The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-01-05
BROTHER TOMS WIFE.
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

huu LiZzle DaWtOn put on as outraged
and indignant an air as it was possible
for her to assume.
What's the objection ?" asked Tom. in
his cool way, fixing his large calm eyes
upon the pretty face of his sister, as she
sat uneasil y swaying half around and back
again on the piano stool.
Objection 7 The young lady's cherry
lip curled. who is she ? What is she ?
"A sweet tempered, true hearted young
woman, who will make me good little
wife. Are you not answered, sister mine?'
"A sewing girl? !? said lizzie, contempt
uously.
What our mother was, as I have been
told before her marriage, answered broth
er Tom. And if my eyes have not de-
ceived me, she has been sewing woman
ever since, or, at least ever since my re-
collection of her
That's another thing said the sister.
Mother was superior to her class, and has
risen above it.
Suppose | answer your objections to
Harriet. and say that she is superior to
her class, and will rise above it? What
then My father made good matrmo-
nial venture, and | may do the same
But why, brother Tom urged the sis
ter, don't you choose wife from among
those on your own levelY'
What do you mean by those on your
own level? Let US understand each 9TH
err
From among those who move in our
own circle. From the educated, refined
and accomplished. -
"Such as the Misses Walton, for in
stance
Yes; or the Misses Eden
Whose fathers support them in idle
ness and expect the young men who mar
ry them to do the same. Now Lizzie, the
fact of the business is, like Mary Eden
very we'll, and once came so near falling
in love with her, that was really fright
ened. | did not 90 near her pretty face
again for six months after felt the first
movement of the tender passion
Dear Mary! OTom ! why not marry
her? | could love her as my own sister
Cant afford it, pretty. I'm but poor
young man, and have only my talents and
industry to help me forward in the world.
Mary can't doanything herself. and would
expect me to put her IN an establishment
but little less costly than the one her faith
er owns.
oh, but, Tom there'll be no necessity
for to go to housekeeping at first. And
then you know, her father is we'll of in
the world, and he give her house, and
furnish it, no doubt, when she is married
But Tom shook his head.
MARY Edeu's father may or may not
be rich, he replied. My own private O.
pinion is. that he is living up to, if not Il
little beyond his income And as to the
house and furniture which Mary's hus
band is going to get, that is something
very fine to feed fancy upon. The real
bricks and mortar is another affair
'Oh, but Mr.. Eden's rich, Tom
The rich men of to-day are our poor
men of to morrow, Lizzie. | wouldn't
give the snap of finger for rich father
in-law as dependence. | mean to trust
in myself, an honest purpose and clear
conscience And as for wife, | want a
woman with life, purpose, industry and
independence in her, not a great bundle
of silks, laces, bonnets and curl papers,
with pretty little helpless do-nothlng
doll, hidden somewhere inside of the erin
oline circumvallation. And then, again,
Lizzie, | am something of an independ
ent young man, wonderfully given to the
work of taking care of myself. happen
to be at the bottom of the ladder, and il
! | ever get to the top of it my own strength
will carry me there. Now, a wife on my
back, instead of on the rounds of a lad
der, keeping step with me upwards, would
be dead weight, and keep me at or near
the foot forever No, no, pretty, cannot
afford one of your flushed boarding school
misses for wife-the luxury is to expen
sve for me. So am going to marry IA
girl who knows something of real lire-a
true, good, patient, enduring, self deny
ing, sweet, darling little body, who is not
ashamed to earn her living with the nee-
die. And | can tell you what, Dolly, |
only wish you we're like Harriet Parker;
there would be forty chances in favor OF
your marrying man OF sense to those
you have now Don't you know that
new society has been formed among young
men, aud that some of the very best
catches among them have signed pledge
not to marry girl who is not willing to
commence matrimonial life with two
rooms and kitchen, and who doesn't
know how to bake, cook and sew, and to
wash and iron in the bargain? am the
President
'Preposterous 7 exclaimed Lizzie
You'll cry some other word when you
get on the old maids list, and see your
place filed in the home OF some nan that
is man by woman who was not asham-
ed of useful employment when she was a
girl. can tell you what, my dainty lit
tie sister, there's reform at work, aud
men worth having are beginning to choose
between no marriage or marriage with