Year: 1872

right to one-thlrd of the personal prop
erty left after the payment of debts
This rule, under the impression that it il
just one, has very frequently beer
adopted by husbands in their bequest
to their wives. 81 give to my faithfu
and beloved wife her thirds" finds it
way, or did so few years ago, into hal
the wills. Now this is not enough. Tn.
less there are good reasons to the contra,
ry, the wife should have substantially
all the property as long as she lives
There is generally no reason, if the prop
erty is sufficient why the family should
not be kept up by the wife after the hus-
bands death, Just as it was before; and
the husband should leave her, if he can,
the same means to keep house and be
hospitable and charitable that he enjoy
ed and that she was accustomed to share.
If you give the property, and the whole
of it, absolutely to your wife, it will in
many cases be the best thing you can do.
Your children are hers, and she will be
just as much interested in providing for
them as you can be; and if she should
survive you for ten or twenty years, she
will be better able to Judge what is then
best than you can now. Circumstances
may have greatly changed, and if you
have found her wise and trustworthy
through all your married life, you may
trust her to act wisely with reference to
such changes. There may be peculiar
and exceptional cases. Your wife may
be second wife and not the mother Of
your children, or you may have good
reasons for not trusting her judgment.
You must decide upon such cases your
self; only remember that such cases
make it the more important that you do
not die without will.


And while am talking about wives,
| wish to remind them that if they have
property of their own, it is important
that they make wills as that their hus-
bands do so. Where wife has proper
ty, it generally comes to her by inher-
itance, and it may be presumed that her
brothers and sisters have property also.
If she has no children, she would natu-
rally prefer that it should go to her hus-
band. To accomplish this, she must
make will.


Aud let me say that for either to make
condition of bequest that the other
shall forever remain a widow or wild
over, seems to me selfish and harsh. 1t
may be for the best happiness of either
survivor, in later years to marry again,
and it ought to be left to the free exer-
else of the judgment of such survivors,
in view of the facts as they may arise.


And now let me say to you, lastly,
though the matter is not last in impor-
tance, do not attempt to make or revise
your own will, but go to good lawyer.
The writer gives this advice against the
interest Of his profession. Nothing is
more fruitful of litigation and lawyers
fees than badly drawn wills. The learn
ing pertaining to a will is recondite and
complicated, and no man who is not a
lawyer can hope to understand it. A
good fee paid for well-drawn will is
the best Of economy.


Let me sum up the whole matter in a
few words


/. Consider whether you will make a
will, or die without one.


2, If you think it best to make one,
attend to it at once.


3. If you have already made a will,
see that it is kept in repair.


A, See that your wife is made sure of
all she needs, if there is property enough.


8. And go to good lawyer to have
your will drawn Christian Union.