Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-10-07
The Dark of the
Honeymoon
Showing the Difficulty of
Working In Double
Harness
BY NJ. F. ARCHIBALD

A newly married couple have often
been compared to a team of horses
yoked for the first time in double har-
ness. 1t is an excellent comparison.
The start is made when the wedding
journey is over and the couple enter
upon the routine of ordinary life. Their
expectation usually is that the billing
and cOoing will last so long as they
live. But lovers are elevated upon an
emotional plain that cannot be main
tained any more than one can listen to
music or look at beautiful works of
art or read poetry day in and day out
without doing anything else.
On starting upon a united journey
they find that one has been accus-
toned to go at one pace, the other at
another. One has one gait. the other
different one. But it is the coming
down from the antenuptial roseate
condition that often brings about the
breaking in to travelling double on lifes
turnpike.
Phil Ormsby and Rosalind Scrimser
returned from their wedding journey to
enter their cozy little home. Rosalind
was nineteen and Phil was twenty
eight. Rosalind was at an age wherein
a newly married person. especially 4
woman, is not prepared for a sudden
descent from the courtship condition.
Phil was naturally practical and old
for his age. The season of preparation
for the wedding had come upon him
when he was actively engaged in busi-
ness. and the two together had worn
upon him. Then came the honeymoon,
and, though at first it brought de-
lightful rest. before it was finished he
desired to get back to some important
matters which he had left unfinished
The result was that when he found
himself at home he was pleased to re-
turn to normal condition both in his
private and business life. The first day
on coming home from business he
greeted his wife with just a trifle less
of a lovers exuberance than he had
been in the habit of showing. and.
throwing himself in an easy chair, took
up an evening newspaper and began to
look it over
His wife eyed him askance. They
had entered upon the collapse of the
courtship honeymoon period, the begin
ming of the real matrimonial life. Un-
fortunately both had not reached the
portal of their new companionship at
the same moment AS in the case
of span of newly yoked horses, where
the one has settled down to a trot
had Phil entered upon the affairs of
ordinary life, while Rosalind had not
left world of romance.
Phil went on reading his newspaper
He was somewhat tired, but this was
not the prime course of his disposition
to glance over the news of the day.
He half expected that his young wife
would say whatever she might have to
say, while he read, but she didn't. FL
nally he looked up. There was a cloud
on Rosalind's face no bigger than a
mans hand.
Anything especial happened during
the day." he asked.
1 "a great deal has happened. but you
have been so occupied with your news
paper that l supposed you took no in
terest in your home"
whats gone wrong?"
;n4
my dear. how can you say that?
Anything that concerns you interests
me-
80 I thought until you came home
the first evening after our return from
our wedding journey and took more in.
terest in the worlds news than in your
own household"
Phil didn't reply to this at once. For
months he had been very much pleased
at any reproach for any inattention to
his love. Now he wondered why this
one annoyed him.
Tell me, sweetheart, what has gone
wrong today"
"Oh, nothing that you need worry
about. dare say the cares of business
have been quite enough for you to en-
dure. can bear the rest
TEL me one thing you have had to
bear"
"WelI, in the first place. teephoned
the butcher to send porterhouse steak
and he sent sirloin."
That's too bad. What else?"
"There are mice in the house. One
came out today and ran along the
Dashboard"
We'll put traps about"
"Or cat''
That's good idea"
He drew her down onto his lap and
there was little cooling, but somehow
now that they could coo as much as
they cared 10. there didn't seem to be
the same zest to it. At any rate. Phil
was not sorry when they were sum.
moned to dinner.
A fortnight passed during which
there were many occurrences of such
scenes, though the husband did not
succeed in maintaining his serenity as
well as upon their first tiny spat. Dur
ing these two weeks the bride was