Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-02-03
sEl,Eog;ll'EE Ed STORY
THE MANAGING WIFE.
BY HoRATIo ALGER, JR.

Ezra Newton had just finished looking
over his yearly accounts. *Well," asked
bis wife, looking up chow do you ceme
cut p
Il fnd," said her husband, ''that my ex.
penses during the last year have been thr-
ty-seven cents over a thousand dollars"
'And your income has bee a thousand
dollars
Eyes, managed pretty we'll, didn't ! p
EDO you think it managing well to ex-
coed your income ?" said his wife.
whats thirty-seven cents p said Mr..
Newton, lightly.
''Not much, to be sure, but still some
thing. 1t seems to ME that we ought to
have saved instead of falling behind 4"
''But how can I save Oh this salary, Eliz-
abeth !? We haven't lived e1travagantly -
Still it seems to have taken ALL
Perhaps there is something in which We
might retrench. Suppose you men'i n
some of the Items"
THE most important are house rent, one
hundred and fifty dollars, and articles of
food, five hundred dollars"
'Just half'
eyes, and you'll admit that we can't re-
tr' pch there, Elizabeth like to live well.
l had enough of poor board before I mar
ried Now mean to live Well"
''still We ought to be saving up somc-
thing against rainy day, Ezra"
That would be something like carrying
an umbrella when the sun shiues"
''Stili it is we'll to have an umbrella ia
the house"
Il can't controvert your logic, Elizabeth /;
but am afraid we shan't be able to save up
anything tt is year. When [ get my salary
raised, it will be time enough to think of
that"
''Let me make a proposition to you" said
Mrs. Newton ''You say that onc-half Of
your income has been expended on articles
of food A.e you willing to allow me that
sum for the purpose
"You guarantee to pay all bills out Of
it?''
Yes
.'And relieve me of all care on that
poiot p
Eyes"
''Then will shift the responsibility upon
you with pleasure. But can tell you be-
foreyL and that you won't be able to save
much cut of it.'
''Perhaps net. At any rate | will en-
gage not TO exceed it,
'.That's well shouldn't relish having
any additional bills to pay. As I am paid
every month, will at each payment land
you half the money"
The differing characters of The husband
and wife may be judged from the converse
ton which has been recorded. Mr., New
ton had but little prudence or foresight
He lived chiefly for tie present, and seemed
to fancy that whatever contingencies might
arise in the future, be would somehow be
provided for Now trust in Providence i,
very proper feeling, but there is good
deal of truth in the oil adage that God
helps those who help themselves, and in
pro portion as they are disposed to help
themselves
Mrs. Newton, on the contrary, had been
b. ought up in family which was compelled
to be ECONOMICAL, and although she vas mol
disposed to deny herself comforts, vet shs
felt that it was desirable to procure them a
fair price.
The time at which this conversation took
place was at the commencement Of the sec
ond year of their married life.
The first step which Mrs. Newton took
on accepting the charge of the households
expenses, was to institute the practice Of
pa wing cash for all articles that came under
her department. She accordingly called OF
the butcher and inquired, elbow often have
you been in the habit Of presenting your
bills, Mr.. Williams q
"Once in six months" was the reply.
"And I suppose you sometimes have aa(
bills"
eyes, onc-third of my profits, on IN av
erag, are swept off by them"
''And you could afford, suppose, to sci
somewhat cheaper for ready money :"
Yes, and I would he glad if all my Gus
toners would give me chance to do SO.
Il viii! set them an example, then" salt
Mrs. Newton. thereafter, whatever arti
Giles are purchased of you will be paid 70
on the spot, ana re shall expect you to sci
as reasonably as you can"
This arrangement was also made wit
others, who, it is scarcely needful to say
were very glad to enter into the arrange
mcnt. Ready money is the great supper
of trade, and a cash customer is worth tY
who purchase On credit.
Fortunately Mrs. Newton had a sma
supply of money by her, which lasted til
the first monthly instalment from her hu'
band became dug. Thus she was enable
to carry out her cash plan from the begir
ming.
Another plan which occurred to her a