The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-12-04
CAN'TAFFORD TO MARRY
BY l.. b. W.

man addressed, smoking cigar.
IF you mean Mildred Osborne, never.
It's ell very well to dance with such
girl, but no poor man would think of
marrying her."
"Why not, Ned? She's handsome,
accomplished, in the best set, dresses
exquisitely, and will have a fortune
when Mr.. Osborne dies.
Look here, Grayson, do you think
i am fool? i can't afford to marry
Miss Osborne, and it is because she is
in the fashionable set, dresses expen-
sively, and has expectations from her
father. l am only just beginning to
succeed at the bar. 1t is n long time,
as you konw from your experience as a
physician, before a large income can
be earned in profession. AS yet |
am not earning such an income. Miss
Osborne has been brought up luxu-
riously. Her father keeps a carriage,
goes to a watering-place every sum-
mer, and entertains constantly when
at home. Mildred's very dresses, my
dear fellow, would eat up half my earn
ings."
Il think you are hard on her. Any
true woman, if she marries the man
she loves, will cheerfully submit to
sacrifices for his sale"
so it is said, and so, in justice to
the sex, most of them try to. But,
Grayson, old fellow, you and l know,
from our own experience, that habit is
stronger than good resolutions. A rich
mans daughter is not the girl for
poor mans wife. 1t isn't her fault; it's
her misfortune"
"But you lose sight of the fact that
Mildred will inherit a large share of
her fathers property"
"Not at all. Mr.. Osborne is only
fifty, hale and hearty. He will prob
ably live for twenty years yet. and
not till he dies will his daughter get
one cent. AT the end of twenty years,
yes, long before that, l should be
ruined, or else broken down in health
in consequence of being in debt and
overworked.
well, perhaps you are right. See
what scrape Harry Leonard got
into"
ayes, he married the daughter of a
man said to be worth a million. Old
Mr.. johnson did not give her penny.
She had her wedding outfit but that
was all. On Harry's part there was
nothing to support her with, only what
he made out of his business, and, being
a young merchant, he realized very
little wealth. Jessie Johnson was sty-
lish and fond of making dash. Harry
took her to the Chaplin House, for he
had sense enough to know he could not
go to housekeeping in the way Jessie
would want to go. In the summer they
went TO Saratoga, for Jess would no
hear of a country boarding house.
There she had her pony phaeton, and
q dozen or more Paris dresses. In the
fall the hard times came, and Harry
failed. j understand he owes twice as
much as he can pay. Now this, | adj
NIT, is an exceptional case yet this is
the type of a large class, and a class
that brighten young men and keep them
from marrying"
But what's TO be done? We all
expect to marry some day, and there
are no girls except girls like Mildred
and Jess"
II beg your pardon. There are plenty
of them, but, of course, TO find them /
fear you must go outside of the fash
ionable set, for it is only the daugh-
tiers and wives of rich men who can
afford to be fashionable. If YOU wish
a wife you must look elsewhere for one.
unless you expect to be a millionaire.
where would you look?"
"There are plenty of families where
the daughters are well educated, and
yet are able to help themselves. L
know one daughter who makes all
their hats and bonnets; another is
capital dressmaker. All attend 10
household affairs, making cake, des-
serts and good bread. They are quite
as companionable as Mildred Osborne
or Jess Johnson. No man with the
right feeling wishes to make his wife
drudge; but men have to work, and
why should not an able woman take
her share?"
well, since you speak of it, / can
recall such families also; but they
don't go to public balls and dance the
german"
"No The daughters OF such fam
lies are taught that home virtues are
better than surface accomplishments
Men want true women for wives, not
mere butterflies.
II shall be curious, Ned, TO see your
wife"
"If Won will come with me to-mor-
row evening / will introduce you to the
young lady who has promised to fill
that position She is the daughter of
a refined widow, and brought up like
the girls / have been describing to YOU.
She does not 60 out in society much,
for she cannot afford it. As for her
real accomplishments, her knowledge
of literature music and art are as far
above Miss Osborne as heaven is above
the earth. With the fashionable girl
it's chatter, chatter, chatter, and moth
ing else; dance and gossip"
Come, come. YOU are too severe: a
good many of them are brilliant talk
ers. at least fiDd them so.
eyes, the champagne foams for the
public; for you the stale wine only Is
left"
So the conversation ends. Ned
married the girl to whom he intro
duced his friend, and Grayson, after a
few months. married her sister. They
certainly are supremacy happy IN cosy,