Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-25

3
How you talk, Fanny h
To thepoint, don j /? IF we are not su-
perior to the youag Hlen who visit MS, supe-
rior is simply virtue to our sex, then our on
ly claim to be handsomely supported In idle
self indulgence, must be In the fact that we
endow our husbands with sufficient worldly
goods to warrant the condition.
Your are ingeniousi a
No, matter Of fact What have you to
say against my position, Alice2 Are we
better than young men of equal intelligence
and education. b
No, | cannot say that we are.
If we marry, we must look upon these
for husbands, Rich men as q general thing
select their wives from rich men daugh-
ters Our chances In that direction are not
very encouraging Yours has no dowry for
his child, nor has mine. Their families are
large and expensive, and little or nothing of
the year s income is left at the years end.
The best they can do for us is 20 give us
homes; and L feel that it is not much to our
credit that we are content to lean on our
fathers, already STOPPING under the burden
of years. care and toll, instead of supporting
ourselves The thought has troubled me
not little 2
A sober hue came over the face of Alice,
as she sat looking into the face of her friend
She did not reply, and Fannie went ON.
There is wrong In this On what ground
of reason are we to exempt the common lot
of useful work !? We expect to become
wives and mothers Is this our prepara-
ton? Can you make loaf of sweet, light
bread p
No
Nor can IL
Or roast a sirloin?'
No
Or broil steak? Just think of it, Alice
We can manage little useless embroidery,
or fancy knitting; can sing and play, dance
and chatter, but as to real and substantial
things of life, 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 a fair
independence. We are so superior that we
must have husbands able to support us in
luxurious idleness, or we viii have nonel
We are willing to pass the man to whom
love would unite us in the tenderest bonds,
because his income is small, and marry for
position one from whom the soul turns with
instructive aversion. Can we wonder that so
many are unhappy? E
But eight hundred dollars, Fanny How
is it possible for married couple to live in
any decent style, in this city, on eight hum
dred dollars a year 2 a7
They may live in a very comfortable
style, if the wife is willing to perform her
part.
What do you mean by her part, Fanny.
We will take it for granted that she is no
better than her husband That having
brought him no fortune beyond her dear
sWen?'
He has to work through all the day.
'WellP
Under what equitable rule is she exempt
None She must do her part of course,
if there is anything to do it with. She must
keep his house, if he can afford house.
But if he only has eight hundred dollars a
year. Why rent alone would consume half
or more than half of that There would be
no house keeping in that case. They must
board.
And the wife sit in idleness all the day
long
She would havs nothing to do.
Gould she not teach? or by aid of a sew
ing machine earn few dollars every week
or engage in some other useful work that
would yield an income, and so do her part p
yes, she might do something Of the kind
but if marriage is to make 'workies' of
us, it were better to remain single
And live in unwomanly dependence on
our parents and relatives No, Alice; there
is false sentiment prevailing on this sub
ject, and as / think and talk, / see it more
clearly Our parents have been weak In
their love for us, and society, as constituted
has given wrong estimates of things. We
should have been required to do useful
work in the household, from the beginning,
and should have taught that idleness and
self indulgence were indiscreditable. Our
brothers are put to trades and professions,
and made to comprehend, from the begin
ming, that industry is honorable, and that
the way of useful work is the way by which
the world s brightest places are to be reach
ed.
But we are raised daintily and uselessly
and so fitted for our duties as wives and
mothers. Our pride and self esteem are
fostered; and we come to think of ourselves
as future queens, who are to be ministered
to in all things, instead of being minis
trant, inloying forgetfulness No wonder
that an anti-marriage sentiment is beginning
to prevail among 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 this copartnership
We are not willing to do our share of work;
our husbands must bear all the burden.
Alice sighed heavily.
| Her friend continued: / have read some
where that the delight of Heaven is the de-
light of being useful. And it seems to me,
as [ dwell upon the thought, that the near
est approach to heavenly delight here, must
be in that state into which a wife comes
when she stands by her husband s side, and
out of love for him, removes one burden
and another from his shoulders, and SO igh-
ten his work that smiles take the place of
WEAKNESS and the shadows of care. If he
be rich, she can hardly have so great a priv
ilege but if they are alike poor, and know
how to moderate their desires, their homes
may become an image of Paradise. Eight
hundred dollars? Alice if you were really
fitted TO become Harry wife, you might
live with him, doing your part, happier
than queen
That is, | must take in work, and earn
money, if we board or-but housekeeping
IS out Of the question
No, it should never be out of the ques-
ton in marriage, [ think
But house rent alone would take half of
our income
That does not follow
Tt does for any house would consent to
live in.
So pride is stronger than love. But pride
has its wages as well as love; and the one is
bitter while the other is sweet. It is this
pride of appearances, this living for the eyes
of other people, who do not care penny for
u.s. that is marring the fair fabric of our So