Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-05
TALK ABOUT MARRIAGE.
DY t. s. ARTHUR.

Two maidens, in youthful bloom and
beauty, sat earnestly talking Their
thoughts were reaching away into the fu-
ture their theme was marriage.
al like him well enough" said one Of
them, but
She paused, the objection unspoken.
"What is the impediment, Alice?"
"His income is too SMALL
uWhat is it ?"
"Eight hundred dollars year."
"You might live on that"
uIiye! Bah! What kind of living 2"
"Not in princely style, I will admit"
"Nor scarcely in plebeian, Fanny Eight
hundred dollars Why, father pays six
hundred dollars rent, and I'm sure our style
of living is plain enough. Eight hundred |
Oh, no. l like Harry better than any
Young man 1 have met. l could love him,
no doubt. But he can't support wife in
any decent kind of style"
HDid your father and mother begin their
marriage life with larger income than
Harry Peasants now receive 81 Mine did
not, as 1 have often heard them relate"
"Father and mother Oh, according to
their story, Jobs famous turkey was scarcely
poorer than they were 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"
"No doubt In fact I've heard mother
say that the first hard struggling years Of
their life were among the happiest she has
known. But that doesn't signify for me.
That is no reason why her daughter should
elect to go into the kitchen, and spend her
years in washing, cooking and ironing. If
man isn't able to support wife genteelly,
and in the style to which she has been ac-
customed, 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 or a thousand dollars
year should not look into our circles for
wiyesn
81 don't like 10 hear you talk in this
way, Alice" said her companion. awe are
not superior beings, but only the equals of
the men,"
"Did / say we were superiorW
zone might infer from your language
that you thought so."
81 don't see how the inference can be
fairly drawn"
Our circle for wives, you said just now"
dyes"
"What do you mean by it?"
A circle of intelligence, refinement,
taste and cultivation" replied Alice.
"You don't say wealth"
"No. My father though living in good
style, is not rich. l have heard him say
4Iov 4l,ok 1.u;,, fo
our income"
"Then, we have our own sweet selves
with which to endow our husbands. No
houses or lands no stocks from which to
draw an income; nothing substantial on
which to claim the right Of being supported
in costly idleness. We must be rich indeed
as TO personal attractions"
We are educated and accomplished,
and-and-"
Alice was not little bewildered in
thought, and did not finish the sentence.
"Not better educated or accomplished as
girls, than are most of the young men, who,
as clerks, earn only from seven hundred TO
thousand dollars year. In this regard
we are simply their equals. But, it strikes
me, that, in another view Of the case, we
can not claim even an equality. They are
our superiors."
"Not by any MEANS" replied Alice.
awe shall see. Here is Harry Peasants
for instance. What is his income? think
you mentioned the sum just now"
Eight hundred dollars a year."
" That is the interest on-hoW much p
let me see-about twelve thousand dollars
To be equal as a match for Harry, then, yot
should be worth twelve thousand dollars.
How you talk, Fanny"
To the point, don't II If we are no
superior to the young men who visit US, su
perioF simply in virtue of our sex, then ou
only claim to be handsomely supported i
idle selfindulgence must lie in the faC
that we endOW our husbands with sufficieI
worldly goods to warrant the condition"
"You are ingenious"
"No, matter of fact. What have you
say against my position, Alice2 Are "
better than young men of equal intelligenC
and education2"
"No, can not say that we are"
"If we marry, we must look upon thes
for husbands. Rich men, as genera
thing, select their wives from rich men
daughters. Our chances in that directio
are not very encouraging. Your father ha
no doWry for his child nor has min,
Their families are large and expensive, IN
little or nothing of the years income is le
at the years close. The best they can d
for us is to give us homes; and l feel tha
ii is not much to our credit that we are col
tent to lean on our fathers, already stoopin
under the burden of years care and toi
instead of supporting ourselves. Th
thought has troubled me Of late"
A sober hue came over the face Of Alic
ss she sat looking into the face Of he