The disposition of furniture

Thursday, July 5th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

My wife thinks that I am sick of her! Of course I have written to reassure her that this is not so, but perhaps she has a point. Certainly she takes too much upon herself and I have told her so. If I behaved to her as she behaves to me there would be dreadful scenes. Her complaint is that I will allow her to do nothing of her own volition in this house, which is simply not true. For example she has decreed that trees in the garden will not be cut down though several are dying and it is apparent to me that they need attention. Similarly she has completely altered the furniture of the small drawing-room, in defiance of my wishes, and I have held my tongue. We held a ball which I hate but she wanted and she completely changed the disposition of furniture in two rooms and the hall without consulting me at all. I will readily admit that I have very particular views as to how furniture should be arranged, but I am far from being the tyrant she suggests.

We have been married now for more than ten years and she is increasingly exasperating, but that is no doubt the experience of married couples everywhere. Some married people have told me that my descriptions of married life in "These Twain" are so true to life as to be painful, and I have no doubt drawn from my own experience. In any case I have told Marguerite that she should not imagine that I am sick of her, even for an hour. But at intervals she obliges me to explain to her that there are certain things I will not stand.



Additionally for July 5th., see 'Mundane matters'