The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-26
OF !.
SIMILAR CHARACTER
BY MORRIS WINNIE.

sssus.t0u SabuAuUlOSU Ill
BY MORRIS WINNIE.
fCopyright 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Miss Miggles, aged forty. is to the
matrimonial world what Ruskin was
to art. Miss Niiggles had never had
husband or child any more than
Ruskin had painted pictures. but she
reasoned that as the best critics did
not themselves shine in the field they
criticised so an old maid was better
fitted to observe unbiased the treat
ment by one another of husbands.
wives and children.
Miss Miggles' niece, Mrs. Shackleton.
had been married long enough to have
a boy and a girl. whom she was bring
ing up without the assistance of either
nurse or servant. and her husband was
doing his part in struggle to keep
the wolf from the door. The conse-
quence was that each. having over
strained nerves, Jared upon the other.
The observant Miss Miggles noticed
this and desired to do something. to
ameliorate the situation. 1t did not
occur to her to bear part of her
1iece's burden by helping with the
household or nursery duties. The
world needs both analyzers and work
ers. Miss Miggles was an analyzer.
She analysed the family condition. She
did more than this; she prescribed q
remedy.
One evening when Mr.. Shackleton
came home from business as he passed
into the house Miss Miggles passed
out. Throwing himself into his accus-
toned chair. he took up the evening
paper lying on the table. His eye at
once rested on the following paragraph
marked:
A husband should maintain that same
watchfulness over his amiability at home
that he does while at business. He knows
that any loss OF temper with q customer
will lose him that customer. Let him re-
member that by constant loss Of temper
at home he may eventually lose his wife.
The suggestion was not without its
effect upon Mr.. Shackleton. Making a
good resolution for the future, he went
upstairs. where he found his wife, ad-
vanced to meet her with smile, which
was returned In kind, and the two
spoke pleasant greetings. Though he
did not know 1t. his wife had received
q similar suggestion as to her treat
ment of him and had made CORE
spending resolution.
Mr.. and Mrs. Shackleton the next
day forgot all about their respective
resolutions and did not subsequently
recall them. Their children were
taught at school that If they did not
at first succeed they were to try again,
but the parents did not have the time
to keep trying again. A succession Of
unfortUitous incidents absorbed their
attention and an improvement in their
conduct toward each other must wait
till luck turned and they should be
more free to give the subject atten-
ton. Mrs. Shackleton became so worn
out that she was threatened with nerv-
GUS prOstration. Her husband. endeav-
ored to get some assistance from his
or bis wife's feminine relatives,> but
they all considered the Shackletons a
quarrelsome couple and declined any
interference with other peoples bicker-
ings.
At this time appeared one of those
beings to whom people give that love
in place of which they give acclaim to
heroes Mrs. Shackleton received a
letter from Miss Meriweather. a for
mer schoolmate,y that she would pass
through the city where the Shackle-
tons lived and would spend the day
with her. Mrs. Shackleton wrote in
reply that II Miss Meriweather were
any other woman in the world she
would decline under the circumstances
to receive her. AS it was, she would
be delighted to have her come and
stay.
Miss Meriweather came. She had
not been in the house half an hour
before she had assumed control, hav-
ing first put Mrs. Shackleton to bed,
where she remained most of the time
through several successive days. while
her guest did all the work. including
the care of the children. Then one
evening when Mr., Shackleton came
home Miss Meriweather told him that
il he did not get away from business
and his wife from domestic cares they
would both collapse. Miss Meriweath-
err would remain in care of the house
and the children while the couple took
a trip.
There was not in this case the usual
putting off of the remedy on account
Of cant afford it" or there's so much
to do to get ready" Miss Meriweath-
er had knack Of persuading people
over such impossibilities. and the
couple started the next day. Before
they left the house Miss Meriweather
slipped a fifty dollar bill into Mrs.
Shackleton's purse, which, she said.
was for delicacies, rides, amusements,
etc.
The couple were gone fortnight,
when they returned much refreshed
for another trial at life's ordeal. After
Miss Meriweathers visit somehow they
managed to avoid a great deal Of
the effect Of their responsibilities.
Perhaps it was the result of her ex-
ample. The improvement was noticed
by Miss Miggles. who was delighted
with what she considered an effect of
her cunningly devised prescription.
She has since told individuals here
and there how she turned quarrel
some couple into pair Of angels by
adroitly showing each what was due
the other. And verify Miss Miggles
hath her reward. She has been elect