The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-14
LADIES COLUMN.
Letter from Prof. Gwen on MatFi-
mOny and Household Economy.
INpIANA UNIYERstTY March ., lSe7.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY, March I, 1867.
Being much pleased with the forci-
bic remarks made in one of your
issues regarding the extravagant ex-
penditures incurred for dress of late
years by our American ladies. pro-
pose to follow up the idea with few
suggestions, calculations and re-
marks.
| sincerely believe that for the vast
majority ofindividuals marriage is the
state calculated to insure the largest
amount of happiness and virtue Per-
haps occasionally science or literature
may lose somewhat by having indi-
viduals assume social duties which
withdraw to some extent their time
from that which would otherwise be
an exclusively scientific or literary
career, but that is minor consid-
Grafton. ar f
If then marriage is best calculated
to promote happiness, it is desirable
that no pecunlary obstacles should
| interfere to prevent unions otherwise.
suitableae |, however, conscientiously
think that some prudent young men
are deferred from matrimoDy because
they perceive that their limited means
would not be sufficient to keep up the
| system of vying with other households
of equal station with that of the
members Of the family into which
they would like to marry. Perhaps a
young man is commencing his career
as a physician, a lawyer. or as a min
lister of the Gospel In any such
case, unless he has other means, the
proceeds of practice, or the salary, in
early life, are usually inadequate to
anything like display or expensive
housekeeping.
Therefore young ladies who desire
to obtain sensible, provident hus-
| bands, stand much in their own light,
when they uphold this system of ex-
travagance and of emulous display in
externals. The prudent young man
is, perhaps, debarred from making
advances, until he has established
reputation enough to insure a large
income, and bys the time, his tastes
may have changed, he may have ac-
commodated himself to bachelor life.
or if the parties marry, they are now
less likely to have their tastes assimi-
late and give way to each other in
non essentials than would have been
the case earlier in life.
Let US endeavor now to calculate.
out of moderate income or salary.
what amount ought to be saved, and
how the other portions should be laid
out. Suppose the young man had a
house given him by his father and
that he has eithera salary or share
in business, usually bringing in a
thousand or twelve hundred dollars a
year. he ought to save two or three
hundred dollars for his children and
unforeseen accidents, or old age. Saw
then that he had thousand to live on
/ latter making this deposit In the safest
| hands he can select, with a return of
six per cent he could we'll afford as
the head of the family, who regulates
the gross expenditure. to exhibit con-
fidence ia his wife, if he has made a
good selection, and address her per-
haps somewhat in these terms:
i : By the blessing of God the pres
i ent income of our family amounts to
twelve hundred dollars, of which /
have laid aside one-ffth for our fu-
ture days, leaving one thousand for us
to spend. / will reserve two hundred
and fifty to pay taxes, repairs, provide
my own clothing, supply church and
charity expenses, buy few books.
and take newspaper, pay postage and
contingent expenses. This will leave
seven hundred and fifty dollars for
/ your own clothing and that of the
child; and for our household expenses
which, as | draw my salary quarterly,
l'you shall have in the same way; and
think we can even manage to keep
4 hired girl who will relieve you from
the hardest work and leave you more
time for the general superintendent
of the house and attention to our
child, without over fatiguing your
| self. There is good prospect that
in few years our income will in
crease; meantime let us follow Frank
Inns advice and spend less than we
make. HIS wife feeling this conf
dence reposed in her, and seeing
the anxiety for her health and
comfort, sets to work and calculates
that she can clothe herself and child
on hundred and fifty dollars year
for the present, leaving six hundred
dollars for HOUSEHOLD expenses, or fifty
dollars month. Thus she perceives
that she must not spend more than
nine dollars week for their current
expenses, the hired girl included, as
fuel must be laid in when wood and
coal are the cheapest, and, as some
thing must be reserved for occasional,
more expensive meals, whenever they
have friends visiting, to replace and
make good any breakage or wear and
tear in the kitchen. She perceives
the advise is good about girl, because
they can have the washing done in the
house, and if she, on washing and