The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-05-11
The Managing Wife.

The Managing Wife.
Ezra Newton had Just finished locking
over his yearly accounts. ''Well," asked
his wife, looking up, chow do You come
out 30
81 tind,n said her husband, ''that my
expenses during the last year have been
thirty-seven cents over thousand dol
lars"
''And your income has been q thousand
dollars?''
eyes. l managed pretty well, dis$'t
I?n
''Do you think it managing we'll to OK
ceed your income?' ?' said his wife.
.'What's thirty ccntsp' asked Nh
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'
''But how can we save on this salary,
Elizabeth? We haven't lived extrava-
gantly Still ii seems to hayc taken it
ALL
"Pcrhaps there is something in which
we might retrcnch. Suppose You mention
some Of Your items"
The most important are house rent,
one hundred and fifty dollars, and articles
of food. five hundred dollars.'
-'Just half"
Yes. and you'll admit that we can't
retrench there, Elizabeth. | like to live
well. | had enough of poor board before
| was married. Now mean to live rs
we'll As | can"
Still we ought to be saving up some
thing against 4 rainy day, Ezra"
That would something like carry
ing an umbrella when the sun shines'
''Stll ii is well TO have an umbrella in
the house."
Il can't controvert Your lo,ic, Eliza
beth. but | am afraid we shan't be able
to save anything this year. When | get
my salery raised, it will be time enough
to think OF that
LET me make Il proposition to you,n
said Mrs. Newton. You say one-half
of your income has been expended on
articles of food. Arc you willing to al
| low me that sum for the purpose ?'
You guarantee TO pay ali bills out of
| it?"
eyes"
'.Then I will shift the responsibility
upon you with pleasure But can tell
you beforehand you won't be able to save
much out of it,
''Perhaps not. AT any rate | will en-
gage not to exceed it,"
'sThat's we'll shouldn't relish having
any additional bills to pay. AS | am paid
every month, ! will nj each payment
hand You half the money"
The different characters of husband and
wife may be Judged from the conversl-
ton which has been recorded. Mr. New
ton had but little prudence or foresight.
He lived chiefly for the present, and
seemed to fancy that whatever contingent
cics might arise in the future he would
somehow be provided for. Now, trust in
| Providence is very proper feeling. but
there is 4 good deal of truth in the old ad-
age that God will help those who will
help themselves.
Mrs. Newton on the contrary, had been
brought up in u family which was COM
PEELED TO be economical and although She
was not disposed to deny herself comforts,
vet she felt that it was desirable to pro-
cure them at Il fair price.
The time at which this conversation took
place was at the commencement Of the
second year of their married life.
The first step which Mrs. Newton took.
on accepting the charge of the household
expenses was to institute the practice OF
paying cash for all the articles that came
under her department.. She accordingly
called on the butcher and inquired:
GLOW often have You been in the habit
of presenting your bills, Mr.. Williams?"
''Once in six months, was the reply.
''And | suppose You sometimes have
bad bills ?"
Eyes, one-third Of my profits on the
average, are swept off by them.''
''And you could afford | suppose, to
sell somewhat cheaper for ready money!"
| Eyes, and | would be glad if all my
customers would give me y chance to do
| son
81 will set them IN example then" said
Mrs. Newton. ''Hcaraftcr whatever
articles shall be purchased Of you will be
paid for on the spot and we shall expect
you to sell as reasonable rs YOU can"
| This arrangement was also made with
| the others, who, it is scarcely necdfu to
say. were very glad to enter into the az
rangcment. Ready money is the great
support Of trade, and Il cash customer is
worth two who purchase on credit.
Fortunately Mrs. Newton had II small
supply of money by her which lasted till
the first monthly installment from
her husband became due. Thus she was
enabled to carry out her cash plan from
| the beginning.
| Another plan which occurred to her as
| likely to save expense, was to purchase
articles in large quantities. She had soon
saved enough from the money allowed
| her to do this. For example, instead of
buying sugar q few pounds at q time, she
| purchased {; barrel, and SO succeeded in
| saving n cent or more on the pound.
| This, perhaps, amounted to u trilc in the
course Of IL year, but the same system
carried out in regard to other articles
yielded y result which was by no means
a trille.
There were other ways in which Il care
full housckeeper in able to limit expense
which Mrs. Newton did not overlook.
| With an object in view she was always
on the lookout to prevent waste, and to
| get the full value OF whatever was cX-
pended.
The result was beyond her anticipa-
| tions.
| At the close of the year, on examining
her bank book-ior she had regularly de-
posted whatever money she had not oc-
casion to use in one OF these Institutions
she found that she had one hundred and
fifty dollars besides reimbursing herself
for the money during the first month, and
having enough to last another.
'Well, Elizabeth, have you kept with
in your allowance ?" asked her husband
at this time. 81 guess you have not
found it SO easy to save rs you thought
| for''
81 have saved something, however"
said his wife. GLOW is it with you ?n
That's more than / can say. However,
| have not exceeded my income, that's
one good thing. We have lived full as
well, and | don't know but better than
last year, when we spent five hundred"
s::1t's knack Ezra" said his wife, smil-
ing.
She was not inclined to mention how
much she had saved. She wanted some
time or other to surprise him with it when
il would be of some service.
"she may possibly have saved uptwcn-
ty-fvc dollars" thought Mr.. Newton" /" or
some such trifle." and so dismissed the
matter from his mind,