The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-07

linquent, and you wouldn't be likely
to find happiness with either. But
given industry and disposition to
spend little less than is made and
comparative poverty in youth is no
great drawback. When / married
your mother I had a stout heart, a
steady job, my trousseau and 5000 IN
cash. That was all my capital. |
have more than that now in cash, but
I don't feel as rich as I did then, nor
was 1 in reality. That is good
enough foundation for any youngster
to begin married life with, provided,
of course, the girl in the case is con-
tented to start with that and be salts
fed with what he can provide for her
without overstepping his income. So
I say that if William is as we'll fixed
as was shall have no objection to
him on the financial score. But it is
mighty important that he have this
start. It's mighty embarrassing to
bride to find tne tailor's unreceipted
bill in the inside pocket of her hubby's
wedding coat, and if you discover that
William is little backward in money
matters you'd better postpone the
joyous ceremony until he can get a
move on himself and get ahead of the
pay wagon.
On the other hand, my dear, if he
has roll as big as telegraph pole I
wouldn't consider it an insurmounta-
BILE obstacle. Money is mighty good
thing to have lying around, and I
don't know that / would consider it
advisable to put a limit on the amount,
provided it doesn't pile up around a
mans legs so that he can't work. I
have taken it for granted, little girl,
that you love each other. I don't
know why I should, for I am we'll
aware that love is getting to be un-
fashionable, but am one of those old
fashioned fellows who believe that
love is quite essential to happiness in
married life and have no patience
with those people who hold that mu-
tual esteem is satisfying substitute.
There are lots of men and lots of wo-
men that I highly esteem, but I'd
hate mighty bad to have to make a
contract to live with any one of them
indefinitely. Love is an entirely diff :.
ferent proposition. 1t comes 10 the
normal man or woman but once
once at time, at any rate-and it's
the feeling which the good Lord
meant should be a prelude to and a
necessary accompaniment of the rela-
tions between man and wife. It's
the real divine fire, little girl, and
there are no substitutes that are of as
much value as cocklebur in sack
of oats by comparison. But young
folks are sometimes mistaken in the
feeling.
THE GENUINE ARTICLE. :
Do you remember how you broke
out with the hives at the same time
Mamie Jones was down with the
smallpox over in the next block and
how desperately scared your poor
mother was? Lots of people make
the same mistake about love. They
think they have very serious attack
of the real thing when it's only case
of hives, 6guratively speaking. 1
hope you and William have caught
the genuine article. None but the
genuine will last ; none but the gen.
uine will carry you through the storms
and land you safely in the blessed
haven. Your mother and / have
passed forty happy years together.
There have been trials and trouble
a-many, God knows, but we braved
and breasted and surmounted them
together upheld by love. That's the
main thing. honey. Do you love
him, really love him :? Does he love
you? Money and position and brains
are of small Importance when COM
pared with love. 1t doesn't insure
happiness. There are circumstances
under which love is unhappy, miser-
ably unhappy sometimes, but you
certainly can't be happy long with
cut it.
Yes, my little girl, you have my
consent full and free. I wish I had
more light. I wish that my judg-
ment could be based more upon per-
sonal observation than in my conf
dence in your mothers good sense,
strong as that is, and in your own
we'll tried discretion, I would like
much to see and know the man of
your choice before 1 handed you over
to his keeping, but I am so situated
that cannot do as I wish: I must
go it blind, my dear, and perhaps it
IS Just as well. If I were at home I
would doubtless do just as your
mother and yourself desired me to DO,
and whether we know or whether we
don't we must still to a certain ex-
tent go it blind in this matter of
matrimony. We have to take good
deal on trust anyhow, and we can
only hope and pray that your married
life may be as happy, as free from
care, as your mother and I have tried
to make your childhood days; that
your husband may be, and always be,
all that you now believe him to be,
and that as wife and mother you may
reach as near to perfection as the
dear one who gave you birth.
And now, little one, as to your
wedding. l don't believe in long en-
gagements, but don't be in a hurry.
The engagement is period of trial
that is a mighty valuable preliminary
to marriage. 1t gives you a chance
to get better acquainted with one
another, to get a closer view Of the
others qualities, to find out whether
you are really fitted for life together.
There's no rush about it. The par
son isn't going to leave town. And
whatever you do, honey, don't sneak
out the back door and get married by
justice of the peace with deputy
constable as the witness. That isn't