The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-10
Handy to Have III the House.

There are some men who are consid.
cred desirable as husbands, and others
who are quoted as hardly worth the
house room they occupy or the proven
der they consume. OF the latter kind
was the little man concerning whom his
! wife dreamed that she went to country
fair where husbands were exposed for sale.
On his begging her to tell what she found
the price to be Of such as himself, she
replied, after some hesitation, that she
saw similar article Of husbands put up
in punches of dozen, and offered at a
shilling bunch. Such husband is in
deed profitless possession. A shrewd
woman in New York found herself the
wife of this kind of piece of goods.
lie was idle and shiftloss, aud of so lit
tie financial experience that even in
those rare instances in which he sue
ceeded in earning any money, he was
unable to keep it long enough to bring
1t home. Instead of supporting his wife,
ho was burden on her, and an expense
to her. To avoid the otherwise inevita-
BILE journey to the poor house, she was
compelled TO work, and to support the
whole impecunious family.
But there is lining of silver TO even
the most leaden cloud, and this strug-
ling woman happily discovered that her
man had one talent which she might
turn to profitable account. He could
carve at dinner parties, and this was the
only thing he could do. In doing this
he was crowning success. He had no
more skill at making contracts than at
bringing money home. So the thrifty
housewife concluded not to turn him
adritt TO starve, as she feared would be
hftf IN 4. 4
rent him out rs opportunity offered.
From time to time she sought out all the
people she could find who being about TO
give entertainments, might need the SER
vices of skilled manipulation of the
carying-knife. Explaining to these peo-
pie the peculiar condition of her domes-
tic affairs, she would hire her husband
out for fixed sum, stipulating that tho
money should be paid to herself and not
TO him. An interesting and q novel
style of law suit now arises from mis-
tase in the payment. The husband had
earned seven dollars for carving at the
dinner party of nabob. The nabob
thoughtlessly paid him the money, and
he as thoughtlessly spent it before he
reached home. Thereupon the wife un-
dertook to collect from the nabob the
stipulated sum basing her claim on the
TACT that as the poor man was sort of a
nobody, payment to him was no
payment at all. The nabob re-
sisted The eIiIieavor 10 collect q second
seven dollar fee from him, alleging that
he had paid the perGon who did the
work, and that if that improvident indi-
vidual had nothing to show for it, the
misfortune should Justly fall on the poor
fellow himself The wifa successfully
resisted this argument by showing that
sho was the contracting party, and that
she had hired her husband out just as a
livery keeper would hire out horse, i'm
which latter case, it would be manifestly
improper and insufficient to claim that
payment consisted in handing the money
to the animal. The woman rotires tri-
umphantly from court, happy in the
peaceful possession of bit Of property
from which, when rented out she can
draw substantial income.
It is not lawful in this country to ex-
pose husband for sale, but the fact is
now established that one may be kept
for hire. The lesson is one which \, III
carry comfort to many an embarrassed
girl who, having blundered into mar
riage, finds that she has on her hands q
lazy and lonnging person, who is of no
particular use. If she can diecover even
one talent, and turn that to accour.:, she
mny set the otherwise Improbable fell
low to work by renting him out tc do the
only thing be understands. Thus is
hope in store for many q sorrowful wo-
man, thus may affiuence await the
thrift of the wife who is shrewd enough
to untiliZe shiftless and burdcnsome
hus6and.-fnilddclphi Times. ..