only distinguish "food
spread before us," and "duly thankful," he asked, pausing and balancing
a saucer of coffee with great dexterity on the palm of his right hand,

"Did you read that criticism on the lady lecturer? I tell you, that same
Philemon W. Strain has a peculiar genius for that sort of an article."

"What did you say, Brier?" asked his better half, glancing at Clemence,
as if she was the offending party, "you don't mean that a woman's got
brass enough to mount a rostrum and harangue an audience?"

"You've just said the very thing now, Marthy. I knew you would be down
on that sort of business. Nothing masculine about you, thank goodness!
I've often felt thankful that I was spared the infliction of a
strong-minded woman. That's one thing I _couldn't_ stand."

"Well, I guess we are agreed on that subject," said the lady, bridling
at the compliment, and allowing her thin lips to relax into the
faintest possible shadow of a smile, "for if there's one thing I
absolutely abhor, it's these so-called intellectual women. To my mind, a
woman that pushes her way along to a profession, or aspires to address
the public, either through the medium of the pen, or on the rostrum,
ought to be banished from good society, and frowned upon by all
respectable married women. It's disgraceful, outrageous, scandalous!"
and, as she uttered, vehemently, these ejaculations, the greenish gray
eyes flashed upon Clemence a look so malicious and spiteful, as to have
a totally opposite effect from what it was intended, for she returned it
with one of quiet amusement, and burst out laughing. She saw at once
that the conversation had been introduced solely for her own benefit,
and wondered how they should surmise that she could possibly be
interested in it. This was the oddest couple she had met in all her
peregrinations. Mr. Brier was naturally greatly superior to his wife, as
Mrs. Wynn had said, but was biased in his opinions by that lady, who
ruled him with no gentle sway. With another woman, whose society would
have had a tendency to elevate him, there is no telling what this man
might have become. But having been entrapped into an early marriage,
with a woman of inferior intellect and but little ambition, he had sunk
down several grades lower than nature intended him.

He felt this, too, even after all these years had drifted aimlessly
away, and the knowledge did not make him better. He grew morose and
cynical, hating everybody who di