series, "What a Young
Wife Ought to Know."

But how is a girl to know all these things concerning her lover's
ideas, thoughts, principles, and purposes? Many of these you think
cannot be known until after marriage, and then it is too late. That is
true; therefore be wise and learn all you can of each other's habits,
peculiarities, opinions, and predilections now, before it is too late.
Talk over business matters. Find out what your lover's ideas are as to
the wife's right to a pecuniary recognition of the value of her labor
in making the home. Does he think that she earns nothing, and that
what he gives her of his money is a donation for which she gives no
return? I know a young woman who had been self-supporting before her
marriage who felt timid about asking her husband for money. So she
wore her wedding garments until they were shabby, went without money
when her own funds were exhausted, and kept silent for five years, and
her husband--a young clergyman--never thought to ask her if she needed
anything, never observed her growing shabbiness. When at last she
summoned courage to tell him her needs, he was overwhelmed with regret
for his own lack of thought and observation, and yet he could not
understand why she should hesitate to ask for money. "Why, it is all
yours, dear," he said. "You were only asking for what already belongs
to you." And many young husbands are just as obtuse, therefore they
should receive in advance the instruction that is needed to prevent a
possibility of such neglect. Have it understood that if you are worthy
to be trusted as a bearer of the name and a sharer of the fortunes of
a man, you are worthy to share also the burden of the knowledge of his
business experiences, and to bear the responsibility of economically
guarding his interests in the expenditure of money which, by your love
and care and labor, you have helped him to earn.

I think a young woman should know something of the personal habits of
her future husband. Does he like fresh air, or does he want the
windows hermetically sealed at night. Is he a believer in the
godliness of cleanliness? I have just read of two people who married
after a six week's acquaintance, knowing nothing of each other's
antecedents, personal habits, caprices or principles. The man proved
to be a regular hypochondriac, taking medicine constantly, at one time
with five doctors prescribing for him. He counted his pulse at every
odd moment, and looked at hi