Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1880 — An Armeaian Wife. [ARTICLE]

An Armeaian Wife.

A gentleman on a visit to Armenia writes: “I went, the other day, with the pastor, to call upon a leading family. The master of the house snowed us ever attention, and asked us to stay and eat supper witlrhim. We told him that if he would bring all his family together to eat with us we would stay. You must know that no husband in this country, unless he be a Protestant, ever eats with his wife. But our host saw the point in our request, and, after a little good-humored chat upon the subject, he agreed to our proposition. The food was brought in and set upon the table; the father and mother of our host entered the room, and in came his five fine-looking children. All gathered around the table, and we were asked to “sit up.” “No,” we said, “your wife is not here. We want to see all your family,” and we reminded him, laughingly, of his bargain. Off he went, and we heard him in the next room coaxing her to come in just to please us. At last she complied, looking sheepish and scared. Never before had that woman been asMed to eat with her husband. A blessing was asked, and all began to eat —all but three of us. The pastor had whispered to me that although the wife sat at the table she would not eat; and so it proved. When we were urged to begin, we good-naturedly replied that we were waiting to see Lucia eat fii st. Then there was more coaxing. We stood firm and carried out our point. But a defeat was coming, Presuming on victories already gained, we went a step further. Taking up a piece of sugar, the pastor asked the wife what it was. But in the presence of the mother-in-law the woman dare not utter a word. We entreated, we scolded, we urged, but all in vain. Not one word could we extort from Lucia. The old moth-er-in-law said, in a half warning, half apologetic tone, “She dare not speak.”

—There is ajways an irrepressible conflict going on in one’s mind when he sees a small boy taking his first smoke, as to whether the boy is smoking the cigar, or the cigar is smoking the boy.— Steubenville Herald.