Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-06-29
Settling Property Oh IA Wife.

III HENRY MARD BEkCHER.
" heh uieu are prosperous, and are max ing
money, and cOnsider themselves nch | wonder
that it so seldom comes home to them that they
are liable to reyerses, which shall pluuge their
families into the utmost pecuniary distress
Men know that business is subject 10 ilctua
tons, and that nothing IS more ireqaent than
that men should in one year have all the com
forts and advantages OF wealth, and the next
year be stripped bare. But vicious hopeful
ness prevents them ff0m realizing that they
shall ever be subject to this tate which Details
others.
Men expect TO live; they do not anticipate
bankruptcy. Whep timesehange andthe pinch
comes, 1T is 100 late Tor them TO make provision
for the family The wife, the children, the
whole household are suddenly plunged into
distress, iadeea, EtSS- as the business man
suffers himself, hisyS>ln pangs are the least
part OF the suffering.
have lived long enough to see the overthrow
Of great many families because the father,
believing that he should live and always keep
them ia comfortable circumstances. had neglec
ted to make an independent provision for them
At the man death the estate proves either
insolvent, or is reduced TO Aluminium. They,
not trained, to business, are obliged to settle the
estate by agents. What with unskilful manage
ment, carelessness, or even, sometimes, dcllbe
rate fraud, the residum meltsin her hands, and
the widow, with tive or SIX children. to be led.
clothed, aud educated, finds herself alone and
penniless Habits cannot be changed in day.
She has not been trained to business. She
may have been good housekeeper but now
yhe must earn money, which is very different
thing from ordering a household skiltully
Some. utterly overmatched break down under
The trial, and the children are scattered like
Young partridges whose mother the hawk has
devoured
believed il 10 be the duty of every man
who is prosperous, out Of debt, and making
money, to settle upon his wife certain amount
Of property, which shall not be affected by
either his bankruptcy or his death. This may
be done by a life insurance-esp 1t At be-
policy which is not forfeited by neglect OF
payment But still better way is to settle
upon the wife good house, and the furniture.
Then, il misfortune comes, the man will shll
lsya o home. He will be secure at the root,
and begin again with some hope, Ii death
takes away the father, the nest remains. The
children do not need to be scattered.
Some persons have questioned whether
scrupulous honesty would allow one TO hold
back from creditors any part OF husband
propsrty. A settlement OF property on
the sake of avoiding payment Of debt, or Sc
curing the family, would be fraudul lent, ,dlshon-
est. and wicked. But, il, while clear OF debt,
the husband settles property on his wife for the
iust maintenance Of herself and children, his
after debts have no more claim upon that prop
erty than il be had sold and transferred 1t to a
ueiRhbor instead of 10 his own wife, No man
has right to leave a family whom he has &C
eustomed to atflueuce liable to u sudden and
wasting poverty. A provision made betlmes,
in property, for the safety OF his family in case
Of his death or bankruptcy, may be accepted
aud employed by the most sensitive conscience
"REMINISCENCES OF EDWARD EVERETT. The
Boston Journal has the following relative to
the late Edward Everett
Few persons who we're in the habit Of meet
ing Edward Everett in public ever saw him
laugh We have observed him On many occa
,iops. aud can remember but one instance 10
wSieh the statuesque repose OF tnat nooe lace
uf h;s was disturbed by the cachinnatory pro 4
cess, and that was some years ago, at the lay
mp of the corner stone OF Minot's Ledge hight
houss. The stone was laid, in certain sense,
py proxy that is, the exercises were held upon
aud around it Sefore it had left the shore, on
account Of the absence of standing room on the
ledge, which was Cor greater part OF the time
under water, After the Masonic formula was
concluded. Mr.. Everett made short but very
eloquent address. Following him distinguish
ed Mason arose. and proceeded to read from
manuscript long and very dry oration- The
Jay was clustering and cold, and the patience
of the audience was exhausted long before ne
had finished, When it came to An end an ex-
citsble friend of the orators on the outer rim
Of the crowd threw up his hat and cried
out 40 stentorian tones, Three cheers for
DR.. now-one hurrah I to which there
there was no response. Well, never mind, he
exclaimed, I'm 60 through alone, and he did.
There was tremendous roar Of laughter-in
which Mr.. Everett joined-that put everybody
IN good huuor and made not uniting close
Of the ceremony.
Speaking of Everett reminds US OF his
powerful verbal memory. He rarely INDUCED
"a extempore speaking, and scarcely ever pre-
seuted himself before an audience without pre-,
yOus careful preparation, and, then new re-
ierred 10 his manuscript. -
tfLY PAPER snd COBALT or Fly lbna