The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-12-31
MARGARET MERLYN,
WRITTEN FOR THE ST. CLOUD JOURNAL,
BY MRS. JANE G. SW1ssHELM.
CHAPTER K.


CHAPTER K.
IN WHICH MR.. Tw1NzY GETS ON
sPLEND1DLY, AND KATE GETS A LES.
SON.
One evening the family were gath
cred in the sitting room, Mrs. Walters
and Margaret finishing q. piece Of sew
ing, Nj; Walters readisg ehn paper,
and Mr.. Twinzy entertaining the chill
dreD, when Mrs. Walterss I exclaimed !:
"0h, Anson, I had almost forgotten.
Mrs: Jones, Josie'a teacher, was here
to-day, and is in a peck Of trouble
That scamp Of a husband of hers is
back, and has gone around and noti-
fed her patrons not to pay her their
tuition bills. Sho wants you to save
tho money for her, if you can, for she
has nothing to p.y. ,ler rent or. ia, rot
narketing."
90 !. "But have already paid It to MI.
Jones; and if I had not, I could not :,,
give it to her utter notification
" "But what is the poor woman to do
with her three children to support p
He does nothing but drink and gam
ble."
~ guess he is scamp and ought
to be ridden on a rail but she should
not have married him."
''She did not know it 1 suppose, and
it is hard he should take the money
she earns and leave her and the chill.
drea to starve! Don't you think, Mar
garet, it is a real shame ?"
II suppose he is beyond the reach
Of shame, and the fault lies with the
men who make the laws"
"Sure enough but who docs make
them, and how does it come so ~
"Every man makes the laws in this
country, aud they have made them so
that every man can hire out his wife if
he pleases and collect her wages, or COL
lect the wages when she hires herself
"That is fact, Miss Merlyn." inter-
posed Mr.: T~inzy, rising and softly
pacing the room, while ho caressed his
left hand with the right, in his usual
fashion. "That is fact" he repeated.
"Our marriage laws are abominable,
and no mistake !"
"Have you ever tried to make them
better 7" she inquired.
"Well, that is not my forte. It is
not a matter, in fact, in which 1 am
personally Interested"
"But if no one tries to right any
wrong except those in which he is per-
sonally interested, the age of Christian
ity is past; and besides, there can be
no wrong in the world in which the
world is not interested, any more than
stone can fall into the ocean without
disturbing the water to the farthest
shore"
The discussion became general, aud
when the generous merchant looked at
his expensive]y dressed wife, aud her
luxurious surroundings, all the result
Of his labor, and felt an honest pride in
her ignorance Of how it came, he little
dreamed the day would ever come-as
come it did-when he, even he, should
purloin the pittanco she had earned
and spend it for rum, while their chill
dren cried for bread but what had he
to do With laws which sustained dram
shops, and placed women in a semi
chattel state, without the usual inoen-
tives to industry and economy or living
wages when forced to: earn her bread !?
The wasp is said to fad poison in ey-
cry flower, and Mr.. Twinsy derived
much encouragement from learning
thas Margaret found fault with the ]e-
gal relations Of husband and wife. Hs
had become so much interested in pur-
suing her, that he had quite neglected
his other opportunities, and quite pre-
pared himself for a grand passion. in
which he might probably devote months
nay, even years to q single object. He
sighed sentimentally as he reflected
that it would be more proper, prudent
and pious to be thus particular, and