Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-01-30
Selett Mistellanp.
A TaIk About Marriage.
By T. s. ARTHUR.

Two maidens, in youthful bloom and beauty,
sat earnestly talking. Their thought vas reach
ing away into the future; their theme was mar
rage
Il like him we'll enough" said one of them;
"buf--"
She paused, the objection unspoken.
"What is the impediment. AliceI"
"His income IS too small
''What is itr''
Eight hundred dollars year."
ssYou might live on that
..Live, Bah. What kind Of livingf''
''Not in princely style, | viii admit"
'.Nor scarcely in plebeian. Fanny. Eight hun
dred dollars Why, father pays six hundred dol
lars rent and I'm sure our style of living plain
enough Eight hundred Oh, no. like Harry
better than any young man i have met. could
love him, no doubt. But he can't support wife
in any decent kind of STYLE"
ssDid your father and mother begin their mar
ried life on a larger income than Harry Pleasants
row receives? Mine did not, as | have often
herd them relate"
Father and mother, Oh, according to their
story, Jobs famous turkey was scarcely poorer
than they we're in the beginning. Mother did all
her own work, even to the washing and ironing, /
believe Fathers income was not over three or
four hundred dollars year"
"And they were happy together, am sure
'sNo doubt In fact I've heard mother say
that the first hard struggling years of their life
we're among the happiest she has known. But
that doesn't signify for me. That is no reason
why her daughter should elect to 60 into the
kitchen and spend her years in washing, ironing
and cooking. If man isn't able to support a
wife genteeIly, and in the style to which she has
been accustomed, let him marry some Irish cook,
sewing girl or washerwoman, who will manage
his household with the needed economy Young
men who can't earn more than eight hundred OF
athousand dollars year should not look into our
circle for wives
"Idon't like to hear you talk in this way, Alice,
said her companion. "Weare not superior beings
but only the equals of men,"
'Did / say We were superior"
Zone might infer from your language that yor
thought So"
II don't see how the inference can fairly b.
drawn"
"Our circle for wives, you said just now."
Yes"
"What do YOU mean by it?'
"a circle OF intelligence, refinement, taste an,
cultivation" replied Alice
You don't say wealth"
"No. Nv father, though living in good style
is not rich. / have heard him say, more thai
once, that we were up to our income
"Then, we have only our own sweet selve
with which 10 endow our husbands. No houses
or lands; no stocks from which to draw an income
nothing substantial on which to claim the right 0
being supported in costly idleness. We must
rich indeed, as to personal attractions"
1--WE are educated, accomplished and and
Alice was little bewildered in thought, an
did not finish the sentence.
.sNot better educated, or accomplished, a
girls. than are most of the young men who, a
clerks. earn only from seven hundred to a thou
sand dollars a yelr. In this regard, we are sim
ply their equals. But, it strikes me. that. in an
other view of the case, we can not claim even a
equality. They are our superiors.
"Not by any means" replied Alice
1--WE shall see. Here is Harry Pleasants, fc
instance. What is his income? | think yo
mentioned the sum just now"
Eight hundred dollars year"
sThat is the interest on-how much?-let m
see-about twelve thousand dollars. To b
eouaI. as a match for Harry, then, you should b
worth twelve thousand dollars"
.sHow you talk, Fanny