Men and Their Wives.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 849, 8 June 1888, Page 4

Men and Their Wives.

I wonder, to start with, whether any question between men (whether men of genius or otherwise) and their wives can ever be understood from outside. Since the wife of the immortal Sganarelle resisted the intrusion of the impertinent gentleman who interfered with her husband in the act of beating her, wives and husbands have been very kittlecattle to deal with. I remember, long ago, a man who chose to confide in mo his grievances lu respect to his wife. There was nothing (short of guilt which was out of the question) of which he did not accuse her. She made him go to balls and dance attendance when he was longing to be in bed. She paid no attention to his tastes. She preferred her own people to every comfort and convenience of his. After listening to a long tirade of this description, I ventured

mildly to suggest that poor, dear Mary, though she might be a little willful, was, for instance, not half so culpable as young Mrs. Jones or that middle-aged Lady Smith. 'My friend jumped up furious. ‘What!’ be cried ; * Mary like Mrs, Jones or Lady Smith 1 You may think as badly as you please of her, but if you suppose I’ll sit here and hear my wife compared to—! it did not matter whom, He was a great friend of mine, but I thought he would have devoured me, Mary, he had just been declaring, had broken hi 3 heart • but to have said there was any one worthy to be put on the same level with het ! These are inconsistencies whifjh everybody must haVe met with. Supposing, however, that I had put down my friefad’s grievances against hifi Mary, what ah unhappy couple all their friends would, with gratified commiseration, have believed them to be.—St. James’ Gazette.