The true northerner., 1884-11-20

we're laws to me. II that time is now
gone it is your fault-not mine. Five
Of the best years of my life / have will
ingly given to your exclusive service
all for the sake of being supported, az
you say. Six weeks ago discovered
that would be happier by being self
supporting The position of proof
reader on the Daily Advertiser has
been standing offe- to mo since the
day l left the Office to become your wife.
They pay me now the same salary they
paid me five years ayo-that is, $50
week. If you remember, used to be
reckoned an expect and commanded
the highest wages. L am much hap
pier, dear, since I went to work for a
salary than / ever was during those
five terrible years that / gave all my
time just for my board and clothes.
After all, / doubt if there is in
life sweeter feeling to a wo-
man than that which comes with the
knowledge that she can earn little
money of her own"
Van Dorm had always been desper-
ately jealous of that newspaper Office.
ne knew that the proprietors were un-
friendly to him, and always had been.
He knew, too. that the elder of the firm
had attempted to dissuade Maria from
marrying him in the first place, and he
had only waited until his wedding ring
had been legally placed ON his brides
finger ere he sent in her resignation
himself, and gloated over the act.
"Wifehood and motherhood cuts no
figure, then in woman's happiness in
comparison with money" he cried, vio-
lently. He had rather have given her
every cent of his salary than that she
should have gone back to the Office.
"This cry of wifehood and mother
hood is a subject overdone by men,"
said Mrs. Van Dorm, calmly. Speak
ing from a personal point, / can say
that fail to find an all-satisfying feel
ing in the fact that am a wife and o
mother, particularly when l remember
that 1 am a moneyless wife and a
moneyless mother. 1t is we'll enough
for woman to marry, but, speak
ing from experience again, /
think it unjust to herself to assume
such duties before she has become
financially able to support herself in
the position. 1t would be ridiculous to
suppose that, because man is q hus-
band and father, every other feeling
or desire is swallowed up in that knowl-
edge; and it is equally as absurd to
suppose, because a woman is q wife
and mother, that she ought not to
have an idea beyond either. The re-
suit of my observation leads me to the
conclusion that the very best wives and
mothers have been those who were
taken into full partnership with the
husband. and had a hand in the spend
ing of the money as we'll as the earniug
and the saving of it."
II never knew you had such mer-
cenary spirit, Maria," said Van Dorm,
slowly.
"It isn't mercenary spirit, DEAR"
smiled Maria, brightly. at is only the
spirit of independence, L became tired
of working hard day after day, and re-
alizing nothing for my labor. On the
contrary, you made me feel that L was
a perpetual expense to you, and that,
though l labored hard, my toll was of
no earthly consequence to you, and
that, do what 1 would for your comfort,
and to make your home cheerful, / was
nothing after all but a toy that had to
be supported. 1 am heartily sick of
working for my board and clothes in
my husbands house. To be sure, /
shall only get my board and clothes,
now that / receive a salary, but there is
this difference: when the AdUertiser
pays me my thirty dollars a week, the
money is an acknowledgment of the
worth of my services to the firm-not
gift.
"Your arguments are like the argu-
ments of women the world over-one-sid-
ed and narrow. Have you no regard for
my feelings, that you become servant
in some other mans Officer" cried he
stormily. as it true You have no self
respect in this matter? A man doesn't
care to have his wife work for hire."'
"Men must change their prac-
tices or pocket their pride. And
it was to save my self-respect
that 1 accepted the situation. 1
tell you, Dick, man could not be
self-respecting if he was forced to beg
and plead for that which was right
fully his own. And n woman is as bu-
man as q man-and as sensitive. Be
sides / will not defraud you. | will
bring my wages into the family, and
offer the weekly stipend cheerfully
given sacrifice upon the household
altar"
Dick glared at his wife, speechless
with wrath.
Madame, do you suppose l will per-
NIT you to spend a penny of your
meney in the house?" he burst out.
"Have you lost all your regard for me-
for your children--your home?"
Il have not" retorted she, airily,
"else / would have left you all. For
your sake, for my children's sake, for
my homes sake, am here. 1 only re-
fuse to waste my life in baking, and
boiling, and stewing, in practicing
ignoble economies for one who can not
appreciate the sacrifice / make in so do
ing. My time is worth as much in a
pecuniary way as yours. 1 command
and receive as high salary as you do,
and when l gave up paying situation
to be your wife, your honsekeeper, and
the mother of your childfen, expected
we would be equal partners in money
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