Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-12-06
rObler
6Married Life
BY
GEORGE r
THE TYRANNY OF TOO TIGHT A
REIGN.
(CopyhShu

NE MAN" VT wv ssSSss
REIGN. !
Tyranny In a nation can transform
the freest people that ever breathed
into hopeless slaves. numbly submis-
sive aud spiritless. or scheming rebels
with n smile on their lips but hate In
their hearts as they dream their gold
en- dreams of secret revolt and IA bold
break for liberty. There is u brand OF
bOsslsm In married life. Of petty ~
ranny In the home that duplicates 10
miniature this dilemma Of results. II
saps the ambition. courage aud vitality
of husbands and wives. and transforms
them into dull, crushed, cOlorless be
ings. or IL they do not submit thus
meekly it trains them persistently in
smiling hypocrisy. trickery. deceit, ~
Ing and plotting to cheat the tyranny
they do not dare openly to resent.
Have you ever met the husband, OF
the timid. suppressed type, who "''
ways his wife's call with yes,
my dear" mo, my DEAR" or lust In a
moment, my dear" 1t Is never the
sweet dear that drops gently into a
sentence like a caress. His my dear"
with its m%onotonous iteration OF a
%phonograph record seems a continuous
phrase of placating. 1t Is not affec-
ton, II is just fear 1t seems a pleading
deprecatory gesture of the voice as II
trying to dodge a rebuke or a lecture
rs one in%voluntarily wards off an at
tack with the appraised arm. You
somehow feel that you should take him
into a cozy corne and soothe him.
and tell him not to be afraid. that you
will protect him.
When you are alone with him he
may talk easily. cleverly and well; the
stream of his conversation runs
smooth and free like n mountain brook
but 1t suddenly trickles into irrelevant
commonplaces when his wife enters
the room, the whole atmosphere seems
changed, and you vaguely wonder who
shut off the water supply. You do not
like the surreptltious way he covers his
lighted cigar with his hat it seems too
much like Il child caught with It's hand
In the sugar bowl. He can never tell
you definitely whether he can 90 OUT
tomorrow night he will let you know
later and you feel that he has already
begun to plan how he can secure MS
wife's countersign to his pass. Ever
when he is doing what is absolutel!
. ..-t. n,,,l L., ,,-1,csy ln bnnnrnnS Iynntlar
ously fertile in lying excuses, thost
conversational capsules to swectcn INT
breath of suspicion. His il-concealet
10y when his wife has to 60 out o
town for a day or two Is not a mer'
confession; 1t Is a condensed bios
raphy.
Sometimes 1t is the husband, II
domineering assertion OF authorit!
who plays the poor, petty role or &c
nestle tyrant. He dictates, he DC
mands, he threatens, he forblds, he Is
sues his orders as ultimatums In
manner that would be unwarrante
even were he q pirate captain harnr
/ guing his crew. He forGets that ma
\ rage means partnership not proprlt
torship, freedom of both In the hes
interests Of both, not slavery of eitheI
4 His assaults on her rights when n
crosses the dead line of intoleranc
and despotIcally demands ohedien'
/ may not be received as submlsslvel.
i ms uncomplainingly and as finally, 6
D he in his blind concelt believes.
y He may secure an outward sen
\ hlance of submission but actually CO.
temptuous rebellion. Brought to ba
I her bitter protest of opposition ms
q make her dangerously ingenious In on
" WHITING him. When In n moment
A nioue Mt some act of her family
AZ lores TO order her to see the
u or write them or hear from them, 81
n feels the cruel injustice Of this cuttl'
Il of the ties of love and tenderness 81
IA NAV resort to subterfuge, intrigu
evasion and systematic deception al
VI defy him behind his back while 81
seems swcetly and serenely resigned
M his presence. She may drift unkno
"a ,ncly into q course Of action norma
r%enugnant as she surrcnderS to a II
Of conditions of constant despotic
Justice. Tyranny needs n hundr
watch doss--trustful love, none.
= When she finds n quarantine
dcrcd against somc Of her dearest n
hest friends coming 20 the house,
self.respect bushes mt the plausi'
lies she writes or speaks to prevt
their knowing the real reason. WI
she fears to tell him of some misdt
Of one of the children because of
cruel punishment his anger may p
scribe, he Is slnmmlng the door on
confidence and giving a bonus OF n
license to the little rebel In the n
sery. When she gives false statist
MS to the price Of some simple arti
she hns bought, Just to avoid n "scen
he Ia giving her unwise p~ost-gradu
courses In duplicity which may Ia
prove costly. He Is worse than wr'
he Is foolish.
Tie Ia paying a big price for
tvrornv when the song dies away
her Inns as she hears his key click
rho lock In the evening and she DIRT
a long breath Of relief when he lea
nome IN the morning. Then she .
remember with a sigh and a little d
ming Of the eyes the sweet early d
~ their married life when, not salts
Win the mere good morning kiss
used to stand on the porch and fol
MIN with her eyes and semaphore
..I.s No. AufterinR little XlSp O1