Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-11-12
Taking Him at His w ord.
.nY nAR1AN HARLANp.

'One point is settled beyond perad-
venture in the wisdom of my maidenly
counsels,' said Miss Salome Garvay, en-
ergetically, distracting her brothers at
tention from his morning paper, and his
wife's coffeeurn, when marry as l
am not in the least inclined to do, let
me remark, en- passant--I mean to have
a marriage contract and private purse.
Convenient things, both of them,
when one has scoundrelly fortune-hun-
ter for husband observed Mr.. Garvay,
drily. ALSO, when the wife is resolved
to rule the roost Where the law of
love and mutual dependence is recog-
nized as superior to that OF selfinterest,
the need of your protective policy is
not so obvious
Mutual dependence ! How l hate the
cant! Why can't you be honest, and
talk of despotism and licensed beggar-
ry9 That is the shape the contract as
sumes to me-
Because try to talk common sense,
and am not addicted to higher law rant
ing,' responded the gentleman, unmoved
by his sisters, warmth. Because hon
or my manhood and my wife too sincere
ly to accept the terms you suggest
What has stirred up your righteous in
dignation anew upon the subject of wo-
mans wrongs p
The two never quarrelled. They were
truly fond of one another, and each up-
derstood. the others pecularities of tenn
per and speech. Salome laughed at the
question. ~ 6oil
'Thank You for the distinction you
draw between an honest desire to right
the wronged and the unseemly greed for
rights we know not what to do with il
we had them. This discrimination in
one of the opposite sex is doubly delight
tul because it is rare. As to my provo
cation-I passed yesterday, as you know,
with Annette Perry. Early in the fore
noon, q bill was brought in from her
dressmaker. 1t was not exorbitant, and
more than one-halt the amount was for
making the little girls dresses, but An
nette looked troubled and alarmed at the
sight of it.
""I have been dreading this for three
weeks" she said. 81 undergo such ago
nies, spring and fall, in the anticipation
of showing my bills to James, and in the
shame and pain of the act itself, that it
makes me sick all over. am certain ]
/ shall die the earlier on this account. u
4 was disposed to laugh at her, but
she shed tears at my bantering tone
wait till you are married." she in
sisted, threateningly. 'We shall sec
whether yeu like to ask your husband
for money any better than the rest Of US
poor wives"a y il It ic
Il did not say you shock or you sur
prise mer 1had heard the same story
from too many other married women
Some of thenl-mercy help them !-had
married to escape life of dependence
But idd argue the case somewhat Al
length, for saw she needed encourage
ment.
what belongs TO your husband il
yours also-legally aud morally as
serted. Your right to have and to us,
his earnings is equal to his. And, if tb'
law did not give you this proprietOrN
claim upon his property, you earn you
living, The salary he would be obliged
| to give another woman as housekeeptr
seamstress, governess, and helperin-gen
eral, would more than defray your per
soBal expenses. The children, for whom
you spend more than tor yourself, are hi
as well as yours. So far from fndin!
fault with you for the purchase and man
ulacture Of clothing for them, doub
not IA tremendous fibD he is gratefu
to you for the pains you have taken. II
thinks you a capital manager, know
fer have heard him say so tweut,
| times
Il might as we'll have harrangued
stone. She had no thought for anythin,
but the bill and the necessity OF laying
it before her lord and master for pay
ment. broke out at her at last, when
perceived that she was not to be cheate'
Of her misery.
'You are aware in your heart, An
nette, that james loves you truly, an'
desires your happiness; that whateve
he may say for habits sake, or tor tn
pleasure of hearing himself discours
upon economy, he grudges you nothing
that he likes TO see you and the littl
ones well dressed. Why regard his emf
ty vaporing about the stringency Of th
money market, aud tho difference b,
tween bread.eaiers aud hread.makers
have heard other men carry on this strair
times without number. Il is the can't {
their profession. But since James harm
less indulgence in this masculine, prerol
ativa inca hlv anda In his fnoiinO III