The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-07
DREADFUL POSITION
OF A HUSBAND
of a Wife to Keep to
the Programme Laid Down
Makes Trouble

Many times on his page the dis
abilities from which some men suffer
have been mentioned, and the fact that
this department sympathizes with nus
bands who are abused and nagged by
their wives, has been made plain. In
deed it has been hoped that some good
had been done by insistence upon the
contention that husbands are not al
ways to blame when domestic trouble
occurs. Recently. however, the writer
received a letter from a reader of this
page recounting a most pathetic case
which more h ever confirms the
opinion that some wives are impossible
to get along with. The wife in this
case has placed her husband I'm a very
embarrassing position, and he, of
course, is too much of a gentleman to
let her know of Ii.
Thus runs the tale: A man some
where has an invalid wife; she is suf-
fering from an incurable complaint
which may carry her off at any mo-
ment, but it is quite impossible for n
physician to say with certainty how
long she may live. One thing is sure.
she cannot last very long. OF curse
her husband is kind to her. is doing
everything in the world for her COM
fort, but he is aware that she I'M
live. Now it happens that a few
months ago he met an old sweetheart
of his, a widow, charming and eligible
and they revived their friendship. He
confided to her his sad case and that
at any moment he may become a Wild
over. She condoled with him. knowing
what it was to lose a partner herself.
n fully realizing what a trial ii must
be for man to see his wife dying be-
fore his eyes. The afflicted husband
got into the habit of calling upon the
sympathetic widow, and finally they
came to an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ment it may be called-that as soon
as his wife is dead and a decent time
has elapsed after her interment he will
marry his first love, the widow.
Now comes in the sad part of the
story which shows what a hard time
some husbands nave. The wife is still
living. Indeed she show no disposition
to die at all, and husband suffers in 81
lence.
There may be those who will con-
denim hat man without a hearing. but
is there not a good deal to be said on
his side? Here he was absolutely sure
that his wife could not live, n he
had met the love of his youth. He
feared that if he did not in some way
secure her she might be snapped up
before his wife died. So he merely did
what a real estate dealer Toes when
he secures an option on a piece of prop
erty; he asked her to wait for him.
Those inclined to blame a man for
hus taking time by the forelock should
consider the rush and hurry of the
times, and also take into account the
popularity of widows. No d~isrespect
toward his wife is meant, and as she
cannot live anyway he merely wishes
to provide for the future. He is prob
ably N Of those proYident men who
will always get along. If all men-and
some women-were far seeing and pro-
Vided for contingencies, this would be
a happier world.
1t is the stupid wife who is to blame
in this instance. If she a shuffled
off per schedule and not delayed things,
the whole matter could be settled with
out n one being the wiser. AS 1t is
the husband is distracted. the widow
does not know exactly where she is at
and the fat is decidedly in the fire.
Only the invalid wife is calm and easy
in mind; while she does not dream what
an embarrassing position her husband
is placed in by her hanging on such
an unconscionable time, still if she was
a of much penetration she
ought to guess that there is something
the matter. Some one will say, what
could she do if she did guess? That
is too deep for me, l merely throw out
the suggestion that this is a case in
which a man who wishes to do the
right thing all round, is much handi-
capped by unfortunate circumstances
which do not seem to be exactly the
fault of any one. There is one thing to
be hoped, that the wife will not become
so we'll that husband will be discour-
aged and break his engagement. Some
thing, surely, is owed to the widow.