News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-03-26
A BIT OF REAL LIFE.

a Dill UE NEAL LIZ u.
The capitalist was sitting in his library
after dinner, having retired to that COM
Portable apartment to enjoy the cigar
with which he would not profane the
drawing-room atmosphere. To him
presently came his wife, pleasant
matronly woman, not far from his own
age, and handsomely dressed, as be-
came the wife of millionaire. There
was nothing extraordinary about this
couple. They were rich Americans.
quiet, unpretentious people, who lived
handsomely, went to church on Sunday,
and endeavored to bring up their chill
dren in common-sense way.
They were on excellent terms with
each other, being of domestic tastes, and
neither had ever contemplated proceed
ings for divorce. In short, they were,
With the sole exception of being some
what richer than the average, very
creditable specimens of the great ma
iority of well-to-do Americans who do
not get into the newspapers.
The capitalist laid down his paper as
the lady entered. Really, to Judge from
his eyes, one would have said he was
rather glad to see her. As for her, she
had evidently something on her mind" !"
and her husband for the time being was
of secondary irnnortanoa
Sitting down she shaded her eyes from
the fire. "John," she said, 81 am
troubled about Margaret"
$50 am I" said John. "Was think
ing about her to-day"
els there anything that can be done
TO make her life pleasanter after she is
married ?"
"WelI-yes, think there is" and
then he proceeded to detail a plan
which SO thoroughly coincided with his
wife's views that she actually-forty-
five as she was-went over to him and
kissed him.
"That's good boy !" she said.
"Margaret's man must soon be here for
his usual evening visit. I'll give orders
to have him brought up and you can
talk to him.
After giving the necessary directions
she went back to the sitting room.
Presently heavy tread was heard in the
passage way and big. sturdy man was
ushered into the library by an excep-
tionally neat and trusty-looking maid.
The capitalist rose and shook hands
with his somewhat abashed visitor.
''Thank you, Margaret, he said to the
woman, "Ill ring presently. I want to
talk little business with Mr. Brown.
You may shut the door so that we shall
not be interrupted"
Margaret blushing y retired, wonder
business" might be. and resolving that
she would make Tom tell her directly
after the interview was over.
"Well, Brown" began the capitalist,
after giving his visitor chair, on which
he sat as if it were the most uncomfort-
able piece of furniture in existence.
"Well, Brown, you know Margaret has
been with us now going on fifteen years,
and though we are very sorry to part with
her, we are glad to know she is going to
marry man who will make her a good
husband. I don't doubt you are that
kind of man, but being a good hus-
band isn't everything. You want to get
on in the world and make a good home
for you both to pass a comfortable old
age in. Now you're a bricklayer, be-
lieve. 1 don't suppose you get more
than three dollars day, and that only
in busy times. Margaret says you have
rented rooms in a tenement house in
Avenue A.
'"That's all right, and I don't doubt
you will be very happy there for awhile,
but five years hence perhaps there will
be three or four children, and you will
still be earning three dollars a day part
of the time and nothing at all the rest.
You will, in all human probability, be a
poor laboring man all your days. Her
life and your life will be spent in a
crowded tenement; your children will at
best have but poor chance to rise in
the world, and they will have no end of
chances to fall-no matter whether they
are boys or girls.
"Now, L propose to give you show
to do better-to become leading man
in the town, to have a good home of
your own instead of paying rent in a
tenement, to have fresh air to breathe,
and opportunities, if you are industrious
and enterprising, to make a fortune. 1
will give you and Margaret one thousand
dollars if"-the capitalist paused, and
Brown looked up amazed he had never
thought of owning so much money at
once, and the idea dazzled him-'if you
will go out West to place that know
of and build yourself a house and get n
quarter-section of land.
"There is plenty of work for good
bricklayers there, at higher wages than
you can get here, and you will see
hundred ways in which you can save
and make investments which will be sure
to yield you good return.
"Just think of it. Here, a crowded,
unhealthful tenement. There, a house
of your own under the blue sky. Here,
no chance to do better. There, almost
a certainty, with your habits and char
acter, of laying by comfortable for
tune. Margaret will be the wife of one
of the best men in town, instead of
taking in washing to help along when
you are out of work here.