The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-05-18
THE MECHANICS WIFE.
RESULT OF PEsREvERENCE.

| 'Well, Augustus, sald h1arianna as the
former entered n little room, which, without
carpet, curtain or ornament of any kind, serv-
ed as kitchen sitting room and nursery, eve
are really settled down at house Keeping
Don't it seem comfortable after so many pri-
vationsT
"Yes," answered the young husband, try
ing to smile, as he glanced first at his hand
some wife, and then at the neat little pine
supper table, and then at tho cradle, where
slept little charming boy of six months, "but
mine is such a life of toll that have no time
to enjoy anything-not oven to play with
Fred 71w g1is0 afe.'.af
"But it seems to me- returned the wife, ve-
ry thoughtfuly, 'that it not be just so. We
are not in debt; we both have hoalth, and
am willing to be very economical, i'm order that
we may have time for enjoyment and improve
ment too. Say. shall we try the experiment,
now?' ef f9faner ,. n ,er-r f.tt
She handed him emp of tea as she spoke,
and looked up into his face with sweet and
hopeful smile; but his face was deadly pale,
and an unbidden tear stood in his eye as he
answered, moodily- "a ..., ...f. .r.
IL don't know how that can be be. Every
moment taken from my labor, is so much ta
ken from my scanty income We cannot af-
ford to attend places of public amusement; in
our present low style ofliving, we cannot min
gle in the first society, and will never consent
to enter any other than good society, il we live
alone; and rs for improvement, my education
was so neglected in my childhood, that have
little taste for reading, and besides we have
nothing to read" a
"Oh, yes" said the wife, 1--WE have enough
TO begin with. Here is our beautiful, new
gilt Bible, which we must read every morning
and evening: and here is your New York pa
per, with good improving matter enough to
last one or two evenings in week, and you
can easily have share in public library to
fill up the rest"
"But how shall find time, my good plan
ming wife!'
"Thank you, Augustus for the compliment
and now will plan one: Wewill rise carly
and work diligently all day. Then, if you
think you need work longer, you can bring
your work into my room, or will take Fred
into the shop, and one of us will read and
tend baby while the other works. Wont that
be good plan?''
81 rather think it will" said the husband,
beginning to show little more interest, "but
I'm thinking also, that my hesitating and
laundering manner of reading will not be very
edifying to you. i shall make but sorry work
of it," vasr
swell, suppose you do. have Webser's
dictionary, and we will have that open before
us, and look out every word of which We do
not understand the meaning. flour progress
is slow at first, we shall have nobody to laugh
at us, and we shall soon find ourselves impro-
wing rapidly
Augustus smiled incredulously, but seemed
disposed to encourage his wife to 60 on.
"You are indeed a noble planner; but what
shall we do on the Sabbath? | suppose you
expect to advance in the march of mind when
we have whole day to oursclves!'
"Yes,' said Mariana, IL think we nay, tho
our arrangements must be somewhat modified.
Yon know We have seat tn DIR. C--s
Church. You must join the Young Mems
Bible Glass, and prepare the lesson in the NOR
ming, while attend the meeting. Then I'll
stay in the afternoon. and let you go to tho
afternoon service and the Bible Glass. In tho
evening VIC will rcad.'
'fye no objection to that but as compen-
sation e my Bible Glass, you must join the
Ladies' Sewing Circle, and l will take care
of Fred ono afternoon in the week to let you
go.'
THANK you dear husband, I will gladly ac-
cept your offer, if you will let me stay alone
ouc evening in the week, while you attend our
excellent Lyceum Lectures. And now let us
begin this very evening. / feel that every
moment is lost till we do. We have much en-
couragement. Only think of the learned men
who have educated themselves, and risen to
respectability and usefulness, wholly through
their own exertions, even after they were
somewhat advanced in life. Roger Sherman,
for instance, and Elhu Burritt, and n host of
others"
The young wife became quito enthusiastic as
she proceeded, and would have spent the whole |
evening in her disquisition upon self-educa- |
ton, had not Freddy's awaking from his nap
required some maternal attention.
Augustus took up the Bible and read good
chapter in Proverbs on tho practical duties of
life, and declared that he had never before read
such a chapter. The plan was now fairly be-
gun. r. ..
Augustus was pale, spare young man Of
nine and twenty. His education, as he said,
had been sadly neglected in his youth. He
had been bound apprentice to rough shoe
moker in the country, and had unhappily set |
tied the question in his own mind, that he
was doomed to ignorance and low and degra-
ded employment for life. He had imagined,
also, that his relations were willing to lose
sight of him, and his sensitive nature was
stung to the quick. After few years of vex-
alton and toll, he wandered far away from
homo and friends and familiar associations; ;and
a wonder it was, that he was not hurried a
way by the awful whirlpool of error and vice,
and dashed upon the rocks of utter destruc-
ton!
He had, however, been favored with tho
instructions and prayers of Christian moth
or, and had seen examples in his own family
of high purposes and noble and successful ef-
fort. ~. .t
lie had, therefore, persevered in ON unsul-
lied reputation, had acquired little property,
had married an intelligent cheerful, healthy
girl of twenty summers, and had removed 10 a
"city Of shocmakers," where his occupation
was honorable, and independence, might hope
to be realized.
sation, he had been unusually annoyed Ie
had suffered some embarrassment in getting
settled i'm his humble tenement-had sustained
some losses, and heard bitter sarcastic re.
mark from an aristocrat Of that place, which
crimsoncd his pale cheek, and sent him home