The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1910-04-13
HIS STUPID
LITTLE WIFE
By ESTELLE MARSH
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

They were walking together on the
riverside.
Both were young. and one was beautiful
The crown Of her hat was big enough
to ct the head of the colossal statue
Of Athena on the Acropolis at Ath-
ems. They were talking of love and
marriage. Most young couples while
dawdling talk either of love and mar
rage or platonic friendship, the man
taking the ground that it is impossi-
BE. the girl that 1t is the most desir-
able form of affection between the
sexes.
"As for me-" be said. when / marry
| prefer girl whom can love with
my whole heart and SOUL"
Then you must get one with a
strong personality, good Judgment and
an excellent mind"
II wish nothing Of the kind. Give
me a girl with pink and white COM
plexion. a pretty pair Of rose lips and
not too much BRAIN"
well, | declarew
''She must not only be stupid, but
must prove herself stupid. No; I will
not even trust her to do that 1 will
prove her stupid myself"
You don't mean what you say.
How could you love such a girl2"
II love her already"
She cast a quick glance at him, then
bent her eyes to the ground. She had
been under the impression that he had
been falling in love with her. She was
at loss to know what this meant.
Had she n rival?
"A man doesn't wish the counter
part of himself in a woman. Her in
tellectual gifts repel him; her feminine
stupidity delights him. If she is
strong he looks upon her as he would
man. If she is weak he longs to
protect and comfort her."
This Ounce that you love, is she"-
'She is not a Ounce judged by a
proper standard. There must be one
standard for men and another for wo-
men. A mana real man-wouldn't
know how to take care OF a baby-at
least he wouldn't do it the right way
When | was boy my mother left me
one afternoon to mind my little sister,
eight months old ! wished to go and
play. II ] could put the baby to sleep
| would be free. blew in the little
things eyes. forcing her to shut them.
| kept up this process till she went to
sleep. You see. | didn't know any
thing about babies"
She thought awhile before saying.
at seems TO me that was rather clever
for boy"
''Rut you couldn't lay it down as a
recipe for putting babies to sleep"
mo. l suppose it wouldn't do al
ways"
Twill you kindly tell me-" he asked.
breaking away from the topic Of con-
versation, how you women make
those big crowned hats stay on the
tops of your heads? | don't under
stand why they don't slip down over
your eyes. If | wore one of them I'd
have to cut holes to see through"
well, you see. we women have a
lot of hair and all that to ill them up"
"Oh, supposed there was some
patent contrivance for the purpose"
I'VE have hatpins, you know"
you mean those rapiers with coach
mans buttons for hiltsY'
''They must be long to go through
the large crowns"
II see. Would you mind unsheath-
ing yours and letting me see the inside
of your hat?"
She removed the hatpins and. tax
ing of her hat. showed him the inner
crown.
''Why. the diameter is two or three
inches less within than it is withoutT'
81 don't understand you"
''This part inside is smaller than any
mans hat. There Is a false inner
crown"
There is a difference. isn't thereT"
81 should say So"
IL didn't know that"
Better put it on again and the
swords through. 1t might fall down
over your eyes"
81 dare say" pouting. "you consider
me very stupid"
81 have not left it to you to prove
yourself so. have done 1t myself
You know ! said | would"
"In the case of the creature You
wished to marry"
There is a method in my madness"
"WilI you kindly explain wherein
the method lies?"
81 told you | wished a stupid girl for
a wife. Could there be anything more
stupid than girl wearing one of these
hats on her head and not knowing how
1t Is kept on the top Of her head?"
There wa a slap with one hand,
a caress with the other. She may have
been stupid about the hat, but she
was bright enough to catch his meth
cd" and. catching 1t. held her tongue.
Indeed. from this point she let him
to do all the talking. He took her
hand and whispered a number Of love
Iy things in her ear.
They had been married long enough
for the problems Of life to loom mp.
such as winter coal bills. gas bills.
doctors fees and other items that will
always he coming up without being
expected. Notwithstanding her stu
pidity she proved good manager
But at the end OF the first year one
day her husband received a bill for Il
new hat the amount Of which aston
lshed him. He demonstrated.
81 thought it very cheap" she said.
Cheap. Are you so stupid rs to buy
a thing merely because II is cheap"
81 thought you loved me for my stu
pidity," she replied. hanging her head