The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-11-02

dollars a week is not much to a girl
whose allowance had been a thousand
with all of her beautiful gowns bought
for her. Thus 1t was that her family
objected to our marriage.
Jean had the prettiest way of stand
ing her ground ever saw in woman.
She smiles-and when she smiles she
dimples entrancingly-she never gets
out of temper, she answers arguments
patiently in her delightful voice,
seems almost to yield, so ready is she
to admit the other sides point of view,
but never yields the slightest iota!
Naturally she gets her way; it is so
it's sweetness, that it blocks opposi-
ton. This might be trying quality
in wife if she were any one else
but Jean, but Jean yields indifferently
in small things, never sets her foot
down except in great ones, and | never
knew her to take a wrong stand-so
her winsome way of being granite
firm is not bad. If any one needs to
know how to hold to her stand for
right it is a woman.
'You have no idea, my poor child, y
said jeans stately mother earnestly,
what you are undertaking. If you
wanted romance-and I assure you it
is unsubstantial food for daily con-
sumption-you might go off to some
tiny place where you weren't known
and economic successfully, giving up
social pleasures. But to live here,
where you are known, among your old
friends, on such a sum as Fred earns,
is madness. Yet if you marry him
you must live here. because here is
where he is employed. It is his home
as we'll as yours. The cost of living
has increased to such an extent as
you, my little girl, know nothing about.
Twelve hundred a year now is hardly
more than six hundred was five years
ago. You will have to entertain, and
you simply can not afford it. Yet
if you do not entertain, you can not
accept invitations. 1t will mean ex-
tinction for you, my poor, foolish girl,
and by the time Fred comes into prop
erty from his father, or you benefit
by our death, you will be too deeply
buried alive to emerge. You will be
a faded, dull, tired woman. Jean, why
do you so much as think of this mar
riage?"
To which Jean only replied II love
Fred, mother-mine-" She told me all
about it afterward, my pretty Jean!
Then she took up the question OF
being buried alive, because she knew
that to her mother this social suicide
was not much less than actual suicide.
I'm going to keep up all my friends,
mother" she said. 81 don't say all my
acquaintance, but all my friends.
And if ever we get richer we can make
| ten new acquaintances for every one
what the people are called whom one
talks to at receptions; friends matter,
but acquaintance of a certain stand
! ing are all pretty much alike. I've
| been thinking lot, and I'm surprised
to find myself strong-minded female
| i never suspected it, did your
| know Jean laughed and dimpled
at her mother when she said this and
/ l know her mother yielded to her
charm because no one could help it.
"The trouble that lies at the bottom
of this increased cost of living, SO
we're told and so we can see, if we
stop to look, is that luxuries are now
considered necessities and everybody
apes the next bigger body, trying to
make a small income cover those big
ger bodies ways. We are going to
begin our lives honestly, Fred and T.
See how the witch eliminated the
fundamental question Of whether OF
not she should marry me! 1T is not
honest to pretend to have more than
is ones own. At least half of the
trouble people with small incomes
have is in not being willing to live
on an honest basis. From the first
shall admit by word and deed that we
can't do what our friends can do. We
shall accept invitations, provided we
have proper clothes for the occasion
and for some time that question will
| Continued on page g.