The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-12-17

dSTeeu that II was nauueSS I'D MIN 10 mari
at least so hastily, and before be could ST
that even the goods in bis shop was bis ow
But people are very apt to talk a gre
deal of nonsense upon this subject II
important question is not srhea man ma
ries, but scho he marries. They talk of
wife tying up his hands, and placing ba
rier before bis prospects in short, as bring
Ing a blight over bis worldly expectations
like an untimely frost nipping and witbel
ing an opening bud. Now all this is mer
twaddle-a showing off of self-wisdom. t
make know how much more wisely we hav
or would have acted than the person re
ferred to. II is one Of the thousand popu
lar fallacies which ever Hoat on the surfac
of the chite Of society. A married laag
young or old, is alwawA more responsible
sort of character than phelor- If maj
take unto himself an amlat and pruden
wife, even thought she bring him not a shii
lings as a dowry, and although he may b
young in years and beginner in business
be doeth well. Had he doubled bis stock
bis credit and his custom, be would no
have done better for be has double mo
tive to do so. He has found one 10 beg1ilt
bis dulness, to sOothe care, to cheer hin
forward, and to stimulate him to exertion
and that, too, tenderly as the breath q
May fanneth and kisseth the young leaves
and flowers into life and beauty. But all
this dependeth, as has been said, upon her
amiableness and prudence for if the wife
whom man taketh for "better for worse, -
possess not these indispensable requisites,
be weddeth living sorrow, be nurseth an
adder in his bosom, he giveth bis right hand
to ruin.
Now, the wife Of Walter Kerr ossessed
those qualities which rendereth virtUous
woman as a crown Of glory to her husband.
She was the daug liter Of a decayed farmer,
and her name was Hannah Jordan. To her
the misfortunes of her parents were not
SUCH for while they had made her a stran-
ger to luxury, they had introduced her 10
the acqusintanceship offrugality aud indus
try. AT The time she gave Der hand to
Walter Kerr, she was scarce twenty and
to have looked on her, you would have
thought Of some fair and lovely flower which
sought the sequested dale or the shaded
glen, where its beauties might blush un-
seen-young, modest, meek, affectionate,
and beautiful, man never lead lovlier bride
to the altar. Her husband soon f und that
whatever the world might think or say of the
step be had taken, be had done well and
wisely. She not only became his assistast
in his business, and ono who toek much
care and anxiety from his mind, but her a.
fectiOn fell upon bis bOsorn like the shadow
Of an angels wing, that was spread over
him to guard him from evil and be found
Der, too, as a monitor whispering truth Ia
the accents of love. Ifhe acquired money
in trade. she taught him how to keep it and
profit by it-and that is 9 secret worth
knowing" Let il not be supposed that she
was one Of those miscrly beings who scraps
together for the sake Of boarding
them. In her spirit, mesnnc ss had no place;
but there were two proverbs which she never
suffered herself 70 forget, or those around
her to neglect, and those were, that " q
penny saved is penny gained, and "wil-'
fhl waste makes woful want" Nor do Il
wonder that the latter saying took deep root
in her heart; for, as having experienced
privatiOn in the days Of her fathers distress,
there is nothing can be more painful to those
who have known and felt what want is, than
to see food, for want Of which they were
once ready to perish, wasted, and that, toe,
Perchance, while hunger stricken beggar
uas been turned rudely from the 2oor while
he prayed for a rorsel to eat She would
net see the crumbs that fell from the table
wasted. In this her husband readily per-
ceived the prOpriety Of her conduct, and be
esteemed her the more as he witnessed it !;
but the force Of her first adage, that Ca pen-
ny saved is penny gained" be was slow
to appreciate in its true light. Yet for
this, perhaps, there was a reason. Previous
to his marriage, he had been in the habit
Of spending the evening after business hours,
with club Of young tradesmen and other
acquaintances. Now, habit is the pettiest
and the most imPerious Of all tyrants. Even
with pinch Of snuff it can make you its
slave. 1t renders you miserable, until YOU
once more bend the knee before it. But.as
| have said, habit, though an imperious, is
petty tyrant and three weeks resolution.
though you will have struggles to eneount,
er, will enable you to snap asuuder the
strongest chain that ever habit forged. 7
dc not mean the habits, the seeds Of which
We acquire in infancy, and which grow with
our growth and strengthened with our
strength, and which, in fact, perform mart
Of our education, (thOugh We do not admit
it, until they are set down as things be-
longing to or ingrafted in our r-'rres but
/ mean the habits which we acquire in after
life. And, rs has been stated, Walter
Kerr had acquired habit Of attending an
evening club, Of which be had been q mem.
Der during the last year Of his apprentice
ship; and, from the period that he COM
menced business up to bis marriage, and a
few days after be had brought home his
wife, he attended the club as usual. He
vas happy 10 the society Of bis Young and
fair wife; but still, las we say in the north. }
ther was ''craiking" within him for some
thing to make him perfectly happy, and
that craiking" was to attend the club as
usual. Now, it was not club in which
they either drank deep or sat late-for il
was a regulation amongst them that no man
should sit in the club room after ten clock,
or drink more than three glasses; but al.
though they had this wholesome regulation,
they had no by laws against what MANY ol
them called "adjournments,'' or "seder.
ants" and at which, though out Of The
club-roOm. the three glasses frequently Be,
came six.
With regard to the " ssdurunts," how.
ever, Hannah had no cause to complain Of
her husband !! for be never bad been one oI
those who formed them. Neither did she
murmur. or consider herself neglected. on
account IF his attending the club for she
reasoned with herself, that, after the care.
tolls, and business Of the lay, be required
aome relaxation and althou1h har cor,na