The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-04-27
From tie N. Y. Weekly .Slf1a.
The Mechanics Wife;


without carpet, curtain, or ornament o.
any kind, served as kitchen, setting room
and nursery, we are really settled al
houS ekeeping. Don't it seem comfortable
after so many privations p
Yes, answered the young husband
trying to smile, as he glanced, first at his
handsome wife, then at the neat little pine
supper table, and then at the cradle, where
lay blooming little boy of six months
but mine is such life OF toll that | have
no time to enjoy anything not even to
play with Fred
I But it seems to me, returned The wife,
thoughtfully, that it need not be just so.
We are not in debt; we both have health;
and am willing to be very economical
in order that we may have time for en-
joynlcm and Improvement, too. Say, shall
we make the experiment.
She handed him cup of tea as she
spoke, and looked up into his face with a
sweet hopeful smile; but his face was
deadly pale, and an unbidden tear stood
in his eye as he answered modify" [
don't know how that can be. Every mo-
ment taken from my labor is so much
taken from our scanty income. We can
not afford to attend places Of public a.
musement-in our present low style of
living, we cannot mingle in the first So
ciety, and l will never consent to enter
any other than good society, if We live a.
lone-and as for improvement, my cdu-
cation was so neglected in my childhood,
that have little taste for reading-and
besides we have nothing to read
80 yes said the wife, we have enough
to begin with. Here is our beautiful
new gilt bible, which we must read morn
ing and evening, and here is our New
York paper, with good improving matter
enough to last one or two evenings in a
week, and you can easily have share in
public library to ill up the rest
But how shall [ find time my good
planning wife ?
Thank you, dear Augustus, for the
compliment, and now will plan on-Ne
will rise early and work diligently all
day. Then if you think you need to
work longer, you can bring your work
into my room or will take Freddy into
the shop, and one of us will read and
tend the baby, while the other works.
Won't that be a good plan
L rather think it will, said the hus-
band, beginning to show little more in
terest, but I'm thinking also that my
hesitating blundering manner of reading
will not be very edifying to you, 1 shall
make but sorry work of it.
well suppose you do. I have a good
Webster's Dictionary, and we will have
that open beside us, and look out every
word which we cannot pronounce, and
every word of which we do not under
stand the meaning. If our progress is
slow at first, We shall have nobody to
laugh at us and we shall soon find our
selves improving rapidly.
Augustus smiled incredulously, but
seemed disposed to encourage his wife to
90 on, and therefore said with some ami
nation, you are indeed noble planner,
But what shall we do on the Sabbath
l suppose you expect to advance fast in
the march of mind when we have the
whole day to ourselves.
Yes said Mariana, 4 think we may
though our arrangements must be some
what modified You know We have a
seat in Dr. C.'s church. You must join
the young mems Bible Glass, and prepare
the lesion in the morning while [ attend
meeting Then [ will stay in the after
noon, and let you 90 to the afternoon SER
vice and the Bible Class. In the evening
we will read.
I've no objection to that; but as a com
pensation for my Bible Glass, you must
join the Ladies Sewing Circle, and will
take care of Fred, one afternoon in the
week to let you 60.
Thank you dear husband, and I will
gladly accept your offer, if you will let
me stay alone one. evening in a week,
while you attend our excellent Lyceum
lectures. And now let us begin this ye-
ry evening. I feel that every moment is
lost till we do. We have much encourage
mcnt. Only think of the many learned
men who have educated themselves, and
risen to respectabi!ity and usefulness
wholly by their own exertions, even after
they were somewhat advanced in life
Roger Sherman for instance, and ElihU
Burrit and host of others.
The young wife became enthusiastic as
she proceeded, and would have spent the
whole evening in her disquisition upor
self education, had not Freddy awakin2
from his nap required some maternal at
tention.
! Augustus took up the bible and read
a good chapter in Proverbs, on the prac
teal duties of life, and declared that ht
had never before read such chapter
The plan was fairly begun.
Augustus was pale, spare, young mar
OF nine and twenty. His education, a
he said, had been sadly neglected in hi
youth. He had been bound apprentice t
a coarse vulgar shoemaker in the country
and had unbappily settled the question il
his own mind, that he was doomed to ig