The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-01-22
Don't Live beyond your Means.

GLOWING IN tue CRATE, revealed pretty ant
neatly furnished sitting room, with all tn
appliances of comfort The fatiguing bust
ness Of the day was over, and he sat enjoyin.
what he had all day been anticipating, thu
delights of his own Preside. His pretty wife
Esther, took her work and sat down By til,
table
i sIt is pleasant to have home Of ones
j own" he again said, taking a satisfactory
survey of his little quarters. The cold rail-
beat against the windows, and he thought b.
felt really grateful for all his present com
forts
snow, if We only had piano." exclaimed
the wife.
j "Givc me the music of your ssown sweet
voice bsfore all the pianos in creation" he
observed, complimentary; but he felt Ger:
tain secret disappointment that his wifs's
thankfulness did not happily chime with his
own.
"Well. but we want one for our friends,
said Esther
"Let our friends come to see as, and not
to hear piano." exclaimed the husband.
/ "But, George, everybody has a piano now
a-days-we don't go anywhere without see
| ing piano, persisted the wife.
"And yet don't know what we want one
for-you will have no time to play on one,
and don't want to hear it.
s.WhY, they are so fashionable-I think
our room looks nearly naked without one"
= think it looks just right"
| 81 think it looks very naked-we want a
piano shockingly," protested Esther emphati-
cally
| The husband rocked violently.
| "Your lamp smokes, my dsar," said he,
| after long pause.
"When are you going to get camphene
lamp7 | have told you dozen times how
| much we needed one, said Esther pettishly
"These are very pretty lamps-I never can
see by a camphene lamp" said her husband
These lamps are the prettiest Of the Kind I
ever saw"
"But, George, do not think our room is
complete without a camphene lamp" said
Esther sharply. sThey are so fashionable
Why, the Morgans and Millers, and many
others might mention, all have them /; I am
sure we ought to-"
"We ought to if we take pattern by other
peoples expenses, and I don't see any reason
! in that"
The husband moved uneasily in his chair.
"We want to live as well as Others" said
Esther.
"We want to live within oar means, Els
ther,' exclaimed George
Il am sure we can afford it as we'll as the
Morgans and Millers and Thorns we do not
wish to appear mean"
Georges cheek crimsoned
"Mean I am not mean" he cried an
grily.
sThen We do not wish to appear So" said
the wife. ssTo complete this room, and make
it look like other peoples, we want piano
and a camphene lamp"
We want-we want!" muttered the hus-
band, there's no satisfying woman's wants,
do what you may" and he abruptly left the
ROOM
How many husbands are in similar d.
lemmal How many houses and husbands
are rendered uncomfortable by the constant
dissatisfaction of wife with present comforts
and present provisions! How many bright
prospects for business have ended in bank
rnptcy and ruin in order to satisfy this Sc
cret hankering after fashionable necessaries !.
| Could the real cause of many failures be
| known, it would be found to result from use
less expenditures at hone-expenses to an
swer the demands Of fashion and "what will
people think Z"
"My wife has made my fortune" said
gentleman of great possessions, ''by her thrift,
aud prudence, and cheerfulness, when I was
just beginning"
"And mine has lost my fortune" answer
ed his companion, "by useless extravaganza
and repining when I was doing we'll"
! What world does this open to the infu-
ence which wife possesses over the future
prosperity Of her family! Let the wife know
her influence and try to use it wisely and
we'll.
| Be satisfied to commence on a small scale
It is too common for young housckeepers to
begin where their mothers ended Buy all
that is necessary to work skillfully with /;
adorn your house with all that will render it
comfortable. Do not look at richer homes,
and covet their costly furniture. If secret
dissatisfaction is ready to spring up, go a step
further and visit the homes Of the suffering
poor behold dark, cherries apartments, IL
sufficient clothing, and absence of all the
comforts and rehnements of social life, and
then return to your own with joyful spirit.
You will then be prepared to meet your hus-
band with grateful heart, and be ready to
appreciate the toll and self.denial which he
has endured in the business world to sur
round you With the delights Of home; ara
you will be ready to cooperate cheerfully
with him in so arranging your expenses, that
his mind will not be constantly hs.rrassed with
fears lest his family expenditure may en-
sroach upon public Pigments Be indepen-
dent; young housekeeper never needed
greater moral courage than she does now to
resist the arrogance Of fashion. Do not let
| the As ard BIS decide what you must have,
neither let them hold the strings of your
Parse You know beat what you can and
ought to afford It matters but little what
people think, provided you are true to your
self aad family.
/ Artsmxs Ward was out late one night.
I Here is his account Of his return home.
I 1T was late when returned home The
| children and my wife were all abed. But a
candle candle made from taller Of my
own asin'-gleamed in Bstsy's room Il
I e. c+,]( Tho nj L.