Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-04-15
A TALK ABOUT MARRIAGE.
BY t. s. AATHUR.


was marriage.
al like him well enough" said one of them,
fbut-"
She paused, the objection unspoken.
"What ia the impediment, Alice :"
"His income is too small"
sWhat is it?"
"Eight hundred dollars year"
"You might live on that"
Live Bah What kind Of living ?"
Not in princely style, will admit"
'sNor scarcely in plebian, Fanny. Eight
hundred dollars! Why, father pays six hun
dred dollars rent and I'm sure our style of
living is plain enough! Eight hundred Oh
20. I like Harry better than any young
man ever met. could love him, no doubt.
But he can't support . wife in any decent
kind of style"
"Did your father and mother begin their
married life on larger income than Harry
Peasants now receives? Mine did not, as
have often heard them relate"
"Father and motherl o, according to
their story, Jobs famous turkey was scarcely
poorer than they were in the beginning
Mother did all her own work, even to her
washing and ironing, believe. Fathers in
come was not over three or four hundred dol
lars year."
@And they were very happy together, am
sure" r..- ass4
"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 dosent signify for me-
That is no reason why her daughter should
elect to go into the kitchen, and spend her
years in washing, ironing and cooking. If a
man isn't able to support wife genteelly,
and in the style to which she has been accus-
toned, let him marry an Irish cook, sewing girl,
or washerwoman, who will manage his house
hold with the needed economy. Young men
who can't earn more than eight hundred or
thousand dollars year, should not look into
our circle for wives" 1 - =
at don't like to hear you talk in this way,
Alice" said her companion. "We are not
superior beings, but only the equals of men,"
~Did say that we were superior p .9
HOne might infer from your language that
you thought so.' .-sass.. 10 -i5 I.-ls.e.. ..Ee
Il don't see how the inference can be fairly
drawn"
"'OUR circle for wives you said just now"
"Yes." ~s-.i aaaij s=- s.al4
''What do you mean by it ?'' .'sa'
"a circle Of intelligence, refinement, taste,
and cnltiyation,r replied Alice. i ..,s ,tsa':,
."You don't say wealth" ;--to1
"No. My father, though living in good
style, is notlrich have heard him say more
than once, that we were up to our income. p
'sFhen we have our own sweet selves with
which to endow our husbands. No houses or
land no stocks from which TO draw an in
come nething substantial on whiehto claim
the right to be supported in costly idleness
We must be rich, indeed, as to personal at
fractions" IA eTaa i-.i& gag asi5
"We are educated, accomplished, and
and" ssaci5..4 @351i
Alice was q little bewildered in thought,
and did not finish the sentences i-iAli13 - -
aNot better educated, or accomplished, as
girls. than are most young men who. as clerks,
earn only from seven hundred ito atheusand
dollars a year. In this respect, we are sim
simply their equals. Z Bat it stirkes me in an
other view of the case, we cannot claim even
an equality. They are our superiors."
iaNot by any means, replied Alice. 74''' -
awe shall see. Here is Harry Peasants
for instance. What is his income?h think
ven mentioned the sum just now"
"Eight hundted dollars year." , =
"That is the interest On-how much ?-let
me see-about twelve thousand dollars. To
be equal, as a match fer Harry, then, you
should be worth twelve thousand dollars"
allow you talk Fanny p
"To the point, don't I? five are not 'su-
perior TO the young men who visit US; supe-
rior simply in virtue of our sex; them our
only claim to be handsomely supported in
idle selfindulgence, must lie in the fact. that
we endow our husbands with sufficient world
ly goods to warrant the condition"
? .'You are ingenious"
/ "No, matter of fact What have you to
say against my position, Alice? Are we
better than young men of equal intelligence
and education 2"
'No L cannot say that we are"
'"If we marry we must look among those
for husbands. Rich men, as a general thing,
generally select their wives from rich mems
daughters Our chances in that direction are
not very encouraging, Your father has no
dowry for his child nor has mine. Their
| families are large and expensive and but lit
or nothing of the years income is left at its
close. The best they can do for US, is to
give US homes and feel that it is not much
to our credit that we are content to lean upon
our fathers, already STOPPING under the bur
dens of years, care and toll, instead of sup
porting ourselves The thought has troubled
me, Of late"
A sober hue came over the face of Alice, as
she sat looking into the eyes Of her friend
She did not reply, and Fanny went on
"There is wrong in this. On what ground
Of reason are we 10 be exempt from the com
mon lot of useful work We expect TO be-
come wives and mothers. Is this our prepa-
ration Can you bake loaf Of sweet, light
bread 2"
fNo."
'iNOr can 1. Or roast sirloin 2"
i emo" ..
"Or broil steak Just think of it, Alice.
We can manage little useless embroidery, or
fancy knitting can sing and play, dance and
chatter--bat as to the real and substantial
things oflife, we are ignorant and helpless
And, with all this, forsOoth, we cannot think
Of letting ourselves down to the level and
condition Of virtuous, intelligent young men,
who, in daily, useful work, are earning fair
independence We are SO superior that we
must have husbands able to support us in
luxurious idIeness, or we will have none We
Il are willing to pass the man TO whom love