Year: 1878

gossip Is endowed. Inc Olu ntaBerbi


knowing the hollowness Of their own


pretentions, suspect the sincerity OF


others, and do not undertake TO regu-


late the conduct Of their spouses by


fictitious standards. In this condition


Of things 1t is very unfortunate that


stories Of the devotion Of husbands


should be put in circulation which,


coming on other than feminine author


ity, may tend TO make married women


throughout the country dissatisfied


with their prizes In the lottery Of life,


confirm the wild tales which they tell


each other at church sociables and


sewing societies and spur them on to


the exaction of fantastic proofs Of


courage against the world at large


and obedience to their wives from the


comfortable but commonplace Bene-


diets Of the land for the action Of the


lady who flung her glove into the den
Of lions and commanded her knight TO


pick II up is but type of tho cruel


ties that married women are capable
Of practising 10 exhibit their power


over their husbands. Wherefore we


reprehcnd seriously the publication by
the Associated Press Of the account of
the recent shooting Of William Crout,
a hotel.keeper Of Laramie City, Wy.
1t appears that this person had used
insulting and opprobrious language
doubtless supplementary to the presen.
tation of his bill--to a lady boarder


named Mrs. Lincoln, music. teacher,
with military husband at Cheyenne.
The lady, with a fierce thirst for ven.
geance upen the caitiff inn.keeper, and
heroic disregard for the possible risk
to her husband in q row in the wild
free West, telegraphed to him that she
had been treated with comtumly, and
ordered him TO come TO Laramie City |
and vindicate her honor and bis own.
There IL every reason to suppose that
he made such haste to obey the sum
mons that he forgot TO put ammunition
for his revolver in bis pocket, for on
his arrival at Crout's hotel he only
fired three shots into the luckless land
lord, one into each thigh and third
into one Of his ankles II is clear,
therefore, that the weapon was not
fully charged, or else the other four
shots would have been distributed |
among the disabled victims other an
kle and bowels; and the inference is
irresistible that Captain Lincoln must
have engaged in some trivial conflict
on the journey, fired four barrels at
bis wayiaring opponent and failed TO
reload on account of lack of cartridges.
1t must be confessed that there Is
something beautiful about such pic
ture of married sympathy and mutual
reliance. The confidence Of the wife
and the enthusiasm Of the husband
are alike charming. The moment Mrs.
Lincoln felt herself aggrieved she
could exclaim, ~ know that have a
defender who will wipe away this
stain in blood, !" and rush 10 the tele.
graph Office. The moment that Cap.
tain Lincoln received her message he
sprang TO the rescue, nourishing his
pistol and shouting, My wife right or
wrong, and death to him who presents
her board.bil with or without com.
ments." The imprisoned damsel who
in romance shook her kerchicf from
the window of castle tower to the
errant knight in the field below was
not more sure of succor, and tho errant
knight was not less careless of legal
processes nor less regardful Of the pre-
cious character OF human gore in strik-
ing for bis true loves deliverancc. In
the pages Of novel the incident would
be admirable and its effect compare.
lively harmless. But to say nothing
OF the bullets 10 Cront's body, the re.
suit Of the rehearsal of the story as an
actual occurrence in all the newspa
pers in the United States must be
baneful. Every welded woman who
has not yet passed into the state
OF matrimonial martyrdom will feel a
jealous suspicion gnawing at her heart
as she reads. Is she as beloved as
Mrs. Lincoln2 Would her husband
rush from O distant city TO murder
man who had used insulting and op
probrious language TO herr Is her
discretion the arbiter of life and death!
10 many cases the temptation to get
insulted and try how husbands will
act when appealed to as avengers will
be too strong TO resist. The standard
of model husband has gone up
many degrees in single day, and
hereafter tho loving bride will think
with chill of donbt az she embraces
her lord and master. "He is certainly
too nice for anything; but would hc
shoot a man for my sweet sake?" II
will be vain to DO liberal in pin money,
to be patient when buttons fall Of, TO
avoid swearing while waiting for the
wife OF your bosom to put the finish
ing touches to her toilet, TO look with
complaisance upon the presence OF a
motber.in-law. Such tritling graces Of
the marital character are worthless
now in comparisOn 20 the promptitude