The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-06-29
a wife for a man in Moderate circumgtances

/ y
the pretty face of his sister, as she sat uneasily
swayng half around and back again on the
piano stool.
"Objection' The young lady's cherry ftp
cured "Who is she? What is she?"
"a sweet tempered, right-thoughted, true
hearted young woman, who will make me
good little wife. Are you not answered, sister
of mine?"
"a sewing girlf' said Lizzy contemptuously.
| '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 sewing woman ever since my recol-
lection 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 Harriet,
and say she is superior to her class, and rises
above it,
What then?"
my father made a good matrimonial ven
ture, and | may do the same"
But why. brother Tom urged the sister
"don't you choose wife from among those on
your Ieyel?"
"What do you mean by those on my own
level? Let us understand each other"
"From among those who move in our own
circles. From the educated, refined and accom-
plished."
such as the Misses Walton for instance?"
Eyes; or the Misses Eden"
"Whose fathers support them in idleness,
; and expect the young men who marry them to
do the same. Now Lzzy, the fact of the bust
ness is, like Mary Eden very well, and once
came SO near falling in love with her, that | was
really frightened l did not go near her for six
months after felt the first movements of the
tender passion
Dear Mary! Oh, Tom! Why not marry
/ her? l could love her as my own sister,
Cant afford it, Pretty, but I'm only poor
I young man, and have only my talents and in
dustry to help me forward in the world. Mary
can't do anything herself, and would expect me
to put her in an establishment but little less
costly than the one her father owns"
"Oh, but Tom, there'll be no necessity oi
: going to house keeping at first. And then you
o know her father is well off in the world, and
: he'll give her house and furnish it, no doubt
\ when she is married"
r But Tom shook his head.
n MARY Eden's father may or not be rich,
o "My own private opinion is, that he is living
! up to, if not little beyond his income. Anc
as to house and furniture which Mary husband
D is going to get, that is something very fine tC
e feed the fancy upon. The real bricks anC
;, mortar are another affair."
n n "Oh, but Mr.. Eden is rich, Tom
IS "The rich men of to-day are our poor mel
of tomorrow, Lizzie. wouldn't give a snal
y of my finger for him as dependence. linear
I to trust in myself, an honest purpose and clea
- conscience. AS for my wife, | want womal
$, with life, purpose, industry, and independence
" in her, not great bundle of silk, laces, bon
: nets, and curling papers, with pretty helP-d
nothing doll hidden somewhere inside, three
or four feet from the crnoline circumvalatlon
And then again, Lizzie, I'm something of a
independent young man, wonderfully given
the work of taking care of myself. Ihappene
to be at the bottom of the ladder, and if | eve
get to the top of it, my own strength will carr
= me there. Now, wife on my back, instea
of on the rounds of the ladder, keeping ste
with me upwards, weuld be dead weight, an
d we should remain at, or near the foot, forever
Sc No, no, Lizzie, | cannot afford one of your fir
es ished boarding school Misses for wife-th
ry luxury is too expensive for me. So | am goin
y" to marry girl who knows something of rea
in life--a true, good, patient, enduring, sell
tn denying, darling little body, who is nc
IS, ashamed to earn her living with the needle
And l tell you what, Dolly, only wish 20
h' were more like Harriet Parker; there woul
n; be forty more chances of your marrying ma
of sense than you have now. Don't you knoN
that new society has been formed anon
Id Young men, and that some Of the very be!
Il catches among them have signed pledg
I'd not to marry any girl who is not willing
commence matrimonial life with two rooms an
er kitchen, and who doesn't know how to bake
= cook, and sew. and 10 wash and iron IN the bal
. gain! | am the President
= "Preposterousl' exclaimed Lizzie.
L You'll cry some other word when you @
on the old maids list, and see your place file
h. in the house of some man, by some woman VII
ch is not ashamed of useful employment when 81
in was girl. can tell you what my dainty lit
Is sister, there's reform at work, ard men wort
having are beginning to choose between ma
1s riage and no marriage, with plalner notions al
''s more useful mplishments than are possesse
lk by the butterflies who lounge op sofas all da
" knitting zephyrs or reading novels. 50 NAL
nd up your mind for comfort to old maidism. Al
es now as in all probability you understand that
Us am in earnest about marrying Harriet Parke
ap hope you will reconsider your hasty resoluu'
re about not speaking to your sister-n law, the 10
let me tell you, will all be on your side,
Brother Tom understood bis own propositi'
lei entirely. He was not man to stoop belo
10 himself in marrying. He could not unite hir
he self with one who was ignorant and unrefine
Ia against that his generously cultivated soul wou
have revolted. But he wanted a real not an artl
lie cial woman-one who could take her place b
ne ne side him, as he said, on the lowest round
ar fortunes ladder, and keep step with him u
he ward. Such one be had found in Harri
Parker, and he was independent enough to ha
Fry her for wife.
ne t Lizzie was not long in discovering, after broth
KS Tom had actually married and commence
- housekeeping IN two rooms, with his mode
cheerful and earnest-minded wife, that h
sister had something about her that sensib
won the love, commanded the respect, and {
ers most exhorted the admiration of all who we
ew so fortunate as to make her acquaintance.
ry> Marriage, they say, makes or mars man
o' the brother overheard Lizzie saying in an u
nd dertone to lady friend, but it will not mar t
fortunes of brother Tom. He's got just t
SUI wife to help him along in the world; and o