Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-29
PLAIN I'D ORNAMENIAL PRINTINa.
The Clerks Marriage.
HY 70 AHFaua


I IL We separate each taxing dinefent ways IN
/ llfe-Oh, Rosa. Rosa, am not strong enough
% choose that alternativep
Aud bis form trembled under the pressure
! Of excitement
sYou love me, Henry The voice Of Rosa
was calm, yet burdened with feeling.
AS ny own life, dariingl Have l not
said 90 a hundred timesPi
Sand even as my lite do love you, Hen
E.n
For several moments her face lay hidden
in his bosom. Then lifting It, Rosa said /
al am glad you have spoken on This sub
iect Henrgs could rot approach Il myself
bat, now that We have it before Us, letit be
well considered. Your income is one thou
sand dollars 2"
o Yes
"A sum large enough to supply all the real
wants Of two persons who have Independence
enough not 10 be enslaTed by mere love Of
appeannces 1
Why, darling, it WI require more than
hall Of my salary to pay for respectable board
ing"
Taking it for granted thai, after our mar
riage, I ana TO sit down in a boarding house,
with hards folded, an idle dependent on your.
labor. Bat shall not 50 construe my rela-
ton 10 my husband. / will be helpmeet
for him. wiz stand by bis side, sharing
life's burdens fs I
All that is in your heart, darling, ]
know returned Adrian. But we are
hedged round by social forms that act as
hindranoe You cannot help me- Society
viii demand Of us a certain style Of living,
and we must CONFORM to it, or be pushed
aside from all circles Of refinement, taste and
intelligence. 1 cannot accept this ostracism
for you, Rosa. II is not right"
"As if a false heartless world were more
to me than true, loving husband Henry,
the central point Of social happiness IS home;
as the home is so will our lives be-rather
let me say, as we are so will our homes be-
centers Of gloom or brightness. What others
think Of Us is really of little account in max
ing up the sum Of cur enjoyments as we pass
through life; but what we are in ourselves
is everything. We must be the centers of
our own world of happiness or our lives will
be incomplete, Can q tine estab blishment like
this, in which I live in weak dependence fll
the measure Of my desire2 Can it bring
peace and contentment2 No, no, Henry
The humblest apartments, shared With you,
would be palace to my soul instead | am
not speaking with the romantic enthusiasm Of
an ardent girl, but soberly, truthfaliy, Henry.
No, dearest we viii not make our lives
Wretched oy living apart because we cannot
make fair appearance in other peoples eyes.
God has given US love for each other, and the
means Of happiness if we viii use them. Let
Us take his good gifts in thankfnlness, You
have an income Of one thousand dollars. We
must not expect to live as those dowho have
two, or three, or four thousand dollars
year. Be that folly far from US, Henryl /
am equal to the selfdenisl it will require, if
the word sself-deniar is to be used. Are
not You also Oh, Hanryl- is-thero- any
joy to be imagined beyond that which flows
from the conjunction of two loving hearts
and shall pride and a weak spirit Of social
conformity come in to rob Us of our bless
ingG'
The young man had come, sternly resolved
to put of the day Of marriage. He parted
from his betrothed that night, looking for
ward with gOlden-hued hopes for its arrival.
They had talked over the future, practically
and sensibly. The lovers fond pride, which
had looked to a fair social appearance for his
young wife, gave place to a better view Of
things. He saw that his love had fixed itself
upon a true woman, and that in the humber
sphere in which their lot was cast all attain
able happiness was 10 store for them, if they
would but open their hearts in an orderly
way for its reception. One thing said to him
by Rosa in that evening talk we repeat for
the sake Of young wives or maidens on the
eve Of marriage.
"Be mine, dear Henry" she said, the
task Of ordering and regulating our domestic
affairs in conformity with your means.
viii give all thought to that Your income
is fixed, and shall know exactly the range
Of expenditure we must adopt. Do not fear
debt and embarrassment These wretched
forms shall never enter your home, while l
stand sentinel at the door. If the husband
gives his lie to care and work, shall not the
wife do the same If be provides to the
best Of his ability, shall not she dispense with
wise frugality his earning She that fails
to do this, is not worthy of her position"
And 50 you are bent on this folly2" said
the bachelor clerk, on the day preceding that
on which Adrian was to be married.
ayes, if you choose to call it folly," was
the answer.
aWhere are you going To Saratoga ~
'fWe shall 60 nowhere"
"Whatl Not make bridal tour 2"
''No. A clerk who only receives a salary
Of one thousand dollars can't afford to spend
a hundred in making a bridal tour"
Mr. Blair shrugged his shoulders, and
arched his eyebrows as mUsh as TO say; ''lf
couldn't AFFORD bridal tour, / not marry"
On the day alter Adrian wedding, he was
ct his usual place in the counting-roOm. BE
received from his fellow-clerks few feeble
congratulations. Most Of them thought him
q fool to burden himself with a wife not
worth dollar.
"When marry I'll better my condition
not make it worse" was the unspOken
thought Of mOrethan one.
aWhere are you boarding p asked Mr..
Blair, indiferently, two or three weeks after
Adrian's marriage.
Nowhere" was replied we are at
housekeeping
9WhatF
eAt housekeeping
"What is your rent %
aTwo hundred dollars, and half Of that my
wise, good little wife is to pay in music les
sons to our landlady's daughters. We have
two pleasant rooms in third story fur
uished these with the money II Eould have
taken for the usual bridal tour. Rosa has the
use Of the kitchen, and insists on doing her
own cooking and homework for the present. I
I demurred, and do demur; but she says that
work is worship If performed conscientious
y and dutitully as she is performing it. And,
with all this, we are very happy, Mr.. Blair,
as you shall witness Tomorrow You must
60 home with me, take tea and spend the
evening
Mr.. Blair accepted the invitation. He had
met Rosa, occasionally, before her marriage,
and knew her to be a bright, accomplished
young woman, fitted to move in refined and
intelligent circles, and be felt some curiosity
to see Der in the new position of mistress
and maid 70 her own household. The Third
Avenue cars bore the two men a long way
frOu the city's fhrobbing heart, out to
the more quiet exteriorE where they
alighted, and after a short walk, entered
q moCest looking house with well tended
shrubbery in the little front garden. To the
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