Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-04-15
Iifthe wife is willing to perform her part. .

if the wife is willing to perform her part
''What do you mean by her part ?"
ave will take it for granted that she is u
better than her husband. That, having brSugh
bim no fortune beyond her own dear self, sh'
cannot claim superior privileges"
"Well?"
"He has to work through all the day"
"Wen?"
''Under what equitable rule is she ex
empt ?"
"Nope. She must do her part, of course
if there is anything to do with. She mus
keep his house, if he can afford one. But j
he have only eight hundred dollars q 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"
"And the wiFe sit in idIeness all the day
long" .2s
"She would have nothing to do"
"Could she not teach Or, by aid of 6
sewing machine, earn a few dollars every
week or engage in some useful work that
would yield an income and 60 do her part p
"Yes, she MIGHT do something of the kind
but if marriage is to make 'workies' Of US, il
were better to remain single"
"And live in unWomanly dependence on
our parents and relatives. No, Alice; there
is a false sentiment prevailing on this subject
and as think and talk, see more and more
clearly. Our parents have been weak in their
love for US and society, as constituted, has
given Us a wrong estimate of things. We
should have been required to do useful work
in the household, from the beginning, and
should have been taught, that idleness and
self indulgence were discreditable. Gu 7
brothers are put into trades and professions,
and made to comprehend, from the beginning,
that industry is honorable, and that the way
of useful work is the way by which the worlds
brightest places are reached. But we are
raised daintily and uselessly, and SO fitted for
our duties as wives and mothers. Our pride
and self esteem are fostered ard we come
to think of ourselves as future queens, who
are to be ministered to in all things, instead
OF being ministrants, in loving, self forgetful-
ness, to others. No wonder that an anti
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 co-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 delight Of
heaven is the delight of being useful. And it
seems to me, as dwell upon the thought,
that the nearest approach to heavenly delight
here, must be that state into which a wife
comes when she, stands by her husbands
aide, and, cont of love for him, removes one bur
den and another from his shoulders, and so
Ightens his work, that smiles take the place OF
WEAKNESS, and the shadoWings of care. If he
be rich, she can hardly have so great priv
iege but if they are alike poor, and know
how to moderate their desirest their home m ay
become an image of Paradise. Eight hun.
dred dollars Alice, if you were really fitted
tolbecome Harry's wife, you might live with
him, doing your part, happier than any
queen" - '-- -
''That is, I must take in work, and earn
money, if we board or-but house keeping is
out of the question"
mo; it should never be out of the question
in marriage, 1 think"
i'But house rent alone would take half of
our income.'
''That does not follow aE r-z
ut does, for any house I would consent to
live in - ..o5. - q. .t--I.q
'i2 FSo pride is stronger than love. But pride
has its wages al well as love; and the one is
bitter, while the other is sweet It 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 con
suming domestic happiness, and burdeniDg
fathers and husbands, in all grades of society,
with embarrassment and wretehedness. Alice,
we must be wiser in our generation"
~That is, coop ourselves up in two or three
mean little rooms, with our eight hundred a
year husbands, and do our own cooking and
house work. Is that it, my pretty One2"
+For shame, AliceI You do not deserve a
good man. You are not worthy to wed Har-
ry Plesants, and trust you will pass him by
should he be weak enough to offer you his
hand. He can't afford to marry girl of your
expectations; he must content himself, with
One WuO1 AAAO uLlSCAiJ AAlO 0S G0nly Ilc as ShFH-
est; and the Of way usefulness and duty the
way to true honor andthe highest happiness" !"
''Suppose you take him, Fanny" said Alice,
half sportingly, half retulantly. She was a
weak, proud, vain girl.
'If he should offer himself, perhaps 1 will"
"Oh, then, if he kneels at my feet, 1 will re-
fer him to yon as one likely to make him a good
eooIx and chanhermsid -
do if you please. / always liked Harry,
and don't think it would take much effort on
my part to love him. He is great deal bet
ter off in the world than I am, having an in
come of eight hundred dollars year, while l
have nothing. On that sum, am sure, we
could live in comfort, taste and happiness. l
would not keep servant to wait on me so long
as could do the work of our little household
Why should keep servant any more than
he I would find mental recreation and bcdi-
iy health in the light task our modest house
hold would require. Need we care az to what
the world would say2 And what would the
world say?
'fThat your husband had no business to
marry, if he couldn't support his wife,"
"Not by any means, Alice. The world
would say, There's sensible couple for you,
and wife worth having. Wen endorse them
for happiness and prosperity And, what is
MORE Alice, others would be encouraged to
act the same wise part, and thus be made hap
py through our example. I'll take Harry il
be offers himself, and show you model home