The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-07-12
Why She
Didn't Marry
BY SARAH P. LANGDON

very wholesome principles. AS littl,
girl she was permitted to read onl!
books with excellent morals. The sto
ries allowed her were largely thos,
showing that 1t Is no disgrace to b.
poor; that labor is highly honorable
that wealth Is often source of evil
Yet, side by side with this democrat
ic, moral training, certain lessons were
that her associates must be from the
upper classes; that provision for the
future is always in order; that, while
labor is honorable, poverty Is hard to
bear. She was also given to under
stand that, while other girls might
marry poor men and be happy In cot
tage, she must have a husband who
could keep her in the society in which
she had been born. for her father was
not rich man. Indeed, his wealth
was not up to his familys social posi-.
ton. This was the reason given her
for the exception In her case.
But when Agatha came to be twenty
an uncle who had never been married
died in Mexico, where he had been
interested In mines, and left her moth
er an enormous fortune.
Before this windfall Agatha had
fallen in love with a poor artist. She
did not know whether her love was re.
turned, for she gave him no encour'
agement. Having been told that to
keep up the social position to which
she was accustomed she must marry
rich man, 1t was, Of course, out of the
question that she should marry the
artist. But when the family were re-
joicing over their good fortune Agatha
said to her mother that now, there be-
ing great wealth in the family, she
might marry poor man whom she
loved.
Then she discovered that the acces-
sion of wealth did not change the fact
that she must marry wealth. 1t only
changed the reason for her doing so.
The fortune she would inherit added to
that of some millionaire would enable
her to do so much good in the world.
Think of the poor whom she could ben
eft.
Agatha was inclined to argue the
point. Her mother was great novel
reader and had often sympathized with
lovers who had been separated on
account Of worldly considerations.
Agatha reminded her mother of this |
and she had been taught by her moth
err to understand that such worldliness
was reprehensible. There could be no
charge of improvidence In the girls
marrying poor men, because their flu
ture and that of their children would !
be amply provided for.
But on falling heir to a fortune the
good lady's romance and repugnance
to sordidness seemed to have deserted
her.
That's very different" she replied to
her unhappy daughter, but how and
why it was different she did not ex-
plain. Instead she told Agatha that
If she did not give up her romantic
nonsense" she would take her TO the
other end of the world.
Poor Agatha, having come to woman,
hood, discovered that her education,
the books she had read intoxicating self
sacrifice and other virtues were for chill
dren and to be discarded as soon as
they reached an age Of maturity. Her
mother continued to read novels In
which noble impulses were followed,
but did not recognize them In her own
family.
Meanwhile money was rolling In
upon the family in such quantities that
they scarcely knew how to spend 1t.
One day Agatha asked her mother
what was the use of more money than !
one could spend.
"Why, my DEAR" was the reply, "the {
use of more money than one can spend
Is to do good to others"
Then Agatha asked her mother for
to give away to a needy {
family. {
Mrs. Goodwin suggested sending
10 charitable association re- ]
quest to investigate the case Again
and again Agatha asked for funds to
help others, but was always put Off
)y some excellent reason. She did not
quite see that adding to a fortune be-
,ause so much good could be done
with 1t resulted In the good being
lone. The family income was 100000 !
year, half of which was all they could
spend without throwing IL away, but
gatha could not wed her poor artist
because it was expected that she should
lily her fortune with another, that so /
much good could he done with it. II
The years sped on and Agatha's {
mother lived on. Agatha grew from 9
young woman to an old maid She
lad no desire to marry any one but
Ter artist. Besides, no man with a
ortune came along who asked for !
Ter hand. Each year the chance of !
Meeting such a person decreased, and 8
It last Agatha passed the age where
hildren would come to her. c
Single persons do not develop on the S
ines, the natural lines, of married per- !
ons Agatha grew crochety Chill
Iren. especially If they were healthy.
Ioisy children. annoyed her She grew
One day a friend asked her I
Why she had never married.
WELL she replied, with a sigh, "be- r
ore mother fell heir to a fortune / Q
ouldn't marry the man l wanted be- o
ause ! needed some one who could y