Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-04-14
The Husband
Explains

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and looked over at her husband.
That's just like woman" she said.
Anybody would suppose that l had
been trying to do her a mean trick
from the tone of her letter, and
thought | was doing her favor"
He went right on reading the news
paper, devoting the rest Of his atten-
ton to his coffee.
Don't take enough interest in my
affairs to read the letter, / suppose"
she went on, getting dangerously near
the teary stage. We'll. you needn't,
then"
You just tell me what's in it, DEAR"
he said THAT will be sufficient"
She seemed Modified and picked up
the rejected letter.
Il can tell you what's in it." she
went on. tits just in answer to what
wrote her about the fat. You know
Jenny Smith told me that she would
always like to take this fiat OFF our
hands If we were tired of it; that she
had never seen fiat anywhere so
good; that she would regard it as a
great favor If we did let her know and
that she wanted just such an apart
ment
Il did that and now she writes back
that she is very appreciative of my
offer, but that under the circumstances
she thinks she will not be able to take
1t off our hands, much as she would
like to be Of service to us. She writes
as If had implored her to rent it
as great favor to me.
fThat's just the way with people
when you ask them to do what they
have said they are very anxious to do
once they get the idea that they are
doing you favor. It's just the same
thing that happened when asked the
Joneses If they wanted my cook.
Every time they came to the house
last winter they used to rave over
Emily. They would be so happy if
only they could get such a cook, they
said. Yet when wrote to them that
we We're giving up keeping house and
that they could have her if they want
ed her they seemed to be actually
embarrassed about the matter, as if
they were having a servant forced
on them willy nilly.
He had not indicated any great in
terest at the beginning, but listened
more attentively as his wife's nara
tive proceeded. Then he put down the
paper and began to talk himself.
Don't you remember the time you
bought that old side table at auction
and Mary asked you to let her have it
If you ever wanted to sell it?'
She nodded.
Don't you recall also how patroni-
zing she was when you told her you
thought you might let her have it be-
cause you didn't want to crowd your
dining room? Surely you have not for
gotten how she tried to wriggle out Of
taking it just as if you were deter
mined to hold her to bargain"
She admitted that she had not for
gotten detail of this transaction.
Then she also admitted how provoked
she had been when her cousin Helen
had asked her to give her the refusal
of her old horse Sally if she decided
to sell her when they went to town in
the autumn
Then how can you," he asked,
with these things fresh in your mind,
put yourself in the way of being pat
ronized again in such fashion? You
ought to learn that what they do not
possess often seems very attractive to
persons so long as it remains the
property of others. 1t is quite diff
ferent thing when it becomes attain.
able to them.
1T almost invariably happens that
they have ceased to care for it and
1t is only human nature for them to
give themselves the satisfaction OF
showing the owners that they are now
in possession of the situation. So
remember that trait the next time YOU
offer to anybody similar kindness"