From Farm to Fortune, or, Only a Farmer's Daughter — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

30 If you married without loving your husband you would only make him unhappy-because he would yearn for what youcould not give him. To see him unsatisfied would only dishearten you and make you even more unhappy. Wait until the one comes along whom you know you really love and then decide. In the meantime try and be friends with your grandparents, and in a kind way try to make them realize that you are young and need amuse- ment, and there is no doubt but what they will remember that they, too, were young once and that they will meet you half way. ““T have read your advice to so many of the other sex that I hope you will be good-natured enough to help a man out with his troubles. I am very much in love witha young lady who, I am sure, thinks more of me than she does of any one else, but whenever I talk of marriage she either changes the subject or else jests about it. I cannot seem to make her understand that Iam serious. Can’t you give mea word of advice? ‘“RDWARD.”? We are very glad to help Edward or any others of the sterner sex with their troubles. Very prob- ably the young woman of your desire realizes perfectly that you are in ‘earnest, but wants to become convinced of herown sincerity before she lets you talk to her seriously about matrimony. We think she must be a very level-headed young woman, and if you can win her affection and marry her you may feel that you have secured a prize. The girl or woman who is slow to decide upon so serious a matter as marriage is far more to be esteemed than those who take the step hastily and unthinkingly. 7 “VYour kind advice to others has made me bold enough to ask your help for myself, for I am ter- ribly perplexed. My fiance went to the Philip- pines with his regiment over a year ago, and we have corresponded ever since. Of course, I think a great deal of him, but about six months ago I meta fellow who has been awfully attentive to me and whonow wants me to marry him. Do you think it would be doing very wrong for me to break off my engagement and marry this other fellow, who says he loves me very much indeed? | “MABEL K.’” We don’t envy either of your lovers very much, Mabel. A girl whose nature is as fickle as yours is not fit to be the fiancee or the wife of one of Unele Sam’s brave boys in blue, and if the ab- sence of one man and the presence of another works so great a change in your feelings we . 4 ‘ . x . ’ doubt whether you would relish Grace Shirley’s opinion of your actions. We think that your sol- ‘ - r ‘ a) dier lover would be well ridof you. The men who are defending the honor of their country deserve women of honor.for wives and sweet- hearts—women whose devotion will not grow less because of absence, and to whom the attentions of other men will be no temptation to forget their lovers over the sea, MY QUEEN. ‘While my betrothed and I are truly fond of each other, we always quarrel over one subject. He does not like me to play on the piano at ail when he is here, but wants me to devote all the* time tohim. Sometimes I have no chance to practice during the day, and am obliged to do so in the evening. As I expect to have to provide My Own pin money at least in this way after marriage, I do not feel that I should vive up my entire evenings to conversation. Do you think I ought to do so?”? The man who is not able to provide his wife with pin money has no right to ask a woman to marry him. Since he has done so, and you have accepted him, you ought clearly to make him un- derstand that your cultivation of your talent is a necessity because of his inability to provide you | with what every woman has a right to expect from her husband. No woman ought to marry a man who cannot support her or who expects that she will have to earn her own pin money. We are sorry that you are engaged toone of so litttle manliness and capacity, and you should think a long time before binding yourself irrevocably. ‘IT want to ask your opinion on a matter of eti- quette. I am engaged to be married, and, of, course, my lover spends every evening with me. The other night an old friend called whom I had not seen for several years, and with whom I en- joyed chatting very much. My fiance was almost ungentlemanly, he showed his jealousy so plainly whenever I addressed a remark to my caller. Afterwards I remonstrated with him, and he said I had no right to even talk to other men. Was I wrong in trying to make myself agreeable-to an old friend?” : There is nothing in the world that leads to so much unhappiness as unreasoning jealousy. Ifa woman who has pledged herself to a man delib- erately flirts with others her fiance certainly has cause for jealousy; but in your case this was not so. A man who will become jealous at a sociable, harmless conversation will become jealous with- — out any cause whatever, and will probably make his wife miserable through that very trait in his character. We all need more or less variety in this stupid old world, and the fact that you are an agreeable hostess to others does not give your lover or husband any reason for unjust suspi- cions. You will do well to have this plainly un- derstood before you marry him. “T ouess you are tired of hearing about other people’s troubles, but perhaps you can find a few minutes for me, for I am certainly in great trou- ble. I am deeply in love with a young man whom I know thinks more of me than he does of any one else, but who enjoys going around with other girls, and who says frankly that he will never marry. Now, I don’t care a bit for any one else, and I am never happy unless he is with me, What can I do to gain his entire affection? We would not advise you to spend your time trying to gain his entire affection. There is an old saying about ‘‘wasting your sweetness on the desert air’? that would seem to apply in your ease. Why should you spend your time trying to — Gomicbooks *, . ~_— \ * ai # s 5