Middletown transcript., 1868-05-09

ness to be at Saratoga, and partly because
he spent too much money. 1 understand
he owes twice as much as he can paw. The
principal creditor is reported to have said
that it would have been cheaper to give
Harry the salary of bank president, and
let him do nothing. Now this is, admit,
an exceptional case. Sophy was unusu.
ally extravagant, even, more so than Kate
But she is type, after all, of a large class
that frighten young men, and keeps'hem
from marrying"
Z" But what is to be done? We all ex
Pc to marry some day; and there are no
girls except girls like Kate, or Sophy.
II beg your pardon. There are plen-
ty of them. Of course, to find the right
Kind you must, l am afraid, generally go
outside of the fashionable set: For it is
only the daughters and wives of rich men
that can afford to be fashionable. Other
women haven't the time to waste in recep-
tlons and parties, day after day and night
after night. Nor can any but the rich af-
ford to dress in the extravagant manner in
which fashionable women, in great cities
like this, dress nowadays. If you wish
wife, you must look elsewhere for one,
unless, indeed, you are a millionaire"
Where would you look ?
&c There are plenty of families, thou
sands of them in Philadelphia, and tens
of thousands in country towns and villages,
where the daughters are we'll educated
and yet have been brought up to help
themselves. Iknow one where one daugh-
ter, who has taste in that direction,
makes all the bonnets she and her sisters
wear. Another is capital dress maker.
All attend to household affairs. They
make cake, prepare desserts, and could,
I've no doubt, bake bread Yet they are
quite as intelligent and companionable as
Kate Kelso and her set. No man, with
the right feeling, wishes to make his wife
drudge. But we men have to work,
and why shouldn't women take their
share 2"
&C Well, since you speak of it, I can
recall such families also. But they don't
go to balls and dance the Germana."
=" No. The daughters of such families
are taught to think home-virtues better
than surface accomplishments. Men want
true momen for wives, and not mere but
terfes."
" | shall be curious, Frank, to see your
wife,"
:" If you will come with me, tomorrow
evening, will introduce you to the young
lady who has promised to fill that position.
She is the daughter of a widow, and has
been brought up economically, brought up
like the girls 1 have been describing to you,
She does not go out much into society,
because she cannot afford it, though, from
the connections, she conld, if she wished,
go into the very best. But l do not think
she regrets it. AS for her real accomp
lishments, her knowledge of literature, mu-
sic and art, she is as far above Miss Kelso
as heaven is above earth In fact, Char
ley how can merely fashionable girls be
accomplished; at least in the true sense of
the word2 They are up all night at balls,
and SO have to sleep half the day They
have no time to read, even if they wished
to; but, as a class, they don't wish to.
All they think Of or talk about, is the
beaux, or their dresses. It's their, chat
ter, chatter, and nothing else. We dance
with them, but we don't pretend to love
them. A little gossip is all they are up to-
Now and then we make a morning call,
but who thinks of spending an evening
with them 7"
"Come, come, you are too severe. A
good many of them are really brilliant talk
ers, at least, find them So"
g Yes, the best of them, is at a ball. |
But if you marry one of them, you will |
find, my dear fellow, that she keeps her
brilliant talk for society, and is as stupid |
as stupid can be at home. The champagne
foams for the public; for you the stale
wine only is left, 1 tell you. Charley, / |
am not a bit more severe than truth COM
pels me to be. 1 don't wonder men, in
what is called good society, marry as rare-
ly. A wife in such circles is too expen-
sive a luxury. A girl, instead of being
your helpmate, is clog on you. We
have to do all the work, and they get all
the fun. That's why young. men don't
there's the whole of it."
So ended the conversation. Harry mar
ried to one to whom he introduced his friend;
and that friend, after few months, mar
ried her sister. They certainly are both
supreme, happy, happier than if either had
married Miss Kelso, or one of her type.
But still, as Charley said, perhaps they
we're to hard on girls brought up as Kate
had been. We don't pretend to decide.
But we wonder sometimes if mothers are
not the most to blame. ~
e PLuRIBUs UNUM.-The origin. of this
motto may not be known to some of our