Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-05-29

"Ihey may live in very comfortable style
II the wife is very willing to perform her part. y
| sWhat do you mean by her part, Fanny p
"We will take it for granted, that she is no
better than her husband. That, having brought
him no fortune beyond her own dear self, She
cannot claim superior privileges
ssWell?''
''He has to wrork though all the day."
ssWell r.,
'sUnder what equitable rule is she exempt 20
"N one. She must do her part, of course,
If there is anything to do with. She must
keep his house, If he afford house. But
| II he have only eight hundred dollars a year |!
Why, rent alone would consume half, or more
than half of that. There would be no house
keeping in the case. They must board.
ssAnd the wife sit in idleness al day long ?''
s'She would have nothing to do.''
ssCould she not teach or by aid of sewing
machine, earn few dollars every week or
engage in some useful work that would yield
| an income, SO do her part !?
les, she might do something of the kind
but II marriage is to make sworkies' of us, it
were better to remain single.'
Sand live in unwomanly dependence on
our parents and relatives. No, Alice, there
is false sentiment prevailing this subject,
and as | think and talk, l see it more and
more clearly. Our parents have been weak in
their love for us; and society, constituted,
has given us wrong estimates of things. We
In the household, from the beginnings and
should have been taught that idleness and self
indulgence were discreditabe. Our brothers
are put to trades and professions, and made to
comprehend, from the beginning, that indus
try is honorable, and that the way of useful
work is the way by which the worlds bright
est places to be reached. But we are
raised daintily and useIessly, and so untitled
for our duties as wives and mothers. Our
pride and Self-eSteem are foStered, aud we
come to think of ourselves as future queens,
who are to be administered to in all things, IN
stead OF being minstrants, in loving for
getfulneSs, to others. No wonder that an an
ti-marriage sentiment is beginning to prevail
amongst young men of moderate incomes, in
all our large cities. The fault is in us, Alice.
The sin lies at our door. We demand too
much in the partnership. We are not will
ling to do our share of work. Our husbands
must bear all the burdens.''
Alice sighed heavily. Her friend contin-
ued: 81 have read somewhere that the de-
light of heaven is the delight of being useful.
And it seems to me, as l dwell upon the
thought, that the nearest approach to heavenly
delight here, must be that state into which
wife comes when she stands by her husbands
sides, and out of love for him, removes one
burden and another from his shoulders,
and so lightens his work, that smiles take the
place of WEAKNESS and the shadowings of care.
1t he be rich, she can hardly have so great a
privileges but if they are alike poor, and
know how to moderate their desire, their
home may become an image of Paradise.
Eight hundred dollars Alice if you were
really fitted to become Harry's wife, you
might live with him, doing your part happier
than any queen.''
ssThat is, | must take in work, and earn
money, if we board, or-but housekeeping is
out of the question:
s'No it should never be out of the question
in marriage, Think
ssBut house-rent alone would take half of
our iDcome.'
ssThat does not follow.''
''lt does, for any house would consent to
live in.''
$50 pride is stronger than love. But pride
has its wages well as love; and the one is
bitter while the other is sweet. 1t is this
pride of appearance, this living for the eyes of
other people who do not care penny for US.
that is marring the fair fabric of our social
life. Fine houses, fine furniture, fine dresses,
parties, shows, and costly luXuries of all kinds
are consuming domestic happiness, and bur-
dening fathers and husbands, in all grades of
society, with embarrassment and wretched-
ness Alice, we must be wiser in our genera
tion.''
ssThat is, coop ourselves up in two or three
mean little rooms, with our eight hundred "a
year husbands, and do our own cooking and
Homework. Is that it my pretty one ?''
s'For shame, Alice! You do not deserve
good man. You are not worthy to wed Harry
Peasants, and trust you viii pass him by,
should he be weak enough to offer his hand.
He can't afford to marry girl of your eXpec-
tations; he must content himself with one, !
who like himself regards life as real, life as
earnest ;-and the way of use and duty as the |
way to true honor and the highest happiness
ssSuppose you take him, Fanny said Al |
ice, half sportively, half petulently. She was
a weak, vain, proud GIRL
elf he should offer himself perhaps will.'' |
s:Oh, then, if he kneels at my feet, will re-
fer him to you as one likely to make him |
good cook and chambermad.'
ssDo, if you please. 1 always liked Harry, |
and don't think it would require much effort |
on my part to love him. He is great deal
better off in the world than am having an
income of eight hundred dollars year, while /
have nothing. On that sum | am sure we
could live in comfort, taste and happiness. I |
would not keep a servant to wait on me so
long as could do the work of our little house.
hold. Why should / keep servant any more
than he? would find mental recreation and
bodily health in the light tasks our modest
home would require. Need we as to what
the world would say And what would the
world say ?''
ssThat your husband had no business to
marry if he couldn't support his wife,
'ENot by any means, Alice. The .world
would say. There's sensible couple for you,
and wife worth having. Well endorse
them for happiness and prosperity And,
what is more, Alice, others would be encour-
aged to act the same wise part, and thus be
made happy through our example. I'll take
Harry if he offers himself, and show you a
model home and model wife SO pass him
over to me, should he lay his fortune at your
feet.'
A man who has done wrong, is always