Year: 1874

ters, with 'Divorce," or Matrimonial
Quarrel" or "Wife Beaten" or what
would seem to be a universal complaint,
difficulties between married people. Then
turn to the correspondence, and some
husband complains of the extravaganza
of women, of the leniency Of the law in
giving women so many privileges of
property denied to men, or some poor,
subdued wife ventilates her opinion on
the tyranny of men in general, or the
fearful injustice Of the law in regard to
wives and their right in their own
children. Perhaps some bachelor or
ancient maiden utters a growl at the let
ters of matrimony, and declares how
much better and wiser it is to remain
single.


The newspaper columns are mediums
of complaints, grumbles and abuses; but
whoever represents to the public that
large class-in fact, the majority-of
contented married people, who trouble
not themselves about the law, except in
general way, because the law of their
households is love, which "casteth out
fear" and never say Mime" and
"Thine," and "What have done for
you and "What you have done for me-"


am proud to own that belong to this
class, and l audaciously claim to repre-
sent at least two-'hirds Of the households
living in the pleasant, shady streets ION
the Hill," or the elegant brown stone rows
"on the Heights;" the houses from
which the sunny, happy little children
the morning, and from which you get a
delightful odor of good dinners, and a
glimpse of a warm, shiny dining-room as
you pass toward evening.


Our young men and maidens, with
thoughts Of matrimony and each other
naturally lurking in their brains, and
plenty of newspapers to read at home,
conclude that it is all farce, and the
only way to be happy and Independent
is never to marry, and thus escape those
dreadful fetters.


Not long since I read a letter-in the
Graphic, I think-from a Bachelor -
who claimed to have solved this whole
problem. l can just see him clustering
around while he tells how he and another
fellow hired nice house, furnished it
comfortably, got respectable house
keeper who did not see too sharp. and
who understood her business; how they
had their meals faultlessly served, buttons
all right, and how they took their night
keys, came in any hour they chose, and
no one said word This he called COM
fort.


Brother, let me tell my experience.
We-my John and I-are close in the
neighborhood Of our crystal wedding day
We have three or four children, all boys,
which is pity. Now, I honestly do not
think John is perfect, and never heard
of his saying that was. In temperament
we are not alike. John is one of your
punctual, accurate men, intelligent (or l
shouldn't have married him), kind hearted
and loving Tor he wouldn't have married
me), not very demonstrative, and no one
but his wife, l sometimes think, knows
how much he does feel. Now, I am en-
thusiastic; if like thing, people in the
house generally know it, and, if want to
do anything, there isn't much peace till l
accomplish it. l have sometimes wished
that John would not be so onon-committal,
and would not look so horror stricken
when make mistake or forget some
thing. And l know he thinks (he's told
me so) that if would be more moderate
and not tear around 50, things would be
pleasanter: But for all that, | wouldn't
change Johns faults for any other mans
wall his lot; at any rate, he does not d. it
AL UAS poPCAo. oAdl1 AdfC " COulCSS
that we did try to make each other over
at first, but we gave that up before we
reached our wooden wedding.


We have tried so long to please each
other that somehow now we seem to
have the same tastes, enjoy the same
pleasures, and suffer at the same SORROWS
do not say that we never differ, and
never part in the morning with shade
of something unreconciled between us.
But you never saw two such miserable
wretches in your life when such is the
case, Or two such happy beings when the
thing is made up.


About that nightkey. Bless your
heart, John don't want to go out evenings
alone. l cannot get him out. Here is
our bright coal-fre; here are our boys,
with their young life and their school
projects; here are books, slippers,
cigars (he is a little particular about
smoke in the curtains himself, and no
one to scold him. Really, now, he does
not care to be out half the night.


Sometimes we take fancy to hear
Nilsson, or something nice at the Acad-
envy; and how do we do? Why, we put
our nightkey in our pocket (pantaloons,
of course), 60 where we like, come home
any hour of the night we choose, and
who's afraid?


Oh! We have had many rare treat,
John and I, all by ourselves. AS to ex.
travagance, if ever want something ex-
ira good, a silk dress or carpet, l take
John with me, for men have way of
spending money for good thing with an
abandon which takes woman's breath
clean away. Doesn't he want his wife to
look as we'll as the next mans wife, to be
sure? | know the state of Johns affairs
as we'll as he, and, when we have to be
economical, it is as much my interest to
go without the silk dress as his, and I
can DO it and still be happy.


l could write a book about John and I +;
but this is enough, know, for thousands
of husbands and wives to say, "Thats
true"


Sad cases there are of unhappiness and
uncongeniality, and they always come to
the surface. But does any one believe
that all we MARI led people are greaning
under our bonds and looking about for
easy divorces? To most of us the thought
of the time that shall surely come "when
one shall be taken and the other left''
makes the heart stand still.


Does any one believe that all the little
children who go dancing to school every
morning come from unhappy homes
No, they go with their mothers loving
kiss still warm on their lips, and the
happy, proud glance Of their father linger.
ing about them as he straps their books
and says good-by. After they are gone,
do the father and mother sulk and quar-.
rel? Not bit of it.


There is little talk about the morning
news, good-by kiss, very likely dis.
cussion about which it shall be, roast beef