Her principal duty was, as she well
said, to her husband- to love him, honour him, and keep him in a
good temper. To do her justice, she fulfilled this duty to the
uttermost of her power. It would have been better perhaps if she had
not so frequently assured her husband that he was the best and
wisest of mankind, for no one in his little world ever dreamed of
telling him anything else, and it was not long before he ceased to
have any doubt upon the matter. As for his temper, which had become
very violent at times, she took care to humour it on the slightest
sign of an approaching outbreak. She had early found that this was
much the easiest plan. The thunder was seldom for herself. Long before
her marriage even she had studied his little ways, and knew how to add
fuel to the fire as long as the fire seemed to want it, and then to
damp it down, making as little smoke as possible.
In money matters she was scrupulousness itself. Theobald made her
a quarterly allowance for her dress, pocket-money, and little
charities and presents. In these last items she was liberal in
proportion to her income; indeed she dressed with great economy and
gave away whatever was over in presents, or charity.
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