(These quotes are all that remain of the diary of Carrie Nation’s husband. They were found in Quotes from the Husbands of Famous Wives along with statements from Tony, the lover of Cleopatra; Henry VIII, the sometimes husband of Ann (with an e) Boleyn; a professor, the husband of Harriet Beecher Stowe; and other not-so-famous of renowned wives.)
…at woman will drive me to drinking. I have never had a taste for alcohol. Even my mother, when I was cutting my teeth on water and lemons, had praised me for my temperance. “Look, son,” she said to me before I could understand English, “them boys thar has got no lick of sense. They done spend thar pennies on bottles of liquid sin.” I remembered her words to this day. But my wife—she’s the very devil, I tell you. She asked me if she could go to Wichita to throw rocks at a saloon. My goodness! I don’t even let my sons throw rocks at the Catholics.
June 12. My sermon was on temperance today. I said--and I thought it really something else--“Saints and friends, don’t give in to the devil liquor. Be temperate. Resist with all your soul. Remember that we are sinners and our souls destroyed by sin. We can do nothing but sin. So resist the devil, whose name is Liquor.” Afterwards, Carrie came in hot as—not physically, of course--hot as a turtle shell on a Texas winter’s day. “Those Catholics,” she said--the Lord has blessed her with a mouth as wide as the Mississippi and twice as loud as Niagra Falls--she said, “Brother David!” And I said, “Yes, Sister Carrie.” “Brother David,” she continued, “Those Catholics spoke about temperance today too. Only they didn’t say, as you so elegantly--she meant, eloquently--stated, ‘Stray not near the bars and taverns, the fountains of sin and lust and fornication and debauchery and adultery and blasphemy and drunkenness.’ That priest said, ‘Follow the example of Lord our God when He changed the water into wine at the marriage of Cana. Drink, but drink with moderation; eat, but eat with moderation; sleep, but sleep with moderation. Do all things in moderation.’ By jingo, what does he mean by ‘moderation’?” She tossed some stones at the Catholics.
July 29. Today, I’m about to give up preaching. I simply see no point to it. Carrie doesn’t even listen to me. My pa used to say, “Son, ef yer wife don’t pay y’all no heed. Ain’t no use talkin’ ta y’all’s kin or frinds cuse sur as shootin’ no one else gonna.” (I think I used to talk too much as a child.)
December 1. It was a long summer. Between law suits and paying for damages, I think I am going broke. Hopefully the winter will cool her down. I had my palm read. The clairvoyant—sounds better than soothsayer, sounds too superstitious—said the spring looks brighter. It better be. All of this smashing is making Carrie really obnoxious.
December 2. Wife is out of control. Some say it’s my fault. I can’t see how, I’ve given her everything she’s wanted. Anyhow, she smashed all the milk bottles, glasses, pitchers, etc. Anything she can get her hatchet on is BAM! Smithereens. I really need to be more wary about what I give my wife for her birthday.
janubary 35. Can’t tell what day it is today. All’s I know is my head aches like a son of a gun. Drank all last night. First time. Alcohol, damn good. Sure silenced Carrie. She ain’t said a word all day.
Ma? Gave up on time and Gypsy was right. Spring sure looks brighter. Found three bottles on the floor this morning. Can’t believe I really drunk that much. Must have been out for—calendar’s off, so who knows. Carrie sued for—I signed. She said I could have waited for her to finish. Divorce begins tomorrow. I think I’ll have a drink on that…maybe another.
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