Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-02-24
THE HOUSEHOLD.
The Money Value of Wives.

min Hearth and Home gets on 80 much truth
-, nood advice in the subjoined article, that
o. ~ giye IL a place in Our columns and especially
.ommend il to our readers;
:, is sometimes necessary to look at things
,.,r, the lowest possible plane in order 70 see
it',n y w, "a they are. "Will 1t pay2" 10 legiti-
lho.a ltn question in many cases. in which it seems
' MAJ ,nvn5aracions or sordid one. Sometimes, too,
~ An,'i,,ra un TO properly estimate the money value
oiven thing results in failure TO appreoi-
". III other and higher worth, which cannot be
saooVwnnted in dollars and cents. a iuxury,-which
"iro ou,Jr necessity, is doubly valuable, and the
! ss; S nreciousness Of anything is certainly not
Iiiuu'inished by the fact that 1t happens also TO
nave pecunary worth.
mar error than that Of regarding wives and
,nothers as expensive Injuries, or at best as
N"lona who, in consequence OF their position,
poi road from the law: In the sweat Of thy
sIo s halt thou earn thy bread We talk Of
iD'L;n,T iauo women al a class by themselves. We
,aS woman who teaches school or makes
I,sssas or does anything else OF the sort, that
uIp'k ane works for her living, and altogether too
,snv snC men speak of the money supplied to their
nl', .niacs A. money giUen TO them. Now, the fact
" that there are no women who more truly
~ II Ior their living than do all worthy wives
Wi WI mothers. More than this, there are no
nnmeu a.T whose work is OF greater pecuniary val
~o then theirs, and the man who Tails to recog-
W. t,o theae facts does his wife sore injustice,
hnwever tenderly he may regard her-however
1,oely he may open his purse to her in the ca
n,city OF liberal and willing benefactor. II
iiIo be eyen tolerably good wife, he assigns
har the place OF beneficiary. He has no right
,o n'i he her patron, even though he be very
munhcent one; ,.. L.. ,,.o...ts =.
home have positive money value OF very con-
s;Jerabe amount, AZ any one may see upon re-
soc,inn and this fact deserves recognition at
.I,o Least Count her personal expenses a5 mere
.s.,es .S FOR work done and skill brought to bear
w. Ponsehold management, and in very few cases
T., ~ ,ho wife maid, Estimate her money value by
~t,t .he might earn in other walks OF life II she
b,I devoted her time to the acquisition OF skill
,beren as she has to the learning OF wifely and
mothery work, and it will be found IN the ma
inritv of instances that she is upon half pay.
Measure her services by the expenses their aper-
f1e,nsnce would entail were 1t necessary to sub
.tttnte hirelings for her in the parlor, in the
d,nin,, room. in the nursery, at the sewing ma
chne and Il will be evident that hers ia the
cheapeat. while il is the most faithful labor in
the market. "
"We know that this is homely treatment for
snch A topic. but it is a wholesome one for all
,hsi and the lesson is one which cannot be too
so1p or too thoroughly learned. Noperson pos
se.sed of an ordinary amount of self respect ii
aver truly happy as a dependent upon anybody y
bouuty. and we have no right whatever TO force
into nch position the people who, Of all others
mostafaiily earn the money they receive. Let
us no be- misunderstood. We would have nc
birinptbetween husband and wife, no wages in
tIo household, no atmosphere OF trade in the
family circle. But the husband of a faithful wife
qhonid recognize her right to higher position
and greater freedom than that OF dependent
and beneficiary"