Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-05-26
Eiierarp 3flisttIIanr.
The Wife for a Man in Moderate Cir
cumStances.

And Lizzie Lawton put on as out
ragged and indignant an air as it was
possible for her to assume.
Whats the objection ?' asked Tom,
i'll 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.
"Objection!" The young lady's cher
ry lip curled. "Who is she +? What is
she Z"
"a sweet tempered, right thoughted,
true-hearted young woman, who will
make me good little wife. Are you
not answered, sister mine ?"
GA sewing girl p said Lizzie, con
temptuously.
wv hat our mother was, as I have
been told, before her marriage" answer.
ed brother Tom. "And if my eyes
have not deceived me, she has been a
sewing woman ever since my recollec-
ton of her."
That's another thing" said the sis
ter. "Aother was superior to her class,
and has risen above it,"
"What then My father made good
matrimonial venture, and / may do the
same"
''But why brother Tom," urged the
sister, "don't you choose a wife from
among those on your own level"
"iVhat do you mean by those on your
own level Let US understand each
other"
'From amongst those who move i'll
our own circles. From the educated,
refined, accomplished"
'Such as the Misses Walton, for in
stance"
Yes; or the Misses Eden"
"Whose fathers support them in
idleness, and expect the young men
who marry them to do the same. Now,
Lizzie, the fact of the business is, like
Mary Eden very well, and once came SO
near falling III love with her, that | was
really heightened. did not go near
her face again for six months after |
felt the first movement of the tenderl
passion"
Dear Mary! O, Tom! Why not
marry her? could love her as my own
sister"
"Can't afford it, Pretty, but I'm only
a poor young man, and have only my
talents and industry to help Inc 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.'
ooh, but, Tom, there'll be no neces-
sity OF going to housekeeping at first.
And then you know, her father is well
off in the world, and he'll give her a
house and furnish it, no doubt when she
| is married"
But Tom shook his head.
"Mary Eden's father may or may not
be rich," he replied. "My own private
opinion is that he is living up to, if not
a little beyond his income. And as to
the house and furniture which Mary's
husband is going to get, that is some
thing 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 poor
of to morrow, Lizzie. l wouldn't give
a snap of finger for him as a depend
ence. l mean to trust in myself, an
honest purpose and clear concience
And as tor my wife, | want a woman
with life, purpose, industry, and indie
pendence in her; not great bundle off
silks, iaces, bonnets and curling papers,
with pretty little helpless-do nothing
and ! had almost said know-nothing
doll hidden somewhere inside, three
or four feet from the crinoline circum-
valuation. And then again, Lizzie, l
am something of an independent young
man, wonderfully given to the work OF
taking care OF myself. l 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 the ladder, keeping
step with me upward, would be dead
weight, and we should remain at or
near the foot forever. No, no, Lizzie, |
cannot afford wife-the luxuary is too
expensive for me. So, | am going to
marry a girl who knows something of
real ite-a true, good, patient, endu-
ring, self denying, darling little body,
who is not ashamed to earn her living
with the needle. And | can tell you
what, Dolly, l only wish you were more
like Harriet Parker; there would be
forty more chances Of your marrying a
man of sense than you nave now. Don't
you know that new society has been
formed amoug young men and that some
OF the very best catches among us have
signed pledge not to marry any girl
whe is not willing to commence matri-
nIonlal life with two rooms and a kitch-
Ell, and who doesen't know how to bake,
cook. and sew, and to wash and iron
into the bargain am the President"
'lreposterous % exclaimed Lizzie.
; "You'll cry some other word when
you go on the old maids list, and see
yoer place filed in the house of some
man that is man, by some woman who
was not ashamed of useful employment
when she was girl. | can tell you
what, my dainty sister, there's reform
! at work, and men worth having are be-
ginning to choose between marriage,
with palmer notions and more useful
; accomplishments than are possessed by
the butterflies whe lounge on a sofa all
, day, knitting zephyrs or reading novels.
So make up your mind to conform to
) old maidism. And now, as to all prob
t ability you understand that l am in
earnest about marrying Harriet Parker,
hope you will reconsider your hasty
, resolution about not speaking to your
f sistcr-in-law. The less, let me tell you,
will be all on your own side"
| Brother Tom understood his own
t proposition entirely. He was not man
t to stoop below himself in marrying
: He could not unite himself with one who
was ignorant and refned-against that
, his ranarouSlv oultivo+ad so,I ,,o,,l 4