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

we repeat for the sake oil young
wives. or maidens on the eve Of mar
riage:
'Be mine. dear Henry" she said
"the task Of ordering and regulating
our domestic affairs in conformity
with your means viii give ali
thought to that. Your income Is fix.
ed, and shall know exactly the
range OF expsnditnre Ne must adopt
Do not fear debt and embarrassment
These wretched forms shall never
enter your home while / stand senti-
mel at the door. Ifthe husband gives
his life to care and work, shall moi
the wife Do the same2 IL he provide
70 the best Of his ability, shall not she
dispense With wise f-uealily - aarz
ings2 She that fails to DO this, Is moi
worthy Of her position -
And 20 you are bent on this folly?'
said the bachelor clerk on the day
proceeding that on which Adrian was
to be married.
"Yes, if you chose to call it folly"
was the answer.
Where are you going?"
I'VE shall 90 nowhere"
What Not make bridal tour p
mo. A clerk who only receives a
salary Of twelve hundred dollars can 4
afford to spend two hundred In max
inc a bridal kour"
Mr.. BlairshruRgeG his shoulders and
arched his eyebrows, as much as to
say: "If | couldn't afford q bridal
tour I'd not marry"
On the day after Adrian g wedding,
he was at. his usual place in the count.
ing-house. He received from his fel-
low-clerks few feeble congratula-
tions. Most Of them thought him a
fool to burden himself with wife not
worth a dollar.
when marry, I'll better my con
dition-not make it worse" was the
unspoken thought of more than one.
Where are you boarding?' asked
Mr.. Blair, indifferently, two or three
weeks after Adrian's marriaee.
Nowhere" j" was replied. awe are
at housekeeping ol -
"What r. 2
"At housekeeping"
What is your rent ?"
1.-TWO hundred dollars, and half of
that my wise, good little wife is to
pay in music lessons to our landlady's
daughters. We have two pleasant
rooms in fine old country mansion
In New Jersey, not an hours ride
from here. / furnished these with the
money it would have taken for the usual
bridal tour. Rosa has the use Of the
kitchen, and insists on doing her own
cooking and homework for the pres
ent. / demurred, and do demur +;
but she says that work is worship,
if performed conscientiously and duti-
fully, as she is performing it. And,
with all this, we are happy, Mr.. Blair,
as you shall witness. To o-morrow you
must pay US a visit, take tea, and
spend the evening"
Mr.. Blair accepted the invitation.
He had met Rose occasionally before
her marriage. and knew her to be a
bright, accomplished young woman,
fitted to move in refined and intelli-
gent circles. and he felt some curiosi-
ty to see her in her new position of
mistress and maid to her own house
hold. The train took Mr.. Blair to
within short distance Of the home
where Henry Adrian and his coura-
geous wife were located. A few min
utes walk brought him to the old
place, with its fine, healthy, country
aspect. Expecting him by that train,
Adrian and his wife were on the pi-
azza, prepared to receive him, aud
after the customary greetings they
led him up stairs to their apartments
NOT with stammering apologies for
their poor home, but with such ease
and self-possession-with such a hap
py light in their eyes, and with such
loving smiles about their lips-that
Mr.. Blair found himself all at once
transferred to an earthly paradise.
AS soon as opportunity came for OBJ
he became interested in
except what was around him.
The furniture of the room into
which he had been ushered could
scarcely have been palmer. In the
centre stood small breakfast table,
covered with a snowy. cloth, and set
for three persons. Four caneseat
chairs. a workstand, a hanging shelf
for books. mantel ornament or two
Of no special value, an ingram carpet
on the floor, and plain white curtains
looped back with blue ribbons, made
up the complete inventory. No, not
the complete inventory; for there
was a piano against the wall, the dark
case and plain style Of which showed
it to be no recent purchase. The in
strument had been Rosa's as the OBJ
servant visitor correctly inferred.
After a pleasant talk of some min
utes, Rosa left the room, and not long
after returned, bearing q tray, on
which were tea, butter, biscuit, cold
tongue aud sweetmeats. There was
q beautiful glow on her face as she
entered, bns nothing of shame or hurt
pride. With her own fair hands she
arranged the table, and then took her
place at the head to serve her hus-
band and his friend.
The heart Of Mr.. Blair elOwed and
stirred with new impulse as he
looked into the pure, sweet happy
lace Of the young wife, as she poured
The tea and served the meal which
she had prepared.
After supper Rosa removed the tea