The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-08-11
THE WIFE'S WAGES.

"Well, Nettie, what do you wantP"
said Mr.. Jarvis to his wife, who stood
looking ather anxiously at him after
he had paid the factory hands their
week wages.
"Why, Donald" sal | she, "Ithought
as had worked for you ali the week
would come for my wages, too! You
pay Jane two dollars week, surely
earn that, and would like very much
TO have it as my own
"Psllaw, Nettie, how ridiculously
you ,alkl You know that all | have
belongs to you and the cl.ildren-and
don't furnish the house and every
thingp What under the sun would you
do with money if you hld ilP"
Il know, Donald, that you buy The
necessaries for us al' and am willing
that you should do sostll, but should
like a lit lie money OF my very own. We
have been married fifteen years, and in
all that time / do not seem To have
earned dollar. As far as money is con-
cerned | might as well be slave.
cannot buy quar5 of berries, nor a
book, without asking you tor the
money, and | should like To be a little
more Independent"
Mr.. Jarvis, proprietor OF Jarvis mills,
worth thousands OF dollars, laughed de-
risively.
You're fine one to talk of indie
penience," he said. ''If you should
start out to make your own living, you'd
fetch up in the poorhouse soon enough.
for what could you do to earn living P
The girls in the factory know how to
do their work, and they earn their
wages. When 1 have paid them my
duty is done, but l have to board and
clothe you, and take care of you when
you are sick. II l had to do that for the
girls, they would have precious little
money left, can tell you"
when l married you. For five years
had supported m yself by it, and many a
time since have 1 envied myself the
purse of those days. AS for my not
earning am khing now, leave it to you
to say whether it would be possible to
hire another to take my place; and how
much do you suppose it would cost you
to do without me a yearP l know the
girls have but little left after paying
their expenses, but they enjoy that little
so much. Allie Watson supports her
self and her mother with her wages, and
they both dress better than do. Jennie
Hart is helping her father pay off the
mortgage on his farm, and she is so
happy that she can do so. Even Jane,
the kitchen girl, has more freedom than
/, for out of her own money she is lay.
ing by presents for her relatives, and
will send them Christmas, as much tC
her own pleasure SIS theirs. Yesterday
an Indian woman was at the hou with
such handsome bead work to sell, and
although waited some money so much
/ lad not a dollar! / felt like crying
when Jane brought in her weeks wages
and bought half a dozen articles that
wanted so much. You. often say tina
all YOU have is mine, but five dollars
would have given me more pleasure yes
terday than your hundreds of thousand;
of dollars worth of property did"
"No doubt of that, Mrs. Jarvis. YoJ
have no idea of the value of money, anC
would have enjoyed buying lot OF beaC
trash that wouldn't be worth a cent u
ANYBODY. Jane needs a guardian if sh
fools away her money like that. Sh
will be in the poorhouse yet if she don
look out. It's lucky that men do hol'
the money, for there's not one woman il
a hundred who knows bow to use it.!
'"For shame, Donald Jarvisl Yol
know better Look at Jerry and Mill
Greg, will you, and say that he make
the best use of his money. She is q
home with her parents every night
making her wagel go as far as possibl
toward making d em comfortable, Will
he is carousing in the villass wastin
his time and money, and making brut
of himself besides. And why does Mr.
Sarton come to receive Ler husband
wages herself; simply because he car
not get by the saloon with money in h
pocket. and il she'd not get the none
they would all go hungry to bed the da
after his wages are paid. And belieV
that every woman who earns none
here spends it as wisely as the averaJ
of men, and have yet TO hear of one
them being in debt"
Mr., Jarvis knew that be could AZ