Marion Marlowe's Courage: A Brave Girl's Struggle for Life and Honor — page 34: what you’re looking at

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32 him. He does the best he can, and gives me all he earns, but itis not enough for our needs. I will not deceive him about it, but would I be wronging him if I insisted upon earning my own pin money? Dorotuy J.”” We see no harm in a woman earning money if She desires. Your husband seems possessed of a peculiar kind of pride. If he is not able to sup- port you properly he should place no obstacle in the way of your supporting yourself. Explain your motives to him freely and no doubt he will soon come to your way of thinking. ‘‘Won’t you advise meina matter that ig per- plexing me? I had a quarrel with my sweetheart a week ago, and declared that I would never see him nor write to him again. Since we broke I have been most unhappy, and I am now firmly convinced that I love him and am anxious to have him back. Heisas proud as can be, and I know he will never come unlessI send for him. Do you think that I would lose his respect if I wrote him to come back or ought I to stick it out : in spite of the fact that Ilove him. I have got- ten all over my anger, but I do hate to break my word. . | Luxiv H.”? A victory over one’s self is better than “‘stick- ing out’ a foolish quarrel. It is far more woman- ly to forgive than not to if there is no real cause for anger, and to say ‘‘I was mistaken” is simply _to say, ‘I am wiser to-day than yesterday.” Your lover will probably value your sweetness of disposition more if you make the first advances towards reconciliation. A foolish resolution can- not be too quickly broken, but Grace Shirley’s best advice is to try and avoid quarrels hereafter by both of you giving in a little at the start.” “‘T have read the correspondence department of ‘My Queen’ with a great deal of interest, and have decided at last to ask you a question. Hasa poor girl a right to take money froma man when it is offered in the kindest and most gentlemanly spirit? Iam working at present for six dollarsa week and of course it is very difficult for me to live in comfort and still dress neatly. The young man whom I am engaged to knows my condition perfectly and until we are married he insists upon helping me, I have been roundly censured for accepting his aid, and that is why I ask my question. CARRIE L,”” We are very glad indeed to answer this ques- tion. The man who professes to love a girl and then sits calmly by and watches her struggle without so much as an offer of timely assistance isin our opinion a ‘‘mental monstrosity.’’ Any lover with a heart in his breast will help the girl he loves, and the greater her necessities the greater will be his assistance. A self-respecting girl does not like to take financial aid, but she would be foolish to refuse it if it meant bread and butter. We are all ‘‘creatures of circumstance”? and environment in great measure. Good posi- tions are not to be had for the asking, nor is gen uine wotth and talent always rewarded. A true man always longs to protect the woman he loves, and no stich man will ever be dissuaded from be- stowing needed assistance because of the sickly for the sake of his mother? MY QUEEN. twaddle of narrow-minded people. Of course, the indiscriminate practice of taking money from men is quite another matter, as some men are only too glad to place a girl under obligtions to them. A good girl can usually determine the mo- tive of the giver, and we would advise her to be very careful in accepting such assistance. — ‘‘Thayve been engaged toa young man fora year, and I now discover that he has an invalid mother that he expects me to take care of as soon as we are married. I am very fond of my lover, but Iam not very strong. Do you think it is my duty to marry him and make a slave of myself Lizzigz C,” No, we-do not think it your duty, Lizzie. The man who loves you truly will never allow you to be a slave either to his mother or any one else, If his mother is an invalid, let him hire a nurse for her. A woman has quite enough to do to care for herself and her husband without looking out for any of his or her relatives. Too many homes have been spoiled already by these methods. Talk to your lover kindly but decidedly, and let him understand your feelings exactly. If he says you do not love him you may depend upon it he is selfish. Ask him if he would be willing to do the same if the invalid was your mother. The average man does not seem to understand that it is quite enough for one woman to be a wife and keep her own little home in “‘apple-pie” order. You must educate him, but you will have to ac- complish this with tact, else he will never admit it. ‘*Please allow me to tell you my ‘tale of woe,’ and then, if-you can, I want you to advise me. I am almost sixteen, and I work in a store, but there is a rich man in town who says he wants to marry me. This man has bachelor apartments, and he has taken me to them twice. The rooms are beautiful,and I would dearly love to live there. I donot love him, but I would like to be his wife and live in those pretty rooms. The last time I was there he gave me some wine, and he saysif I willcome there and be his wife I ean have everything lovely. Now, all this is nice, but he does not say when he will marry me. Do you think I can trust him to marry me atall? I shall be dreadfully disappointed if he doesn’t, but if he wants me so badly, why doesn’t he set the wedding-day and hurry our marriage? (Apa, If you were a year younger, Ada, we would ask the Gerry Society to look after you! Please send me your address and let me come and talk to you, for 1 am very much afraid that you are on the high road to destruction. It seems incred- ible that a girl, even of your tender years, should not understand this man, and we wonder that you do not fly from him as you would from a pestilence. Please, Ada, do not go to his rooms again! You will rue it if you do, of that we are certain. We would also like you to send us this felloav’s address, as we are sure heisa rascal and should be watched by the authorities. We only hope that your letter tells all. Do not fail to write again, and give us your address, Eomicbooks.com vend’,