The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-08-11
ECONOMY IN TIIE HOUSEHOLD.
How Mrs. McGOOchcn Did her own
Work-The Savings of Week,

From the Brunswick BrunSwicker.
One morning about two weeks ago
Mrs. McGoochen beamed blandly across
the breakfast table ON her husband,
and informed him that she had cOnClui-
ed to discharge the hired girl and do
her own work. This announcement
startled Mr.. McGoOchen almost as much
a, if she had declared she was going
10 commit suicide. He had long known
that hired help WAS heavy drain upon
his meager salary, but his wife had
educated him to regard ii a indIspen-
,ible. and he had made up his mind to
endure it forever. That she should vol
unfairly offer to dispense with the srryi-
ces of y cirl was something for which he
WAS not prepared Looking at her with
an expression in which nope and doubt
painfully mingled, he said; -,
..You.why-yo can't DO II, Eliza. -
Cant do i, indeed! Ia like to know
what's the reason. Lots OF women IN
t6is town DO II great deal more and think
nothing Of it. Our family'S small-juSt
YOU and me and Henry Nard-and II l
cant do the work for US three Ia better
go to the hospital and be done with 1t.
"What put YOU into the notion| ask
ed her husband hardly yet recover
ed from his surprise.
We'll, Peter" she replied, speaking in
a tender self-reproving tone, 81 |! tel!
Won. I've been thinking lately how hard
Won have to work, and how little l
have done to assist you, in comparison
with what | might do and what | ought
to do. and it appears TO me that | should
try to reduce our expenses as much a.
p6,-lble and the best way | know Of Is
In do nv own homework. We are poor,
iu., making begiuingin life, and It's my
duty to help YOU
With voice almost choked with emo
ton at this unexpected evlderce oi MS
wii.'S devotion and energy, ne iecbly es-
saved TO break her resolution, SAYING that
he didn't want her to be slave tor
him. and that she was too dehcate for the
task he contemplated, that all he asked
of her was Continued love and syinpa'
thy.
Mr., McGoDchcn. "lts high time my
love and sympathy were assuming aprac
tical iorm. III discharge the girl TIM
very day. But there i one conc'.ion
Peter
Name it, my noble wife
THAT new carpet YOU thought w
were unable to buy. Now, if do my
own work 1t will save at least one hun
dred dollars year, and You can Ger
tainly afford the carpet.
DOf course, my love, IT you are sni'''
fled yoa are not undertaking more than
you can perform.
She was satisfied, and so it was set
tied Mack logged the carpet home at
noon. and found the girl gone. Hl>
wife was gone, too, but she returned
shortly having only been around telling
the neighbors that she was doing her own
work. Dinner was late, but then 1t wa,
the first meal by her fair fingers, and
he could make allowance for the nov
/ city of the position in which she found
herself placed. .,
Acting on her suggestion, Mack brought
home rocking chair wnen he caIh'
to supper. They were saving 500 "
wear, and could we'll afford such little
things When his wife returned from
her visit 10 the rest of the neIghborS
whom she had been informing that she
WAS doing her own work, she was de
lighted with the new chair. ana de
c,ur,d that they must have full set %
furniture t. match it, ~ on know
Peter, that / will more then save th'
cost of it IN year, and | will feel s'
proud TO know that my labor secured IT..
This was said so beseechingly, ant
she hung so lovingly on his neck thu
while, that Mack couldn't resist the up
peal. The furniture was sent down tn,
next day.
About three DAYS after Mrs. McGoocheI
couNcd Peter INTO buying her silk dress
and the next day she whcedlcl him out o
"a set OF iewclry. 1t was the same oil,
p'ca-she was tightening expenses s,
much by doing her own work that SIT
felt that she was entitled To somethii!
extra. 1t would smount to no moro, sh
reasoned. than the hire of girl, AN
Peter could well afford 10 give it to her
Mack began to get uneasy. Wa
there, after all, any saving in dom
without u hired girl? Wouldn't tina
sort Of economy bankrupt him in les
than year? He got piece OF pape
and figured:
Expenses one week without help:
Garnet 50 y
Furniture ........ ............ ~ y
Dress aud JewcIry ~ VI
Total
Cost OF
Balance in favor OF q domcStic."",..slis 0
uc,.b,,, ,,o. sstour6r1 Gra<pinl