Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-05-05

lars. You say that the money is all mine
vet you spend it as you please, while | can
not spend dollar without asking you for il
and telling what want it for. Any beggal
can get it in the same way. Christmas you
bought presents for us and expected US to be
grateful for them shawl for me of the very
color that cannot wear, a set of turs tor
Lucy that she did not need, drum for Rob
in that has been nuisance ever since, and a
lot of worthless toys that were broken up in
a week. There were forty or fifty dollars OF
my money just the same as thrown away, yet
when | ask you to trust me with two dollars
week you cannot imagine what use have
for it, and fear it will be wasted. | am sure
1 could not spend fifty dollars more foolishly
if tried to"
SWELL" snapped the proprietor, II guess it
is my own money, and can spend it as l
please. l guess you'll know it, too, when
you get another present"
"Oh, it is your money, then. I understood
you to say that it was all mine, and pretend
ed to protest against your spending it so fool.
ishly. If it is your own, Of course you have
rig hit to spend it as you please, but it seems
to me that a woman who left parents, and
brothers and sisters, and her friends, to make
home for you among strangers, woman
who has given her whole life to you for 6f-
teen years, might be looked upon with as
much favor as you give beggars, who are very
likely to be inposters. | know that you sell
dom turn them off without help. Perhaps l
would be more successful if appealed to
you as beggar; I might say: Kind sir,
please allow me out of your abundant means
small pittance for my comfort. 1t is true l
have enough to eat. and do not suffer tor
clothing, but, although work for my master
from morning to night, and if his children
happen to be sick, from night until morning
again, yet he does not pay me as much as ne
does his cook, and I am often greatly distress.
ed for want of a triang sum which he would
not mind giving to a perfect stranger. The
other day while he was from home, had to
90 to the next station to see dear friend who
was ILL., and not having dollar of my own,
l was obliged to borrow the money from his
cook. | was so mortified !! And not long
since the berry. woman came with such nice
berries to sell, and my little girl who was
not we'll wanted some very badly, but | had
not even FIVE cents to pay for handful tor
her. Yesterday friend came to ask me to
assist in a work of charity. 1t was worthy
object, and l longed so much to give her
little money for so good a purpose, but though
the wife of rich man, | had no money. Or
course 1 might ask my husband for money,
and if told him about what wanted with
it, and he approved Of my purpose and was
in a good humor, he would give it to me;
but, sir, it is terribly slavish to have to do so
even if could run to him every time want
ed anything. People say am fortunate
woman because am rich, but | often envy
the factory girls their ability to earn and
spend their own money. And sometimes |
get SO wild thinking of my heplessness that if
it were not for my children would just drop
into the river and end it all"
"Nettie! Nette Jarvis! What are you
saying?' cried the startled husband, at last,
for the far away look in her eyes, as if she
did not see him, but was looking to some
higher power to help her, touched his pride,
if it did not his heart, for he had good deal
of pride in selfish sort of way. He was
proud to be able to support his family as we'll
as he did. He was proud that when his chill
dren needed new shoes he could tell his wife
to take them to Crispin's aud get what they
needed He did it with flourish. He was
not one of those stiugy kind-he liked to
spend money and when Nettie who was once
the most spirited young lady of his acquaint-
ance, came meekly to him for a dress or cloak,
he was sometimes tempted to refuse her money
Just to show her how helpless she was without
him. Yes, he was proud of his family, and
wanted them to feel how much they depended
upon him. He would have felt aggravated
if any one had left his wife legacy, thus al
lowing her to be independent in her purse.
The idea of her earning money, as his other
work folks did, never entered his mind. He
supported her." that was his idea Of their
relations! He never had happened to think
that it was very good of her to take his money
and spend it for the good of himself and chill
dren. He never had thought that any other
woman would have wanted big pay for doing
it. He had even thought himself very gener-
ous for allowing her money to get things to
make the family comfortable. Things began
to look differently to him just now. Could it
be that he was not generous, not even just to
his wife? Had he paid her so poorly for her
fifteen years of faithful labor for him, that if
she had been obliged to begin the world for
herself that day, it would have been as PEN
niless woman, notwithstanding the houses, the
lands and mills that he had so often told her
we're all hers; for he knew, as every one else
did, that not one dollar Of all he had would
the law allow her to call her own.
How fast he thought, standing there at the
Office window, looking down at the little
houses where the mill hands lived. Could it
be possible that his wife envied them any
thing? He had felt deeply the wrongs of the
slaves, whose labors had been appropriated by
their masters, and when negro who had
worked twenty years for his master before the
emancipation freed him, came to Jarvis mills,
friendless and penniless, the heart Of the pro-
prietor swelled with indignation at such in''
justice. He was eloquent on the subject, at
home and abroad, and wondered how any one
could be so cruel and selfish as to commit
such an outrage against justice. He had
called him a rohber many time, but now
Donald Jarvis looked to himself very much
like the old shareholders! Massa Brown had
taken the proceeds of CuFee's labor for his
own without even "thank you'' for it. True,
when Cuffee ate he had given him food, when
he was sick he had given him medicine, and
he had clothed him, too, just as he had thought
best. Mr.. Jarvis had married lovely, con
scentious woman, and for fifteen years had
appropriated her labors. Her recompense
had been food and clothes, such as he thought
best for her. A little better than Cuffee's,
perhaps, but the similarity of the case did not
please him. He had expected his wife to be