HOME TROTHS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 59, 3 April 1909, Page 3

HOME TROTHS.

OX iIAKIXIi Li'. A beautiful poem has been written, called "Tlit' Quarrel." The lirst line is, "1 am liot 'appy a* I used tu be.'' His the husband's lament.TTlbi b joy Jia« guiir from his life. The saddest "tiling that <iiu happen lo a man has befallen liiiu. lie lias quarrelled with his wife. ' Ileal' his sad moan; "I'V wot 1. done, i know that it was mi light, For 'not 1 said, I know 1 did not speak, Ami, ai lor thought, I never 'ad a thought. Vet 'nth slie been cantankerous a week.''

• It is the old, old story, beautifully enshrined ill the .poet's words. When there is a quarrel between two, one is always a innrtyr. lie, if a lie, didn't do it in the lirst place; in the second place, lu? said no such tiling; in tlie iliiru, such an idea 'never entered his head. Vet he is unjustly taxed with the cruel a luxation, and she, if a she, has been able to tell the truth to make up all uncommonly jjood ease. QUARRELS RIKJi SUDDEXLV.

Keally, the whole quarrel in her fault. K!i ( , has manufactured the trouble from her inner coiisciousness. Nile has misunderstood, distorted, exaggerated, got hold of the wrong end of the stick ino»t completely. And this, if you please, is .something to be angry about. Hut she has not a shadow oi a cause to be cross. in the poem, the husband goes on to compare the rise of the quarrel to the sudden storm-cloud ill April that comes up over a perfectly sunny sky to drown the land. This is very apt. .Nothing in the world its more extraordinary than tlitt way a (juavrv.l rises when least expected. It may common anywhere. In the poem, the husband goes on to lament that lie cannot please by any art at all, and that, linally, there enters into his breast a ray of liopu that, what came so suddenly, shall go suddenly. ! Meantime, he is prepared to admit to himself: I

"This tiling 'ath busted long enough for me." What shall he do to bo saved! Various courses might be recommended. Let the husband fall on his knees and beg to be forgiven for that which he has not done. This failing, let him prostrate himself with his forehead on the lloor, and kiss hie wife's feet, regardless of kicks in the mouth. Let the husband, in the most judicious way in the world, make a pcacc-offcviag to th e wife. If t/lie money is throtfu back at his head, at once lot him quietly leave the room. Within live minutes the wife will have overcome her wrath a-nd pocketed th e money. Let the husband plead guilty for what lie has not done, promising never to do it again. * Tlii* not working, lu: should call .himself a brute and a hearth'** wretch, and declare he is not worthy of so sweet a wife, ami cover his face with his hands, and sub in penitence. Let the husband take the utmost advantage of the first moment when his wife's tears are imminent. Should h c not succeed in saving a tear irom falling, yet the first tear is a certain sign that any reasonable offer of peace will be accepted within two minutes. There ore many things whieh a husband should not do while thu storm rages. . TlllXlv OF A UAtilC WORD. ! lie must not catch his wife's hands or attempt to kiss her face. lie must not answer back or argue. Every fresh argument is fresh fuel to the lire. lie must not stalk awi • j-.-s! -huu the door. j lie must not raise his voice above the ! gentlest ton; 1; at the same time, he must ' lie careful not to whine. lie must not allow it to be thought that he thinks himself in the right. He nnvst not threaten penalties. lie must not say, "Yah! Yah! Yah!" or refer to his liege huly as a virago or a shrew. And whatever elVeet passion may have on his lady's appearance, he must not i!.ike any remark about this, ( .xcept to say that she never look* so pretty as when eroris. iJut perhaps the best plan of all for ;t Miji'.e who are likely to quarrel with one another is that they think of a nairie word. "Kismet,'' for example—which, rapidly •H'onounced, rather suggests, "Kiss me." The w/ml thought of. a solemn agreeni nt must be ratified that when either sp-ak* the word after the dawn ot n -juarvel. the other shall at once make peace. Tin* agreement must then be kept. And quarrelling on this Kvstvm becomes rather good fun.-—Pearson's Weekly.