The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-07-02
Why | Have
Never Married
BY JAMES BRAlNARD

porcelain vase or little mower. Iei'
the full responsibility OF the care OF
one who, like sweet Alice In the song
trembled with fear at my frown.
had always been mans man and
used to striking without mercy at men
who opposed me. Suppose | should
forget myself after marriage and
treat my wife in the same way. II
would be like pouring boiling water on
a sensitive plant | should blight her
forever.
One afternoon I called on Ethel with
half dozen roses-I almost always
brought her some gift-and finding the
front door standing wide open, went In
without knocking. l heard voices up
stairs and, not wishing to interrupt the
conversation, sat down on a sofa In the
hall. A woman was speaking. / had
not heard the voice before. She SEEM
ed to me to be an elderly person.
"Are you going to be one Of those
meek creatures who knuckle down to
their husbands In every particular, or
are you going to stand up for your
rights ike true woman
II am going to knuckle down."
very well; If you prefer slavery be
q slave"
This was said with mingled con-
tempt and Indignation.
"Who said was to be a SLAYER
"Have you not just admitted it?"
/ recognized Ethers voice as one Of
the speakers and, not caring to be an
eavesdropper, was about to arise to go
where 1 would hear no more when the
sentence was uttered. II am going to
knuckle down." / hesitated What
harm could there be in listening to the
dear girl tell how she would defer to
my slightest wish? remained where
was.
NO" said Ethel, replying to the last
question. II have admitted no such
thing. I am going to wind Ralph
around my finger"
Have you begun his trainingw
I'm a sense yes. If woman wishes
to dominate a man she must first tie
him to her. How many marriages
would occur If the man knew that the
woman he was to marry was feeding
him with sugar kisses only to snare
him, after which she would proceed to
assume her proper place as head of the
house?'
ooh, that's your game. is it? | didn't !
know you had so much stuff in you
When will you show that you intend |
to be head Of the house?'
Not at once, l assure you, but at our
first safter marriage I'll
insist on having my own way"
You will wear him out. suppose"
Not then. I'll look hurt, pout, and
maybe I'll shed tear or two"
Il see. How long will you keep that
up"
LAS long as it is the easiest way"
"And then?"
'Ill go about looking as sour as vine.
gar. There Is nothing so terrible to
man as his wife's sulks"
Where did you learn all this?'
Haven't | a father and a mother?
Haven't / often been in league with
mother to have our way with fatheri
Suppose we wish him to take US on a
trip. What do we do? A long while
before we desire to start we make the
1t is refused. We keep
up our appeals, or, rather, arguments,
till we break him down."
My hair stood on end. tried to 60
away, but desire to hear more held
me. There was some dialogue on ordi-
nary subjects and then more that in.
terested me. 9
II suppose" said the elder voice, |
that you will become one of Ralph's
is, you will be hand and /
glove with them" (,
Not much. | shall do what all wo- I
men do when they marry, at least all
who know their INTEREST," shall pro-
Feed to separate him from them. b
wife has the advantage of the right OF |
invitation. shall invite my own fam. /
ly. not his"
Suppose he rebels at that?"
II shall remind him that the good
,ook tells a man that he shall leave his
ather and mother and all the rest OF
hem and cleave unto his WIFE"
Il have often wondered why this duty .
vas assigned to the husband instead OF
he wife" +
The reason is very plain. No wo $
nan would leave her family for that o. d
Ter husband" P
There was a brief silence after this, &
which was broken by Ethel.
Men when they marry sooner OF
ater go into the families of their wives
Did you ever hear of wife going into
er husbands family to the exclusion t,
( her ownf" VI
Never"
did you ever hear, after the first il
ush OF welcome, a husbands relatives
peak well OF his wife?' Il
yes, once But the woman | speak h
was a lovely character. u
had heard quite enough. Taking
encil and a card from my pocket, te
'rote on the card "Ta, Ia" and placing y
among the roses / had brought fol P'
y sensitive sweetheart passed out or q
ptoe. AS soon as got safely out y,
IN like deer. Stopping at my bank N
drew the money for a trip, and al "a
idnight was steaming out on to the
tlantic ocean he
When returned a year later I found
mong accumulated mail a card on I'M
hich was written:
Listeners never hear any good of tn