American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-02-11
[lruu the 0lunLisn.l
LIFE A $ = u Z A N G. T..
ny JOHN NEAL.
iCoSCLuDrD 1

Don't, Charles, dou't!" whispered his young
Iwifo.
And why not, pray? If Charles will take
my advice, hc would never consult ycu-what
do women know about such thlngs?'
[ Much, dear uucle--much more than you
Folt bachelors ever give them credit for
Hold your tongne Jenny, Do as bid you,
q You must insure his Hfo--and chen happen
Hwhat may, the money will belong to you, and
W yoar chIdren--thero, there--don't make a
fool o. yourself. You must be looking for
Echildren-it is yonr duty-oIse what do you
IEnsrry for? And it is your duty to provide fer
Them too
But uncle'--thought -'how can this
belong to a wife and to her children, if the
husband and father is in debit"
well done, my girl Now I've some hope
Iof you. You are not tho simpleton took you
IfOr--nOt by any means, and therefore must
Ianswer you. The law Is beginning to look up
ION the wife as partner in business with her
husband. She stays at home and takes caro- Of
tine houschold--thG children--the servants, and
Isaves all she can. She has her little earnings
land savings, and the law allows her to put
them by IN dis Wdy, and in no other, TO the
amount Of three hundred dollars year.
'Ah! See--but-'
/ But WHAT
4
athe death OF her misunderstanding family,
4but with tears in her beautiful eyes-'that-
fperhaps-in somo-c asos-shc might not watch
lover him so faithfully as she ought
I Poh!'
'But-rshGso!-l have wasted time enough
with you on this subject; and | say that you
J have no more right to risk your life single
Hday without insurance, my boy, than you
y would have to risk your houses and ships, or
81 other property without insurance, if you were
eover head and ears ia debt. Good night
rod bless you!-Good bye
! And the next moment uncle Joe had vanish
ed. For full half an hour hot loud word
was spoken. Tho young wife and husband
] sat holding each other by the hands-thnking
awhat might be hereafter--and breathing low
and trembling with every change of color and
I every change OF thought
I At last the husband spoke. well, Jenny
said no, what do you say now?'
I Just what said before, Charles-l am not
convinced. We cannot well spare the money
now--we have hardly enough TO get along
I with decently. A part of our house, You
I know, is unfinished; and we ought to have
something put by--dear Charles, don't you
think SOP and large tear iei! upon tho hand
she was holding to hel lips--and her husband
drew her up to his heart, aud kissed her with
more than the warmth of bridegroom.
True, dearest-very true. For whatever
happens, we must be prepared and provided"
"And then to-, dear Charles continued he
wife, subbng, ''what is the need OF anybody
insurng with your expectations"
awe cannot hope To die together, my love"
"No, CharIes-hut happen what may, we
shall DO provided for, and so-and so,' ialteF-
ing, and hiding her face in her husbands boz
som, and whispering just above her breath,
sand so will our dear children, if it should
please our Heavenly Father TO grant US child
n ren."
RI "Perhaps-"
"Perhaps, Charles. Your uncle is rich, ard
SO is my father"
'"True. But both are in business, and BUSH
ness men, you know, are always in tho way of
terrible vicssitude5,"
"But you are young and healthy--and oh, |
cannot but believe, with long life before you"
clears! Nay, my dear girl, think no more
| Of this matter. Let Us talk no more Of iL--be
cheerful and trusting, and, whether live OF
die, it shall not be my fault if to the bitterness
of death and the bereavcments Of widowhood
there should be added the trials and tempta-
tons, the sorrow and abasement of poverty
''What do you mean Charles?-you'lI brca,
my heart il you keep talking So plague on
this life insurance, say shall never hear
the last of it, | am sure, now that uncle Joe
has taken it up"
"Assurance my love--not Insurance."
'Assurance Wcll--it never entered my
head before, that you wanted assurance"
mot SO bad Kiss mc--and then, if you
have no other engagement and nothing better
to do and will promise to behave well, you
may go to bed with me-"
"lmpertinence"
Five years after this, Charles Hardy went
into business with his father-in-law, and within
eight years both failed. Uncle Joe married the
mistress of boarding house, with large ia
mily, and died, leaving his whole property to
her; and not enough TO his nephew to pay ioI
the China he broke OH the evening he spent
\ there, laboring with him to get his life insured
Charles could neither eat nor sleep; and af
ter long, patient, complaining struggle
with the car, s and mseries that besot him, q
struggle Of which his poor wife knew nothing
till long afterwards, his constitution gave way
all at once and he fell from his chair at the
desk of wealthy merchant, who, knowing his
worth and deceived by tho resignation ano
eheerfulness of the poor fellow, believed he wa:
preparing him with certainty for q sphere o.
great usefulness, while he was dying by inche:
I in his very presence.
Il The poor wife mot the bearer Of her HUSBAND
at the door, without cry or a tear. The
children gathered about hm--but even the
wailings did not disturb him, and for many q
long and weary day there was no hope-nont
whatever; but one evening, late in the summer
as he lay there with his lighted eyes fixed upor
the open window-gasping for breath and evi
IDENTIFY struggling with some great change al
work within him-he turned suddenly TOWARD
his wife, and knew her, and pressed her hant
hnth op1t han ,ut; 10 Inrh aar
was trimming with terror and Joy, fearing tina
! auoru hroaih would he hiS l.et C,,lI N