El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-07
Nagging and Unhappiness
Because a Man and Woman Are
Married Is No Reason Why They
Should Quarrel, But Many Do.
BY Virginia Terhune Van de Water

- HEY sat directly in front Of me
in the street car. and. try as I
would not to be an eavesdrop-
per. I could not help oVerhearing what
they were saying. I had an interesting
book, and was at first so much abb
sorbed in it that It was not until the
woman's sharp tone attracted my at
tention that was forced to listen.
'Of course" said the woman, you
can trump up an excellent excuse for
lot meeting me at the time you prom
ised to. but you may spare yourself
the bother of an explanation of any
kind"
After a pause the map spoke. Then
I will not waste breath trying to prove
to you that I have been telling you the
truth" he said rather YEARLY.
Married. of Course.
The thought that sprang to my
mInd-and 7 blushed as I found my
self thinking itAwas, "Of course they
are married."
Yet-why. ~of course?" Why should
know that the pair. were husband
and wife? Because they were quar-
relling in such an accustomed and nat
ural way
Il am sorry-I interfered with your
pleasure" said the man. But the fault
was not mine As I have already told
you, I was unaVoidably detained at
the office"
THE office is always a convenient
excuse" retorted the wife What time
did you have your lunch?"
About half past twelve
And what time did you get back
About half past one"
And you took an hour for luncheonl
TaNN
sarcastically-~you must have
been in remarkably good company.
Who was she2"
Plainly a Nagger.
Then I knew that the woman was
that most exaSperatng Of creatures-
a nagger- 7 tried again not to hear
her, for. in spite OF the fact that sur
missed that she was not entirely in the
right 1 knew also that she was I'M
happy Why could she not lust be sat-
isfied to love her husband and to SesESs
him for granted2
As I listened I thought Of the nag
gers of the world, those people who
drive men to worse sins than the Worl-
en- themselves are capable Of Very
often such wives are models Of NOR
atty and discretion. This one probably
Possessed many Of what my novelist
calls the little virtues" that are
sometimes more deadly to the passion
OF love than are the large vices" And
the pity of II all is that the Door soul
eherlshes the delusion that in nag
glng her husband she is doing her duty
by him.
Tries to Change Subject.
ms man took her inSinuatsOns with
Wen assumed patience for while He
tried to change the subject in a clumsy
masculine way by asking her If she
had succeeded in matching the piece OF
SILK she thought so pretty but she an
sWered in monosyllable and then
went on to say that she did wish he
L
Wretched habit OF unpunctuality
rms IS the third time this week
mat you have been late at an appoint
ment with me-" she said. ssand there
mat you have been in at breakfast on
Tune We always have to rush to get
10 the theater before the curtain goes
up, and even then we sometimes miss
night at dinner time youH-
Husband Breaks Away.
But the husband had stood all that
ne could stand just now. He inter-
rupted roughly, and his voice had sud-
denly cOarsened-
Good heavensi9 he calculated. why
not just tell me that my sins are more
IN number than the stars of the sl<v
ana the grains of sand on the seashore
and let the matter drOpl 7 was late
To-Day, and I told you I regretted the
lact As you can talk of nothing ex-
cept my failsngS. and I find Then, a
will, with your gracious permission.
get off the car here and allow you to
continue your ride and meditations
alone 7 prefer TO walk"
He suited the action to the word. al
though she started to speak. and. get
ting up abruptly, swung himself off at
the next corner In minute or two
1 saw the WOman's hand steal furtivefv
70 her face. and knew that. under her
VEIL she was wiping away the tear
drops that she could not keeu from her
eyes also knew that she was very
sorry for herself. that she felt that
her efforts to improve the man she
loved were unappreciated She was
certainly 10 be pitied-and of course
the man had been very rude. But was
he entirely to blame2
And does marriage justify people in
saying just what they please to each
other2 If so, why marry?