The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-21
READY MONEY.

80 YOU are going to be married,
Kate! Well, l hope you have made a
wise choice"
20 yes, uncle" l replied lightly, 81
know have. Henry is to make me per-
fectly happy"
"What has he got?" was the next
pleasant observation that fell from Uncle
Jocelyn's lips. .....
" Got? uncle, | don't know what YOU
mean," l answered, growing rosy red at
the unexpected inquiry.
What are his means? What does he
intend to settle upon YOU"
3" He has his business" promptly inter-
rupted my mother.
&" And he is so clever, he is sure to get
on" l added, in my eagerness to assure
Uncle Jocelyn it was all right as regarded
my future.
That will depend great deal upon
you, Kate" he replied, gravely. 1.-The
wife has more to do inmaking or marring
her husband than is generally suspected.
A careless, eXtravagant, bad wife is the
greatest curse man can have; good
one is the greatest blessing"
" Yes, uncle; oh yes" assented, glanc-
ing toward my mother, who was smiling
somewhat scornfully, l fancied at his
opinions.
Take care of his pence and his
pounds will take care of themselves"
continued uncle, land beware of ever
getting into debt, Kate; it's the easiest
thing to get into and the hardest thing
to get out of. Take my advice; live well
within your means, and always pay ready
money"
Yes, uncle; oh yes" l responded, 81
am sure you are right; and Henry is so
prudent he is sure to have the same
ideas"
"Well, keep them before your own
mind. Don't despise an OLD mans coun-
sci; buy nothing that you can't afford,
and always pay ready money"
l remember that conversation so well
with Uncle Jocelyn, some few weeks be-
fore my marriage; at the time it did not
strike me so forcibly as afterward, for
my mind was too filled with other and
10 me more interesting matters.
Uncle Jocelyn was an old man, and the
amount of his fortune had always been
wrapped in some obscurity; but he lived
comfortably, and possessed small prop.
erty in Berkshire, upon which he had
built pretty and substantial house,
where | had often spent many happy
days. He had always shown special
affection for me, no doubt owing to the
fact OF my being the daughter of his only
brother, who had died when | was quite
an infant, leaving me to the sole guard
ianship of my mother Unfortunately
for me, there had never been anv love
lost between the latter and Uncle Joce-
Ign; the GOODNESS had rather increased
than diminished as years went by; and
when invitations were sent for us to visit
Conington, which was the name of my
uncle's place, my mother invariably re-
fused for herself, and only with great
persuasion permitted me to go.
How enjoyed these visits! How fra
grant was the old-fashioned garden, with
its long grassy walks and great big
dewy roses, and the old cedar tree so
shady, under which Uncle Jocelyn would
sit OF an afternoon smoking, listening,
apparently quite satisfied with my child
ish conversation! The sun ALWAYS
seemed to be shining in those days.
However, l had not seen so much of
Uncle Jocelyn since l had grown up,
partly on account of my mothers una
bated dislike to him, partly because of
the existence of a new interest in life.
had met Henry Arden. He was six
and-twenty, five years my senior. His
position in life was fairly good one, he
having small interest in a first-rate city
business, which gave him over three hun
dred year; his character was ire
proachable, and when | say that he was
general favorite wherever he went it
may be surmised that in my opinion he
was, if not quite perfect, closely akin to
it. For myself, | was passabe perhaps
little more than that-but was penni-
less until my mother died; so it was a
very astonishing thing to me how so de.
sirable parti had fallen to my lot. He
was certain to get on-the senior part
ners had been known to say so them.
selves. Consequently our start in life
promised to be fair one. And, to be
brief, we were married. Our honey.
moon was of comparatively short dura-
ton, but it was long enough to cost
Henry, as | afterward learned, something
like forty pounds sterling, which was a
considerable cut out of three hundred a
year; for it had not occurred to him to
lay by any spare cash for those unavoida-
bic expenses.
We must have spent small fortune in
cab-hire before we finally found Just
what we wanted. Even then, though the
situation w~s good and the domestic de.
sirable, the rent rather frightened us; it
was eighty guineas a year, unfinished;