Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-09-09
BROTHER .OM'S WIFE.
BY T. S. ARTHUR.

If you marry that girl, brother Tom
III have nothing to do with her. | won
visit her, nor call her sister. nor ever
speak to her I"
And Lizzie Lawton put on as outraged
and indignant an air as it was possible
for her to assume.
What's the objection? ?" asked Tom
in his cool way. fixing his large calm
eyes upon the pretty face of his sister. a:
she sat uneasily swaying half round anG
back again on the piano stool.
." Objection |" The young lady's cher.
ry lip curled. "Who is she? What
is she 7"
"A sweet-tempered, right.thoughted
true-hearted young woman, who will
make Inc q good little wife. Are you
not answered, sister mine ?"
"a sewing girl !" said Lizzie, contemp.
tuously.
What our mother was,a as | 1 have been
told, before marriage" answered Tom.-
" And if my eyes have o deceived me
she has been a sewing woman ever since,
or at least, ever since my recollection OF
her.
That's anothe. thing" said the sister.
Mother was superior to her class, and
has riven above it,
!" Suppose l answer your objection to
Harriet, and say that she is superior to
her class, and will rice above it? What
then Ny father made a good matrimo.
NAL venture, and | may do the same ?"
But why, brother Tom," urged the
sister, " don't you choose a wife from
among those on our own level u
usaEd do 200 npan uy-tfrdxr on your
own level Let US understand each
other"
From among those who move in our
W circles. From the educated. refined
and accomplished
oucn as the Misses Walton's for in
stance"
Yes !; or the Misses Edens."
Whose fathers support them in idle
ness and expect the young men who mar
~ them to do the same. Now Lizzie, the
fact of the business is, l like Mary Eden
very well, and once came so zeal falling
in love with her, that | was really fright
ened. did not go zeal her pretty face
again for six months after. | felt the
first movement of the tender passion"
Dear Maryl ., Toni Why not
marry her? l could love her as my own
sister,"
Can't afford it, gpretty. I'm bat a
poor young man, and have only my tai
ents and industry to help me forward in
this world. Mary can't do anything her.
self, and would expect me to put her in
an establishment but little less costly
THAI the one her father owns"
"Oh, but tllcrell be no necessity Of
going to housekeeping at first. And then
you know, her father is well off in the
world, and he'll give her q house, and
no doubt, furnish it when she is married
But Tom shook his head.
Mary Eden's father may or may moi
be rich," he replied. My own private
opinion is that he is living up to, if moi
a little beyond his income. And as tc
the house and furniture which Mary's hus
band is going to get, that is very fine to
feed the fancy upon. The real bricks
and mortar is another affair.
"Oh, but Mr.. Eden is rich, Tom"
"The rich men Of to-day are our pool
men Of tomorrow, Lizzie. ] wenldn'
give the snap of my finger for him as {
dependence. | mean to trust in myself
an honest purpose and a clear conscience
And as for a wife, | want a with
life, purpose, industry, and independence
in her, not a great bundle of silks, laces
bonnets, and curious papers, with a pretty
little helpless do no%thing-and had al
most said, know nothing-doll bidder
somewhere inside, three or four feet from
the crinoline decentralization. And then
again, | am something of an Independent
young man, wonderfully given to The
work of taking care of myself. ] happier
to be at the bottom of the latter, and if
ever get to the top of it, my W strength
will carry me there. Now, q wife OF my
back, instead of on the rounds Of the lad
der, keeping step with me upwards, woulC
be a dead weight, at or near the foot for
ever. No, no, Lizzie, | cannot afford one
of your finished boarding school misses
for a wife-the luxury is too expensive
for me. So l am going to marry a CIR
who knows something of real life-a true
good, patient enduring, self denying. dar
ling little body, who is not ashamed t.
earn her living with the needle. And
can tell yeu what, sister, / only wish yo'
were more like Harriet Parker ; Their
would be forty more chances OF your mar
rying a man Of sense than you have now
Don't you know that a new society ha
been formed among the young men, an
that some Of the very best catches
among them have signed q pledge not t
marry any girl who is not willing to con
mence matrimonial life with two room
and a kitchen, and who doesn't know hoy
to bake, cook and sew, and to wash an
iron into the bargain? am the Pres
dent"
g Duooo.&o~orc ~ o~o1o;~oI Tsvo;o