St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-07-30
The Maraging Wife.

EzIa Newton has just finished look iug
over his yearly accounts. Well. asked
his wife. looking up, how do you come
out
| find. said her husband. that my eX-
pcnscs during the last Year have been
thirty N-seVeu cents over ii Thousand dol
lars.
Aud louI Income has been Thousand
dollars
Yes. managed prett! we'll didn't !?
DO you think its managing we'll to
exceed Your income said his wife.
" hats thirty-stNcn cents asked Nh.
Newton. lightly.
Not much, to Ice 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 such Il salary.
| Elizabeth. We haven't lived cXtrava-
gamtly. Still il seems to have taken it
all.
Perhaps there's something in which
We might Ietrench. suppose YOU men
ton some Of your items.
The most important are house rent.
one hundred and fifty doIlaIs; and al
ticcs of food, five hundred dollars.
just half.
Yes, and You admit that we cant re
| trench there. Elizabeth. | like to live
we'll. | had enough "t poor board be
fore | married. Now | mean to live as
we'll as can.
Still. We ought to hc S;N ing up some
thing against Il rainy day, Ezra.
That would bc something like carry
ing an umbrella when the SUI, shines.
Still it is well to have an umbrella in
the house.
cant cuntrovert Nour logic, Eliza
beth, but I'm afraid We shan't he able
to save anything this Hear. When |
yet my salary raised, ii will be time
enough to think of that.
Let me make a proposition to you,
said Mis-. Newton. You say one half
Your income has been expended on ar
ticles of food. Are YOU willing to ALLOW
me that sum for the purpose
You guarantee to pay all bills out
of it ?
Yes.
Then | will shift the responsibility
upon you with pleasure. But can tell
Won beforehand you wont be able tn
save much out of it.
Perhaps not. Al any rate, | will en-
gage not to exceed it.
That's well. shouldn't relish having
any additional bills to pay. As | am
paid every month, | will at each pay
ment hand you half the money.
The different characters of husband
and wife may bc judged from the con
versation which has been recorded. Mr.
Newton had but little prudence OF fore
sight. He lived chiefly for the present,
and seemed to fancy that whatever con
tIngencics might rise in the future. he
would somehow he provided for. Now,
trust to providence is Il very proper
feeling, but there is good deal of truth
in the old adage that God will hell
those who help themselves.
Mrs. Newton, on the contrary, had
been brought up in family which was
compelled to he economical, and al
though she was not disposed to deny
herself comforts, yet she felt that it was
desirable TO procure them at Il fair price
The time at which this conversation
took place WAS at the commencement o
the second year of their married life.
The first step which Mrs. Newton
I took, on accepting the charge of the
household expenses, was to Instltut,
' the practice of paving cash for all arti
cles that came under her department
She accordingly called on the butcher
and inquired:
How often have you been i'll the
habit of presenting your bills, Mr.. VIII
liausP
Once in six months, was the reply.
And suppose you sometimes hav'
bad bills?
Yes. one third of my profits, OIL al
st average, are swept off by them.
And you could afford, | suppose, t.
Il sell somew hat cheaper for ready money
Yes. and | would be glad if all m