Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-06-21

very foolish one"
"WhY do you say shat ?"
"To think Of marriage.
What has bravery or folly to de
in the case p
The young lady.is poor"
81 do not wed for money"
"There would be some hope for you
if she were the possessor or twenty or
thirty thousand dollars. But being
as poor as yourself, the folly Of this
purpose stands out in bold relief
Look before you leap, my friend;
there's trouble for you on tine other
side"
4 am not sordid, Mr.. Blair The
young mans fine face glowed, and his
eyes flashed with repressed indigna-
tion.
Not sordid enough, Adrian, for
marriage, as society is now constitu-
ted. There are two sides to this ques-
tion of marriage, the sentimental side
and the matter-ol-fact side. Now,
you have looked only at the sentimen-
tai side. Suppose We consider the
matter-of-fact aspects. You are a
clerk, receiving a salary Of twelve
hundred dollars. How much have
you saved P
Nothing to speak of.
'Nothingl So much the worse. II
it costs you twelve hundred dollars
per annum to live, whence is to come
the means of supporting a wife and
family ?
oh, I've been careless and waste
full in expenditure, as most young men
are. had only myself to provide
for, and was self-indulgent. But that
will cease, of course
Granted, for arguments sake. The
young lady you propose 10 marry is
named Rosa Newell 2
Yes
"A charming girl; well educated;
finely accomplished; used to good So
ciety, as we say, and just suited for my
friend Adrian, if she had any money,
or he an income of FIVE thousand a
year. But the idea of making her a
happy wife, in the city of New York,
on twelve hundred dollars, is simply
preposterous. 1t can't be done, sir,
and the attempt will prove ruinous to
the happiness of both parties to so
foolish an arrangement. 1t is a mat
ter of the easiest demonstration,
Adrian; and ! wonder SO good an ac-
countant as you are should not, ere
this, have tried the question by math-
'ematieal rules. Let me do it for you.
And, first, we look at Rosa's present
sphere OF life. She has home with
Mr. Hart, an uncle, and is living in
rather luxurious way. Mr.. Hart is
a man who thinks a great deal of ap-
pearances, and maintains a domestic
establishment that does not cost less
than five thousand dollars a year.
His house-rent is equal to your whole
salary. Now, in taking Rosa from
this home, into what kind of a one
can you place her?'
A sober hue of thought came over
the young mans face.
You cannot afford to rent a house
at even one-half the cost of Mr.. Hart's.
even if you were able to buy furni-
ture, continued Mr.. Blair.
We shall board, Of fcourse, said Ad-
rian. Housekeeping is not to be
thought of in the beginning
If not in the beginning, how after
wards ?
The young man looked trife be-
wildered, but did not answer.
'Whatareyo now paying for boardT
Ten dollars week
You would require a parlor and a
bedroom after marriage?
Yes
AT cost Of not less than twenty
dollars a week
Adrian sighed.
We could scarcely afford the par
lor.'
Scarcely said his friend. Well,
we give up the parlOr, and take a
pleasant front chamber on the second
floor, at fifteen dollars a week. But
the house is not first-class, nor the 10
cation very desirable. These are not
to be had in New York at fifteen dol
lars q week. You cannot afford for
Rosa the elegance other present home.
Five dollars a week more for washing
and Ct eeterGs, and your income Is
drawn upon at the rate Of one thou
sand and forty dollars a year. One
hundred and sixty dollars left for