The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-12-10

q
gone forth on tho waste Of vsssrs. She
broke from his hold, ind .retreatio9
tire" herself on her knees. and press
ing her head agsinst tho back of .
chair, burst into passionate food Of
tssrs, sxclaimiag between her sob,:
"Go, Edward, 60! You kill me =!
He 'as down near her, deeply moved
at sight Of her distress, and ii trem
blisg voice began to sooths her:
~ did not intend to hurt your feel
ings. You should not try to drive INC
away; for you know you are engaged
to me, and ba;e said you look upon an
engagement ~ almost as solemn rs =
marriage"
"But you released mo. You drove
Oh: When You told me to choose be .
tween my church, my mother, and you,
did you feel our Engagement as solemn
As marriage! l have chosen, or rath-
or God has chosen for mo, 70. Tic says,
tHonorr thy father aud thy mother.
that thy days may b long in the land
which the Lord thy God sivetb thee
cannot honor my mother by forsak-
ing her: God do 80 to mo and
more also If l turn ny back upon
the dear ones At home, and ~ for Civ.
ing up, my own meeting aud gsisg to
yoars,:x
SIN Il ifs:: e. si;::'::; is. :; Ill: ;::s s:.ss-
"Well, you can do Is you please,
and come to see her Is often as you
wish Ith.ll do everything I can to
help her, and you need not take it 70
hard that Isa,d: what 1 did. It's &C.
eording to Law, aud I had I. right; but
RI give ill that up, and will do any,
thing to make you happy;" and now
he vas weeping freely.
"Aecordiag to what law :" she iu-
qaired. .'
I "The law Of the land. A ma. is
not required to support bis wifs's moth
er, nor to let her take her homo With
her family; for ths law says, 'All that
the wife acquires BY. her labor, service
or act during coverture, (shat is during
marriase) belongs to her husband
This shows that a mao has = right to
his wifs's time aud service, and only
waited
She interrupted him, SAYING: els
there any such law ~ that ?"
"Of e'arss there is; and knew one
ease where = man sued his mother-in-
lav for bis uife's services 10 nursing
her while sick, and reeovered"-
"Reeoversd Docs that mean that
the law mado a woman p.y her d.ugh-
ser's husband wages for her daughter, |
bis wife, nuning her while she w.s
.ick p
"Yes that is, it made her .st.t,
pay it, for it was her last sickness: She
died before the suit was brought. You
know T never would"- !
But she did not wait TO hear what he |
never would do. She had raised her
tearstained face, and still kneeling, |
was eagerly listening, and now broke |
in:
"For nursing her on hsr death bed |
A man made somebody pay him wages
for his nursing her mother on her
death bed I"
"Yes; that is the law. Any man
can do it; and you cannot blame mo
IT,
"Aud if We wsre married, and l
should come to take care of mother
when shs Was sick or dying, you could
make her pay you wages for my time!
IL that it p. r. ..., ..>
"But you know I never would do
this. Not one man in thousand would
ever do it."
'Thsn Why il it the hvl Did not
mon make itl'' -
"Oh, of course but it vas made
hundreds Of year. ago, in England"
"Hundr.d. Of years ago, in England,
The people were slaves. Is their old
,lave law 10 force here, in New Eng
h ndY" '.'1
"But that is very different from sl.-
very. A man loves bis wife, and Of
course wouh'sot do anything she. did
"Why, that IL just the way they talk
about slaves. A mans elavs belongs
to him. 1t il to bis interest to take
ears Of him. and 70 Of sourss hs will
not abuse him, although hs makes and
supports laws which allow him 70 do
so." III. 10. :.": a.. i
"But you know the case 10 very dif-
fsrent. You would not argue that T.
man would treat bio wife % 4 slave ?
::."What il the difference between that
law which you have just repeated apd
the law which gives:s man power 10
take the wages Of tho .lavsl If men do
not treat their wives a. slaves, Why d,
they have 4 slave law for thsmi'
"Do not lot ~ talk about that any
more. I spoke about the law sqly to
let you zee that I had . night to ask
yo1 to do as I wished, but give that
oil up. I did lot mean to trouble you,
aud you can do just IS you please about
your mother aud everything else," |
His voice and manner we're full Of |
tender pleadings. and coming 70 her, he |