Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-10-05
The Managing Wife.

The Managing wife.
Ezra Newton had just finished looking
over his yearly accounts. Well asked
his wife, looking up, 'how do you come
out p
Il find.' said her husband. that my ex-
penses during the last year have been
thirty-seven cents over d thous md dol
lars P
And YOUR income has been Il thousand
dollars ? -,
yes. I managed pretty well, didn't +
DO you think it managing well to ex-
coed your income p said his wife.
What's thirty-seven cents ? aaked 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.
But how can we save on this salary,
Elizabeth p We hsvn't lived extrnva-
gently. Still it seems to have taken 1t
all.
Perhaps there is something in which
we might retrench. Suppose you men
ton some of your Items
The most importont 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. l like to live
well. l had enough of poor bread before
1 married Now, mean to live rs well as
can p
Still we ought to be swing up some
thing against rainy day, Ezra.
That would be something like carry
ing an umbrella when the sun shines
Still it is well to have an umbrella 10
the house ~.
4 can't controvert your logic, Eliza
beth. but am afraid we shau't be able to
save anything this year. When l get my
salary raised, it will be time enough to
think of that
Let me make a proposition TO you,
said Mrs. Newton. You y one-half OF
your income has been expended on arti
| cles of food. Are you willing to allow me
that sum for the purpcss ?
/ You guarantee to pay all bills out OF
it?'
Yes
Then will shift the responsibility on
you with pleasure. But L can tell you
beforehand, YOU won't be able to save
much out of it,
| Perhaps not. At any rate, VIII en-
gage not to exceed IT,.
THAT we'll. I shouldn't relish having
any additional bills to pay. AS L am
paid every month, l will, at each pay
ment, hand you half the moaey.
The different characters of man and
wife NAV be Judged from the converse
tion which has been recorded. Mr.. New
ton had but little prudence or fore
r thought. He lived chiefly for the pres
, emit. and seemed to fancy that whatever
contingencies might arise IN the future
he would somehow be provided for. Nov
trust in Providence is very proper feel
ing. but there is good deal of truth IL
the old adage that God will will help
those who help themselves.
Mrs. Newton, on the contrary, had beer
brought up in family which was com
PEELED to be economical, and although sh'
was not disposed to deny herself comforts
: vet she felt that it was desirable to pro
cure them at fnir price.
The time at which this conversation
took place was at the commencement o
the second year of their married life.
The first step which Mrs Newton tool
on accepting the charge of the household
expenses, was to institute the practice O
paw ing cash for all articles that came un
der her department. She accordingly
called on the butcher and inquired:
How often have you been in the habi
of presenting your bill, Mr.. Williams ?
Once in six months was the reply.
Aud I suppose you have bad bills some
times?
Yes, one.third of my profits, on ar
: average, are swept eff by them ?
, And you could afford, l suppose, tc
sell cheaper for ready cash ?
Yes, and I would be glad If all my
customers would give me chance to de
So
L will set them an example, them sait
Mrs. Newton. Hereafter, Whatever arti
eles shall be purchased of you will be
paid for on the spot, and we shall expect
you to cell as reasonable as you can
This arrangement was also made with
others, whs, it is scarcely needful to say
were very glad to enter into the arrange.
ment. Ready money is the great support
of trade, and a cash customer is worth
two who purchase on credit.
Fortunately Mrs. Newton had small
supply of money by her, which lasted till
the first monthly installment from her
husband became duo. Thus she was ena-
bled 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 al
lowed her to do this. For example, in
stead of buying sugar few pounds at q
time, she purchased barrel, and so sue
cseded in saving cent or more on the
pound. Tbis, perhaps, amounted to but
a trifle in the course of year, but the
same system carried out in regard to the
other articles yielded result which was
| by no means q trihe.
There were other ways in which care