Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-11-12

bleY'
AT that, she cried again the more
heartily. .-.-. .t
"T have been married fifteen years.
she confessed, from the abundance of her
heavy heart, 'and there has never been q
time since'.my honeymoon, when requir-
ed money for any object, that have not
stood before my husband like humbled
beggar. II is all one whether want it
for household or personal expenses.
There is no difference in his manner of
granting the request. He is generous,
and you say truly that he loves me, but
he does not underestimate never saw a
man that-how disagreeable it is TO be
compelled to sue for the means with
which to clothe ones self and meet the
numberless calls upon the purse of the
mistress of family. They all fancy
that women are born with bias toward
prodigality, and that the best way TO
keep this down is to make money getting
excessively unpleasant TO the would-be
spendthrifts. I'VE who earn it under
stand how slowly and through what la
Dor it comes into our hands, he has told
me again and again.
The surprised what already = when l
inform him that my exchequer is exhaust
ed; the sigh with which he pulls ont his
pocket-book the ominous compression
of his lips as he counts the bank-notes (;
perhaps, worst of all, the cold, curt tone
in which he asks, will that do tor the
present p in handing me the roll of bills,
are 30 many lashes upon my shivering
self.respect. If he wouldn't make an i'm
mediate memorandum before my eyes, of
the sum he has given me, in the hateful
black book he carries in his breast-pock-
ct, should not feel quite SO mean. /
brought him no dowry-a fact remem-
Der whenever these scenes occur, wheth-
er he does or not. declare to you, Sa-
lone, have often shrunk away, after the
submissive thank you 7 force myself to
utter; gone up to my room, dashed the
money on the floor, and raved like mad
woinan-I felt myself to be SO base and
degraded thing
4 was shocked now, and said so in
plain language.
you dishonor your husbands gen.
.tlemanhood by speaking and feeling as
you do told her. you should let him
know how you regard the whole matter.
He would be grieved-- and amazed, but
you would never be subjected to this
trial again. 4.
She shook her head sorrowfully.
"Once-in my more impetuous and
younger days-I refused to touch the
vile stuff ! gained at such cost told
him would starve in rags rather than
ever ask him for another penny. He
was astonisLed, and as angry as he ever
gets with me made me pick the money
up, and bade me never be so unkind and
irrational again.
.".Sound advice !" commented |.
"You think / ought not to tell these
things," she said quickly. "You are
right. But you have been like sister
to me for so long. and James is your own
'cousin-and sometimes / fret over these
tdisagreeables until it seems that brain
and heart will burst unless seek counsel
and sympathy from some true friend. !
am not ungrateful to James. Ny lot is
far preferable to that of most woman.
am acquainted with several-harum-
scarum, insensitiFe, and not overlooking
wives-who declare that they don't
mind the ordeal of asking for money.
They have q right to their share, they
say, and they mean to have it. II the
men choose to worry, who cares ? But
the vast majority feel just as ! do, unless
they have private resources, or regular
allowance for household expenses, cloth
ing included, and-as the advertisements
say-No questions asked. A lady told
me once, that, knowing her husband to
be very careless about keeping an ac-
count of such loose money as he carried
in his pockets, she had often distracted
small sums while he slept.
And did he never miss them ?-inquir-
nette's carless. 'manper, of mentioning it.
Sometimes. His wife said it amused
her greatly to hear him say, in adding
up his weeks account, Eight or ten
dollars short again. must be more
particular in noting every portion before
it slips my memory. 3 I'll put it dowaon
the side of profit and loss |, Since he
took the deficit so philosophically, and
grumbled SO dolefnlly when she solicited
the light sum, she was encouraged to re-
peat the experiment. could not do
that, although the lady spesk Of saw
no harm in it so long as suspicion fell
upon no one else. She said she was only
helping herself to what the law adjudg,
ed to be hers, and she was saved many
uncomfortable scenes. But / tell you
what do, Salome. | never tell James
of any money that falls into my posses
sion by other means than petitioning
him. l will not give account of these,
Mr. brother Roger sends me twenty dol
lars in gold every Christmas. For three
years l showed my treasure to James,
and perhaps three or four months after
ward he asked me what had done with
it. Now, appropriate the gift in Sc.
cret, and let him believe that poor old
Roger has neglected me. And once
Uncle Ferdinand from whose wife was
named, gave me check for hundred
dollars on my.birthday. 1t was unspeaka
bly, delicious-the feeling that / might
buy book or a ribbon, or toy without
fastening the day of reckoning. W.
had sunshine in the house for month
the housekeeping money held out sc
well.'
But did Tot this circumstance arouse
his suspicious He must know how
| \. 49,.