The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-02-06
The Managing Wife.

expenses during the past year have been
thirty-seveu cents over thousand dol
lars"
"Aud your income has been thous-
and dollars p
"Ycs. | managed pretty we'll. didn't
IW
"Do you think it managing well to ex-
ceed your income ?" said his wife.
Whats thirty-seven centf?" asked
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 ? We haveu't lived extrava-
gautly. Still it seems to have eaten it
ALL"
"Perhaps there is something in which
we might retrench. Suppose you men,
tion some OF your items"
THE most important are house rent,
one hundred and fifty dollars, and arti-
cles of food five hundred dollars"
Just half
"Yes, and you'll admit that we cant
retrench there Elizabeth. like to live
well. l had enough of poor board be.
fore | married. Now | mean to live as
well as I can"
"Stil we ought to be saving up some
thing against a rainy day, Ezra,
That would be something like carry
ing an umbrella when tho sun shines"
"Still it is well to have an umbrellt
in the house.
81 can't controvert your logic, Eliza
beth but am afraid we shan't be abl,
to save anything this year. When l ge
my salary raised, it will be time enougl
to think of that"
"Let me make proposition to you,
said Mrs. Newton. "You said one-hal
Of your income has been expended on ar
ticles of food. Are you willing to ALLOW
me that sum Tor the purpose y
"You guarantee to pay all bills out o
itY
"Yes."
Then will shift the responsibility
upon you with pleasure. But can tel
you beforehand, you won't be able t
save much out ofit.'
perhaps not. At any rate, wi
engage not to exceed it,"
That's we'll | shouldn't relish hav
ing any additional bills to pay. As
am paid every month, | will, at eac
payment, hand you half the money"
The different characters of husban
and wife may be judged from the cor
versation which has been recorded. Nj
Newton had but little prudence an
foresight. He lived chiefly for the pre'
ent, aud seemed to fancy that whateve
contingencies might arise in the future
he would somehow be provided for. Mo-
trust in Providence is very proper fee
ing but there is good deal Of truth i
the old adage that "God will help thos
who will help themselves"
Mrs. Newton, on the contrary, ha
been brought up in family which WI
compelled to be economical, and althoug
she was not disposed to deny herself con
forts, yet she felt that it was desirable
procure them at fair price
The time at which this conversatic
took place was at the commencement {
the second year Of their married life.
The first step which Mrs. Newtc
took, on accepting the charge Of tt
household expenses was to institute tt
practice of paying cash for all articl
that came under her department. St
accordingly called on the butcher an
inquired
How often have you been in the ha
D it of presenting your bills, Mr.. Wi
: iams ?"
"Once in six months" was the repl
"And I suppose you sometimes ha'
. bad bills? ?"
"Yes, one.thrd Of my profits, on 8
t average, arc swept off by them"
| "And you could afford, | suppose,
sell somewhat cheaper for ready mo
ey?"
u "Yes, and would be glad is all n
!, customers would give me chance to {
s So"
III will set them an example then
said Mrs. Newton. Hereafter, wha
ever articles shall b, purchased Of "
will be paid for ou the spot, and '
shall expect you to sell as reasonable
you can"
= This arrangement was also made wi
the others, who, it is scarcely Deedful
, say, were very glad to enter into t
arrangement. Ready money is Il
great support of trade, and cash Gu
toner is worth two who purchase
credit
:, Fortunately, Mrs. Newton had smi
supply by her which lasted till the fiji
monthly installment from her husba
lie became due. Thus she was enabled
If carry out her cash plan from the he!i
ming.
Another plan which occurred to h
as likely to save expense, was to pu
chase articles in large quantities. S
: had soon saved enough from the mon
J, allowed her to do this. For examp
" instead of buying sugar a few pounds
i. time, she purchased barrel, and :
succeeded in saving a cent or more
= the pound. This, perhaps, amounted
but a triflc in the course of year. b
the same system carried out in regard
other articles yielded result viii
p? was by no means triAe.
There were other ways in which
10 careful housekeeper is able TO limit {
pense which Mrs. Newton did not ov,
look. With an object in view she "
always on the lookout to prevent was
e, and to get the full value of whatever "
at At expended.
to The result was beyond her apticiI
at tions.
es At tho close of the year, on examiEi
D. her bank book--for she had regularly
posted whatever money she had not (
10 casion to use in one of these institute
= she found tn I she had one hundr
es and fifty dollars, besides reimbursing h
3, self for tho money the first month"; a