St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-05-07

pendence. As John will have the man
agement of the business of the concern,
it is but natural that he should be the
custodian of the common funds. Mary
1 will wish it To be SO, but she will have
need of money, and if there is any, she
will he entitled to take and Use it, with
out cringing like Il spaniel at the feet
of his master. If John is the man |
take him to he. he will never allow his
! Mary to experience the mean feeling OF
dependence. to which have referred.
If a sister calls and wishes to know if
Mary will contribute to the funds of the
Woman's Board of Missions, Mary will
not blush and Stammer out. 81 do not
know would like to have no money
i will ask John" No, no. no. She
has purse of her own. and she will no
sooner ask Johns permission to spend
the contents of it as she pleases than
she will expect John to ask her whether
he NAV buy an axe. He is too Just. not
to SAY generous. to be willing to have
Mary reduced so low, as to feel obliged
to come to him for everything. He
loves her too we'll. and has too much
respect for her wOmanhood. She is
something more to him than his house,
/ keeper. whom he is to board and clothe,
for what she can do foI him. She is
his wife, the other, and usually the
better part of himself. 1t is not very
/ difficult for me to imagine John saying
/ to his wife, Mary. my father was a
good man, but mother, who was about
as near an angel as you are, worked
hard, waited on him. did everything to
make him happy, and contributed quite
rs much to the thrift of the family as
he did. and yet she never had any
money. If. by chance, quarter came
! into her possession. she was as pleased
as little child, and would cherish it as
one of the dearest of pets. She always
had to 90 to father. or send one of the
girls, To get the least thing she wanted.
| said dI,rays. take that back. Some
times she would steal something from
her own pantry. or the cellar, to get II
little money to make us children pre-
SCENTS, Or get some little cheap comfort
for herself. and if she was caught ut il :.
she would make Us solemnly promise
not to tell father. When | carried eggs
to the store, ii ball or two of butter. IL
bundle of rags. or something else. she
felt and acted us if she had stolen. |
loved my father. He treated no other
one 50. but he did. and mother did. Just
as their parents had done before them
aS pretty nearly every body else does.
Now. Mary. | want You to understand
that mine is thine. just rs am yOHy' $
and You are mime What YOU want.
take. Don't come To me with the attI-
tude. looks. or voice of Il bcggdr. lou
have us clear IA right to Use or money
rs | have. do not expect to eXpcnd
money largely. or III large undertakings.
without your consent. nor do | fear that
yOH will. without my consent but. in
all minor matters. | wish y"u to II" ;l>
do. | am not going 10 think that il is
always necessary for me to run To Nnu
for permission TO buy Jack knife. |
may. if happen in the city. huy new
hat. without delaying to =" home to
get youI permission. and | may throw
Il dollar into the contribution box. with
out turning IN see if Won are ready to
snap ut me for doing it: neither Il" |
expect ANY such dependence. any such
>ervilty. rs would deter vou moment
from doing likewise. tell you Mary.
We are cgHdI. in the best >eil>c at that
abused word. We re one. luu can
never hHrt me more. than 10y asking
permission to Ito what y"u have Il .ight
t" do. 1t implies that N"u di>tru>t my
love. or that | claim what i not mine
| won't bear it. Mary. If Won ever
cruurh before me as Il slave. ! shall feel
thai my soul Is widowed -mnhody i
Witness "A kiss if y"u please" Honey
moon .Ah. we'll. we shall see They
will never behold thr setting of that
moon. Its full. round. silver disk will
never leave: it will not shrink into the
husky rim. and fade our int" the dark.
/ VIII not John he running great risk I,
No greater than Mary will. :" far a.
my observation emlightems me. wives
are. III the Average. quite as prudent a>
husbands.
sometimes fortunes are Squandered
10y silly wives. hut ottener they are
wasted hy silly husbands. The law. il
seems To me. Is Il perfect outrage upon
justice. When Il husband dies. the
estate is settled and the property di-
vidcd. and the wife is reduced Ia Il state
of anxiety and dread uncertainty. When
the wife dies, there is no breaking up
Of the home. no settling OF the estate.
nor division of the property. l. there
4 Il particle of good sense in all this , Are
not widows rs prudent as widowers
Arc not men Us capable of taking care
of themselves upon a hird of the proper
/ ty is the WomcnP How cruel and alb
,surd the distinction of the law. man
made and Il relic of BaIbarism :" Let
the estate remain undivided until both
are gOuc, or. if a division is made. let
he loving heart of the mother be en-
trusted with it, as we'll as the more
selfish one of the father. If Johns wife
should he left Il widow. shall expect
to find that he has mddc the law con
form to Justice. in his case. and Mary
has been left precisely us he would have
chosen to he left himself. Mary may
marry again. Indeed There is no
danger of husbands, bereaved. marry
ing again. John would never marry.
/ They never do. o. no -Chronjcle.
.. q. w.
/ II