Dundreary having, as the
title indicates, taken to himself a wife, falls beneath the tyranny of
a domineering mother-in-law, to whom he submits till submission becomes
intolerable, when he turns upon her, asserts himself, and proclaims
himself master in his own house.

Our boys, Norman and Douglas, having seen the farce in company with the
rest of the family, and having been greatly amused by it, conceived the
idea of treating the captain to a sight of the same; and, having
obtained father's permission to do so, they invited the old man to an
evening's entertainment.

"Wa'al," he drawled with his usual deliberation when considering any
matter, "I don' care if I do. When I was a youngster, I was brung up to
think play-actin' was a sin, an' I'd about as soon a thought of shakin'
han's with the evil one hisself, as of goin' to the theayter; but
either I've gotten wiser as I've gotten older, or else maybe the
play-actin' folks has gotten better behaved; but times is changed
somehow, an' I seen some play-actin' in the hotel down to the P'int,
an' they was real ladies an' gentlemen did it, too. I was a peepin' in
at the winders more'n once; an' the hotel-keepers, Mr. Loydd an' Mr.
Field, if they didn't come, one one time, an' t'other another, an'
bring me into the hall an' near to the doors where I could see
fust-rate. An' I didn't see no harm onto it. The play-actors was very
pretty behaved, an' I didn't see no breakin' of comman'ments. I never
could see what folks wanted to purtend they was other folks for, and
sometimes to go a-talkin' as if they was come out of by-gone days. But
if you're for takin' me to the theayter, I reckon I won't come to no
harm by it. Enyhow, I know ye've got to come to city ways when ye're to
the city; folks kinder look daggers at ye ef ye don't. There's the
landlady to the house where me and Mis' Yorke puts up; she's the best,
an allers doin' for Mis' Yorke, an' come an' sit with her an' talk--my
talk by the hour she will, straight on, like as she'd been woun' up;
an' she come yesterday, all kin' of fussy like, an' her face red, an'
she says, says she, 'Captain Yorke,' says she, 'ef ye wouldn't mind me
askin' a little favor of ye?'"

"'Sartinly not, ma'am,' says I; an' I was reckonin' she was wantin' to
borrer money. But what do ye s'pose it was, Norman? She goes and she
says, says she, kinder hesitatin' like yet, 'Would ye mind, capt'in,
a-eatin' with yer fork, 'stead of yer knife? Miss Jarvi