The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-12-19
Five.Minute Chats with Wives,

In street-car we overheard CONVEX
sation between husband and wife,
which we wish to repeat:
"John, wish to speak to you about
something which am afraid You won't
like Won't you be 80 kind as to let me
have six dollars and half? l don't like
to ask it, and | have put it off and put it
off till don't see how I can put it off
any longer"
six dollars and half Now, look
here, Mary. do you think I am made of
money? Six dollars and half Why,
it's only the other day that gave you
five dollars. What nonsense are you after
this timer Do you suppose 1 pick up
money in the street? Well, don't. l
work for every dollar and for every
penny |"
No. John, dear, know you have to
work for money, and / have hardly slept
for week thinking about asking you,
but 1 don't see how l can get along an
other day without bonnet. Since mine
was wet that day, have seen all the
time that must have new one. And
then-you mustn't be offended with me,
but it was four months ago that you
gave me the five dollars, and you know
what spent that for, and am sure you
approved of it."
"Oh, of course it is all right and very
necessary, and you couldn't possibly live
minute without it. That's always the
way with you women. And then what
in the world do you want to give six dol
lars and half for one of those little
contemptibleF They are not worth ak
cents and half"
"I am very sorry can't get one
cheaper, but this is the very cheapest one
| could find. Why, John, that hat which
wore just before we were married cost
twenty-fi dollars"
II shall give you the money Of course !;
if it was six millions, you must have it
or you would go into fit and die. The
times are tight, can tell you, and you
will have to get along as chcaply as you
can"
We would have given something for
the privilege of conversing with that
young wife. We should have said:
"Dear madam, you are in great dam
ger of losing your husbands esteem and
affection. No man can long respect
woman, be she his wife or otherwise, who
begs and crawls at his feet. Nothing
can compensate for the loss of his res sect
and love. Any woman who is willing to
beg for money to buy bonnet must be
mean. spirited indeed. If she is starving
to death, perhaps begging might be ex-
cusable, but to beg for an article of or
namental dress is despicable. But if you
have made up your mind to beg for
bonnet, don't imperil the respect and
love of your husband in addition to the
humiliation of the begging. If you must
beg, beg of some one whose respect is not
so vital to your happiness. Can't you
earn money in snma vyayp Better go to
some good neighbor and do any kind of
work that you are able to do; better
scTub-better resort to any thing except
theft rather than crawl at the feet of the
one man whose esteem is dearer to you
than any other earthly possession. And
if wife is not able to work, or has chill
dren, and therefore no time for other
tasks, then she should say to her hus-
band, i will never beg. If you see the
wisdom of setting aside a certain amount
for my wardrobe, very well; if not, then
you must observe for yourself, and thus
find out what is necessary in my person.
el expenses The respect and tenderness
which this course would secure would be
worth to you thousand-fold more than
the most elaborate dress in the world."-
DiO LeDis.