INSURANCE AND MARRIAGE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 952, 11 June 1881, Page 2 (Supplement)

INSURANCE AND MARRIAGE.

A beautiful and bashful young lady of about nineteen summers, called at the office of a life assurance agent last week, and asked him if he could tell her how long people of a certain age would live. “ Madam,” replied the agent, coughing respectfully behind a prospectus, and drawing his chair nearer to her, “ here are our tables of expectation and average mortality, which contain all the information on the subject that you can desire.” Well. said she, 14 how long will a man of sixty-seven, that eats peas with his knife, live ?” “ According to our table, madam,” replied the agent, “ he should, on the average, survive eleven years, three months, and sixteen days.” 1 hat, said his visitor, “ would be till the Ist of August, 1891 ?” “ Precisely, madam, on the average expectation of mortality, for we must

all die, and it is, therefore, well to insure against loss to the loved ones in a company whose character ” “ And how much could I insure his life for ?” “Oh, for any amount, say 50,000 d 015.,” he answered, taking up a blank form of application, “ Let me recommend the unexampled advantages offered by our non-forfeitable endowment policy.” “ Well,” said the young woman, “ I think, then, that I’ll marry him.” “ Insure him, you mean ?” replied the agent. “ No, marry him ; you insure him.” “ You see,” she added, with a burst of confidence, “ I love Herbert, and Mr. Dawkins is old enough to be my grandfather. But Herbert is poor, and I just worship the corner lots that Mr. Dawkins builds on. And Herbert is very patient, and says if I will only fix a day, no matter how long he may have to wait, he will be happy. Now, you say that Mr. Dawkins will die by the Ist of August, 1891, and as it wouldn’t be decent to marry again till I’ve been a year in mourning, I’ll arrange to marry Herbert on the 2nd of August, 1892, and if Dawkins doesen’t die by then you’ll give me 50,000 dols. Oh, thank you ” ; and with a deep bow she swept out of the office.