The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-22
Teach the Women to Save" f"
BY KATE TRUE.

Good business, isn't it, but who'll do
the teaching? As woman who under
stands the entire process of saving, with
all its manifold twistings, turnings and
worries, protest in behalf of my sisters
against this ever recurring text with its
endless sermons. Who ever said,
"teach q man to save?n Who ever
questioned a son of Adam about "that
five dollar bill in his pocket book" and
added chow in the world do you get rid
of money so soon ?"
Wouldn't you like TO see the aforesaid
son when he replied, especially if he
were about ten minutes past his twenty
first year? The newspapers keep on it
continually; i'll the North, South, East
and West, they parade slyl title sermons
on "the economical housewife" by the
side of n flaming account of the "great
supper of the B. B. Club" or an appeal
TO the ladies from some Young Mems
Union. Beardless boys talk soberly of
wOmen's extravaganza, catching tone
from the old greybeards who know bet
ter, and have stated over and over again
in private, "they would not be worth q
dollar but for their prudent wives" /
don't know how TO explain the conduct
of these men; like the actor who played
lame for years, they have acquired a
twist and cannot walk properly; the
limp hangs on. 1t is an inherited taint,
too; you see am determined to say the
best / can for them, and perhaps the
poor things do try to overcome il and
can't. Adam is to blame; he was the
first great sneak and gave us the first il
lustration of the protecting power of
man." when he did wrong and excused
himself by blaming Eve. She took it
meekly no doubt, and that is the trouble
with most of us-we have taken
lectures on our eXtravagance so long,
we have about decided that every finan-
cial crisis is due entirely TO our owning
one solitary black silk dress, the price
Of which falls far below the amount
paid for either of the three overcoats
now hanging in the next room.
In fact, when we gave 1.-THE silk, we
mean-its last refreshing bath of vine
gar and water, and spent an entire week,
with the aid of cheap dress-maker for a
day in reconstructing il, we distinctly
remember how sweetly our "him"
complimented us on our skill and taste,
and removed from his precious lips n
twenty-five cent cigar in order to do so.
We further remember the appearance OF
large dog on or about this time, and
when we suggested to Adolphus that
Bookkeeping was expensive, he greeted
us with the assurance that "BrOwn of
fered fifty for him, but he gave \ trifle
more. You see, my dear, he is the only
one of the kind in town, splendid
hunter, you know"
| could not see wherein we were tC
benefit by these admirable qualities, as
AdOlphus never cares to hunt and sell
dom leave town, for the money never
holds out until August, although have
made over my own stockings for the
girls and their fathers for the boys
every season, to say nothing of tipping
upside down and inside out an old band
box Of finery which possessed when
was married, and have made trot out on
parade every spring and fail 10 exc out
the family millinery and dress-making
To be sure, Adolphus has 4 spring hat
a fall hat and a winter hat, as know
to my sorrow, for all of the present sup
ply with q portion of last years are
pretty sure to be lying about loose.
think il was only last week he gave a
''ten dollar soft feltp to Mike who dig:
up the four by five piece of earth we cal
our garden. / said something about il:
being made over, but Adolphus laughed
at me, so took down the old black straw
have worn five seasons, and after wet
ting it and pressing it with a fiat-iron,
made it look very well and something
the shape of a new one my old schoo
| friend Mary has just brought home from
Paris. 1 found some velvet in the ole
bandbox, which looked remarkably wei
after / steamed and brushed it, and will
a flower from one of my bridal bonnets
saved with care, and n veil from TIN
winter one, it really is "quite Stylish
/ showed it TO Adolphus when he cam'
in, and told him it had not cost an out
lay of even one cent; that seemed Il
please him, and he showed me n new
pair of sleeve buttons he had bought o
his friend Brown. "He offered then
less than cost and my old ones are get
ting shabby" They were beauties, ant
1 said so, and only fifteen dollars!
did feel little sad few days after
when one of the boys said my old ha
was solemn enough for gradma, an,
asked me why / didn't have pretty ney
things like Mary? / went down to Sc
Mary little while after. She had
lovely home and a wealthy husband
and l enjoyed seeing her in it, for tn
school friendship is stronger than ever
since babies have come and gone in bot
homes.
found Mary in the nursery playin
with the children, but she left them an
went with me to the library, for sh
said in her old kind way, "You need res
and quiet now, and one house full of lii
tie folks is quiteenough for you" Mar
was mending q little waist for one Q
her children, and / asked her wonder
ingly why she did not give that away
and have her seamstress make new
''It will be one of my delights j
Heaven" l added, "tO be free fror
mending."
'TYou dear child" she said, al mus
draw the line somewhere. Since jaime
retired from business, know exactl
how much our income is, and if l wei
TO rush into the best of everything at a
times, as men do, he would find himse
compelled to resume his work, and hi
health is not good, you know. Yo
see the wealthiest must manag
or the principal will be expende
as well as the interest, and James doc
not understand saving; men never d'
they talk of it, but never practice it, an
thus il comes to pass that my husban
gets whatever pleases him whenever b
likes, and purchase such things f'
myself as can, after the children hay
been provided for. When the girls hay
everything new, remodel, and Jam,
never knows anothing about it. Whe
we were abroad we bought many thin:
remarkably cheap, but never exceed
given sum for personal expenditure
} Tor L hold it to be duty to give
tions."
Mary" said I, "what do you thin
) about women's savings p"
, 81 Think" she answered, s'if it we
, not for the many good saving wives
America, few vain women and mar
proud men would ruin us. If a ms