, who objected to any sucl
unromantic view of the sex.
Later, another man in speaking
Of the case, took q larger anC
more sensiable estimate of it.
1T is egotism," he said, which
gets men into such disasters
Ninety-nlne men in a hundred
even if married to a Venus o
beauty and a paragon of all vir
tues and n Gree of seductiveness
would find opportunities an'
temptations after a few years o
accustomed marital happiness i
they chose TO look for them and t.
consider them as possible diver
sions."
This man struck the keynote o
the whole subject. Such tempta
tions are not unique, nor are the.
any evidence that wife has fail
ed in any aspect or that the hus
bands love has died. They ar
mere incidents of magnetic
attractions, which would pass ant
be forgotten IN a brief, period o
time if the man or woman die
not encourage them and feed tn,
fires of momentary flame witt
the fuel of rendezvous, letters ant
frequent associations.
1t seems a remarkable thinj
that so many well meaning, in