The Van Buren press., 1869-08-17
Settling Property on a Wife
by HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

When men are prosperous, and are
making money, and Consider themselves
rich, ! wonder that it SO seldom comes
home to them that they are liable to re-
verses, which shall plunge their families
into pecuniary distress. Men know that
business is subject to 1uetustions, end
that nothing Is more frequent than that
men should in ono year have all the COM
and advantages of wealth, and the next
year be stripped bare. Bu. a vicious
hopefulness prevents them from rcnli.
zing that they shall ever be subjec ed to
this fate which befslls others.
Men expect to live; they do not antio.
pate bankruptcy. When times change,
and the pinch comes, it is too late fos
them to make provision for the family,
The wife, the children, the wllolc house,
hold, are suddenly plunged into distress.
Indeed much as the business man suf-
fers for himself, his own pangs are the
least part Of the suffering.
] have lived lsng enough to see the
overthrow OF a great many families be.
cause the father. believing that he should
live aud always keep them in csmferta.
BILE circumstances, had neglected to make
an independent provision for them.
At the mans death the estate proves
either insolvent or is reduced to mini.
mum, The wife, not trained to business
is obliged to settle the estate by agents.
What with unskillful management, care
lessnes, or even sometimes deliberate
fraud ths residium melts In her hands,
and the widow, with five or six young
children to be fed, clothed and educated.
finds herself alone and penpilcss. Hab
its cannot be changed in a day. She
has net been rained to business. She
may have been good housekceper, but
now she must earn money, which is
very different thing from orlering .
household skillfully. Some. utterly over.
whelfled, break dawn under the trial.
and the children are scattered like young
partridgcs whose mother he hawk has
deyoursd.
betieve it to be the duty Of every
man who is prospering, 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 q
LIE nsuranee-especiaily if it be a poll
/ cy Yhich is not forfeited by neglect OF
payment But still better way is tn
settle upon the wife good house and
the furniture. Then, ig misfortune comes,
the man will still have home. He will
be secure at the root, and may begin
again with some hope, If death takes
away the father, the nest remains. The
children DO not need to be scattered.
Some persons have questioned wheth.
er scrupulous honesty would allow one
to hold back from creditors any part OF
husbands property. A settlement of
property on another while debt hangs
over it, either for the sake OF avoiding
payment Of debt, or Of securing the fam.
ily would be fraudulent, dishonest and
wicked But il, while clear of debt, the
husband settles property on his wife for
the just maintainance Of herself and chill
dren, his after debts have no more claim
upon that property than il he had sold
and transferred it to a neighbor instead
of to his own wife. No man has righS
to leave n family whom he has accustom.
cd 10 a1luence liable to sudden and waste
ing poverty A provision made betimes,
for the safety of his family in case Of his
death or bankruptcy. may be accepted
and employed by the most sensitive con-
scisnce. | write strongly on this snb'
ject, because | have seen SO much disc
tress arising from the want Of this pre-.
caution.