CONDUCTOES AOT THEIE WIVES. 
After a skort time I go and sit; down beside ker, put 
one arm round the bag of coffee, witk the table clotk 
thrown over it and say — will take you.’ Moans 
and sobs now burst from beneath the white cloth, 
and promise, oh promise, you will never beat me, always 
give me plenty of rice curry — ^and not send me out to 
work, and give me a silk cloth first pay day’ — here 
the moaning and crying become very painful but when 
I say I promise, it will Be done, a merry laugh bursts 
from under the cloth, the cloth and its wearer be- 
■^come all animation, andehe playfully strokes my black 
beard, saying ‘give me that silk cloth now, just give 
me a letter to the bazaar man and I will go and choose 
one myself,’ and thus it happened that the girl that 
•■said ‘ Take me ’ became my wile.” “Well we ask, what 
was the ultimate result of . this most extraordinary 
•courtship and marriage,” for we have become quite 
interested in your family matters, although we cannot 
;see what that it has to do with your present request.” 
Excuse me sir,” says the man respectfully, “ it has 
.everything to do with it. The best wife I ever had, and 
I have her still, and hope ever will, said ‘ Take me ’ — 
How it is not customary for Europeans even to think 
of such a state of matters, so far as actual speech is 
eoncerned, but sir, beg pardon sir, women can speak 
without speaking, a east of the eye, a turn of the 
bead, a twist of the mouth, or what not, may say 
jmst as plain as speech, and perhaps much plainer, 
Take me ’ — and the men are so dull, owing I sup- 
pose to your wretched damp foggy climate that they 
•don’t, can’t, or won’t see it — and then they go grumbling 
;about that the women are also uppish, and my lady 
this and my lady that, that there is no getting a 
confidential word with them at all, while all the time 
they are just saying in silent polite language ‘ Take 
me ’ with us uncultivated uncivilized people, when 
.actions are not understood, hints not taken, the women 
as a last resource and just in very compassion for 
aueh a very stupid ignoramus of a man, say— 
e Take me’’ — and those who say m make the best 
wiyes j their character is at stake, and a woman’s 
•character is much more precious to her, than a 
man’s is to him. For would it not be cast up to 
her, if she turned out a bad wife, how she deceived 
the man, and said, ‘ take me.’ The mere fact of 
her having said this, will be a strong inducement, 
the very strongest, to try and be a good wife ;; 
whereas, when the man says to the woman, will you 
take me, she is not held morally responsible in any 
way, for any after results, if she merely eays, yes, 
^ You asked me, and I said yes,’ you took me for 
better or for worse,’ and now you are kicking up no 
■end of a row^ simply because, without your knowledge 
