Amador weekly ledger., 1858-03-13
BROTHER TOMS WIFE.
BY 8. T. ARTHUR.

and indignant an air as IL was possible lot ner
to assume
What's the objection ~ asked brother
Tom, in his cool way, fixing his large calm
eyes upon the pretty face of his sister, as she
sat uneasily swaying half around and back
again on the piano stool.
Collection |" The young lady's cherry
lip curled who is she What is she ?"
" A sweet-tempered, right-thoughted, true
hearted young woman, who will make me a
good little wife. Are you answered, sister
minew
"a sewing girl,' said Lizzie, contemptu-
ously.
"What our mother was, as | have been
told, before her marriage" answered brother
Tom. "And, If my eyes have not deceived
me- she has been q sewing woman ever since.
or, at least, ever since my recollection Of her"
That's another thing" said the sister.
Mother was superior to her class, and has
risen above it,"
Suppose l answer your objection TO Har
ret, and say that she is superior to her class,
and will rise above it? What then? My
father made a good matrimonial venture, aud
| may do the samen
But why, brother Tom,n urged the sister.
don't you choose wife from among those
on your own levelY.
"What do You mean by those on our own
level Let us understand each other"
From among those who move in our own
circles. From the educated, refined and ac-
complished, such as the Misses Waltons for
instance yes, or the Misses Edens, whose
fathers support them in idleness, and expect
the young men who marry them TO do the
samcn
Now, Lizzie, the fact of the business is,
like Mary Eden very well, and once came
so near falling in love with her, and | was
really frightened. | did not go near her pret-
ty face for six months after / felt the first
movement of the tender passion"
Dear Mary o, Tom Why not mar
ry her i? / could love her as my own sister"
Can't afford it, petty. Pm but poor
young man, and have only my talents and in
dustry to help me forward in the world.
Mary can't do anything herself, and wouldn't
expect me to put her in an established but
little less costly than the one her father owns"
40, but Tom, there'll be no necessity for
going to housekeeping at first, and then, you
know, her father is well off in the world, and
he'll give her house, and furnish it, no
doubt, when she is married"
But Tom shook bis head.
Mary Eden's father" he replied, "may
or may not be rich. My own private opinion
is, that he is living up to, if not little be-
yond his income And as to the house and
furniture which Mary's husband is going to
get, that is something very fine to feed fancy
upon. The real bricks and mortar are
another affair."
"0h, but Mr.. Eden is rich, Tom"
"The rich men Of to-day are our poor men
of tomorrow, Lizzie i wouldn't give the
snap Of finger for a rich farther-in-law as
dependence. / mean to trust in myself, AN
honest purpose and clear conscience. And
as for wife, want q woman with life, pur-
pose, industry and independence in her, not
great bundle of silks laces, bonnets and
curl papers. with pretty little helpless do
nothing-and had almost said know-nothng--
doll hidden somewhere inside, three or -four
feet from the crnoline decentralization And
then, again, Lizzie, am something of an in
J dependent young man, wonderfully given to
! the work of taking care of myself. | happen
to be at the bottom of the ladder, and if
ever get to the top Of it, my own strength
will carry me there. Now, a wife on my back,
instead of on the rounds Of the ladder, keep
: ing step with me upward, wonld be dead
weight, and keep me at or near the foot for
ever No. no, petty, cannot afford one ol
your finished boarding school misses for Q
wife-the luxury is toe expensive for me. So
am going to marry girl who knows some
thing of real life--a true, good, patient, en-
during, selfdenying, sweet, darling little body
who is not ashamed to earn her living will
, the needle. And | can tell you what, Dolly
| only wish you were more like Harriet Par
ker there would be forty chances in favo
of your marrying man of sense where yol
have one now. Don't you know that a ney
) society has been formed among the youni
' men, and that some Of the very bes
catches among them have signed pledg
not marry any girl who is not willing to com
mence matrimonial life with two rooms aud
kitchen, and who dosen't know how to bake
cook and sew, and to wash and iron into tn
bargain? am the President"
, "Preposterous y exclaimed Lizzie.
You'll cry some other word when yo
get on the old maids list, and see your plac
filed ia the home of some man that is man
A by woman who was not ashamed of usefu
, employment when she was girl ! can te
a you what, my dainty little sister, there's rs
form at work, and men worth having are be
ginning to choose between no marriage o
" marriage with girls of palmer notions an
more useful accomplishments than are po:
sessed by the butterflies who Lounge on sofa
. all day, knitting zephyr or reading novels
g So make up your mind to a reform or old
.le. 1..I al nIaI,t