Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-01-28
wives Asking for Money.


There is time in every pure, high soul
ed woman's existence, when her whole
spirit revolts against a necessity which
compels her to speak. 1t is tho moment
when for the first time she is obliged TO ask
her husband for money. If his thoughtful
love and kindness have provided her purse
for weeks with a sufliciency, the hour will
inevitably come when by some neglect or
oversight she is len without any at all.
How long she will go without it. How she
will plan aud arrange to make something
she possesses answer her need. How, as
day AFTER day passes, and the accustomed
courtesy is forgotten, she grows moro des-
perate as she is pressed by tho thousand
and one tribes which she cannot wisely do
without. At last she makes up her mind
TO speak. She argues with herself: II need
not fear refusal. He will rather make
excuses for his iorgetiulness. lie will he
perfectly willing, know. lie docs not
know 1 have been so embarrassed. He
would feel hurt If did not tell him. l
will ask him-but oh caD'ti can'tW
She Is finally driven to il. With flushed
cheeks and a brilliant light in her eyes,
her steps half-haughty, halftimid, the del
icate, keen stabs of her thoughts pricking
her, she half demands, half pleads for the
great divder of loving men and women
money. True gentleman II you knew
what that request cost you would never
compel the woman you love to humble her
pride so again. For the feeling never dies
| out. We have heard women of all ages,
and who have been married more or less
numbers of years, declare, over and again,
that the hardest thing TO bear, in their
| whole married life, was the being obliged
continually 10 ask for money. If a man
does not voluntarily supply the necessary
demands of her purse, what is wife 10
| do? She must ask. We do not mean to
| say that husband should provide his wife
with amounts beyond his means; or il she
| Is naturally extravagant, that he should
| make no sign. 1t is not the amount of the
allowance at all. 1t is the manner in
which it is placed at her disposal. We
warrant that two-thirds of the women in
| this city would agree to receive one-third
less than they annually spend, if it might
only come TO them regularly in the form OF
as upon bank, and mo questions asked"
| The modification is keen enough when a
husband acknowledges his wife's right TO
| a certain portion of his income, but still
obliges her TO mention from day TO day the
extent of her necessities or desires when
he adds fault finding, questioning and re-
fusal, he plants rebellion upon his hearth
I stone. Nothing kills out love so quickly
as the bitterness of injustice and mortifica-
ton. Sir, suppose you are taking care of
| your fathers estate, with merely a tacit un-
| Outstanding that you are of service and in
dispensable to his interests, and without a
settled agreement between you. Would it
not be extremely disagreeable TO be Obliged
to ask him every day or week for whatyou
require for personal expenditure! So it is
with your wife. Just think about it for a
moment. Now that your kindly heart has
perceived her position, and your just and
generous qualities have led you to look
| deeply into the fine, womanly pride which
keeps her so pure and sweet, SO attractive
and yet so irreproachablo, say to yourself:
"She shall never suffer so again. l will
tell her to-day just how much 1 can afford
! TO allow her, and we will have better I'M
Outstanding henceforth." Be sure that the
glow on her cheek will then be one of pleas
ure, and that she will never take undue ad.
vantage OF SO appreciative an ct.-GOid-
| en- Age.
|