Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-01-19
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
MAKE YOUR WILL.


The Importance of Legally Dlsposlng of
Property-The Trouble Caused In Set
Ting the Estates of Those Who Die In
testate.
A great deal of physical suffering
and mental misery might be prevented
if those who have property to leave
would secure it by will to those who
are entitled to it, and for whom it is
intended. This is especially true in
the case of husbands, the law for
widows being neither generous nor
just. Emily S. Bouton, in the Toledo
Blade, gives the following fact:
"Some years ago my heart was
wrung by the sorrows of poor old
lady, whose story ran something like
this: Her husband died without maxi
ing the will which he had always prom
ised her to execute, and by the law
she could have but third of the prop
erty. The remainder went to the
daughter, fair young girl just bios
soming into most attractive woman
hood. This property consisted solely
of comfortable house and the lot
upon which it stood. The place was
the product of the joint earnings and
savings of husband and wife, who be-
gan life with nothing but strong hands
and hearts devoted to each other.
At seventeen the daughter, who had
been kept in school by her mother
untiring labor, married young ply
stefan, and he came to live with them
in the old home. By-and-by he began
to show an arbitrary spirit toward the
mother. which grew at last into abso-
lutte unkindness. Strange to say, the
daughter joined with him in an en-
deavor to drive her from the home she
had helped to earn, and which was en-
deared to her by so many old associa-
tions. Presently the daughter died,
but not until she had willed her two
thirds to her husband, providing at the
same time that her interest should not
be sold for q certain term of years.
The mother could not sell her third,
for no one would buy 1t so conditioned,
nor could she live in the same house
with her son-in-law. She could do alb
solutely nothing, only support herself,
prematurely old and broken by
trouble as she was, by the most unin-
Permitting toll, while the home she
loved, the place she had helped tC
earn, remained in the hands o.
strangers.
Mrs. Margaret w. Campbell gave {
similar case at the Philadelphia meet
ing. An Iowa woman moved to thai
State, when it was new, with her HTS
band. They were both young. To
gether they worked to clear the lane
to build the Lighthouse; and when ;
storm overlook them before the rude
shelter was finished, they knelt to
gether with clasped hands under thu
guilt they had spread to keep off thu
rain, and thanked God for health ant
strength and for each other.
Children came. The wife took car,
of the family, rode on the reaper anC
the corn-planter, and checrfully die
the house-work. By-and-by the farm
was paid for. A new, handsome, con
venient house was built, but the ole
Lighthouse was left standing for tn,
memories it held. Every thing wa
prosperous and well to do. The year
went by. Suddenly the husband diet
without will. The sons-in-law ant
the daughters-in-law wanted to hav
the property divided so that they coul'
have their share, and it was done. TIL
woman, whose lifetime of toll had 81
largely contributed to make the prop
erty. was left with the use of one
third. with such husband an,
such home" she said, II thought
had all the rights l needed. Now
know that women need to help max
the laws for their own protection"
Cases like the above are very nj
merous. They make their own appea
for the ballot for women. In the mean
time, every man who wishes his wifi
to be protected should protect her b
at once making a will.