Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-03-19

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II only Mrs. Thomas Balm had been
content to compare Mr.. Thomas Balm
with men about him, he, for counter
arguments. would not have been put
at n serious disadvantage. Out of her
ammunition locker he might have bOr-
rowed shells to fire in his own defense.
Did she, for instance, cite the polished
beauty of Mr.. SO-and-SO'S drawing
behavior, speaking with that subtle in
Election which as good as said that his
own society manners left much to be
desired. Mr.. BainS rebuttal would have
been prompt and ready. lie would
have spoken right up to point out the
fact that So-and-SO VIGOROUSLY neglect
cd his family or that he drank entirely
too much for his own good. or that he
habltually failed 10 pay his just debts.
Mr.. Balm was no Scandal-mOnger, UNI
derStand Still man must fight back
with such weapons as he may COM
mand.
But Mrs. Bain's method of attack
was entirely too subtle for him; II LEFT
him practically weaponleSS. out in the
world he amply was competent to fend
for himself. Beneath the domestic
rOOf-tree, where his wife sat in iudg-
ment on him. his ways. his small short
COmingS or his lager faults. he COM
pletely was at loss for proper rebuff
tai. 1t gave him such a helpless feel
ing, It would have given any normal
man a helpless feeling. And Mr.. Balm
was in all essential regards a normal
mana good citizen, good proylder
and. as husbands 60, an average fair
husband
| would do Mrs. Balm no injustice.
She WAS a normal woman, too. But 1t
IS only natural that when destiny has
fashioned an advantage to fit orr hands
that we should employ it. Her advan-
tage was very great ore. Fer criti-
CiSmS of Mr.. Balm took the form Of
measuring him OF against the conceived
picture of her first husband
And her first husband was dead
Now, in common decency, an honorable
man-and Mr. Balm was an honorable
man--may not speak in Of the dead
What is more, had he, under stress OF
prOyocatiOn. been minded To retort that
after all Mrs. BHin'S first husband was
not exactly perfection either he could
have produced no proof 10 support the
assertion. For he had never seen his
predecessor. He knew nobody who
had known the deceased. The present
Mrs Balm had been for three years n
widow when first he set eyes on her.
She had lately returned then from
Honolulu; II was in Honolulu that she
had been bereft. as the saying is. by
the hand of death. And Honolulu Is n
long distance from Broclway, Mass.
where Tom Bain'S people, a Stay-at-
home stock, had lived these FIVE gem
erationS past.
So. on those frequently recurring oc-
castonS when Mrs. Balm. with a sad
dened. almost a wistful, air was moved
10 remind herself Of her first husbands
marvellous qualitieS-temperament, dis
position, tact, amiabi;;ty or what not
there was for her second husband moth
Ing TO do but To Snfter on in an impO-
tent silence II Is not~Tell that anyone
on this earth-and more especially q
huSband-should be required TO suffer
discomforts In silence. Suffering calls
for vocal expression.
otherwise, as human beings 60, Mr.
and Mrs. Balm were wen suited one for
the other. 1t was that dead first huS-
band of hers, who, invoked by her. kept
rising up 20 mar the reasonable happi'
ness which might have been theirs. The
thing was getting on his nerves. In
deed. at the time this briefened MARIA
tive begins. Il already had got upon his
nerves. He had come 10 the point
where frequently he wished there haC
never been ii first husband.
There were even times when he al
r,oS+ r,ers,i+tsd himself the wish that