Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-18
The Wife's Wages.

MIR. jarvis to his wife, who stood looking
rather anxiously at him after he had paid
the factory hands their weeks wages.
"Why, Donald" said she, al thought as
had worked for you all 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"
"Pshaw, Nettie, how ridiculously you
talk You know that all have belongs to
you and the children-and don't furnish
the sun would you do with the money if you
had it ?"
al know, Donald, that you buy the neces-
saries for us all, and am willing that you
should do so still, but | should like a little
money for 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 concerned | might as well be
slave. | cannot buy quart of berries, nor
book, without asking you for the money,
and | should like TO be a little more indie
pendent"
Mr.. Jarvis, proprietor of Jarvis mills,
worth hundreds Of thousands of dollars,
laughed derisivey.
"You're fine one to talk of independ-
ence," he said. "H you should start out
to make your own living, you'd fetch up in
the poor house soon enough, for what could
you do to earn living The girls in the
factory know how to do their work, and they
earn their wages. When have paid them
my duty is done, but have to board and
clothe you, and take care of you when you
are sick. If had to do that for the girls,
they would have precious little money left,
I can tell you"
."Donald, gave up good trade when l
married you. For five years had supported
myself by it, and many time since have |
envied myself the purse of those days. As
for my not earning anything, now leave it
to you to say whether it would be possible
| to hire another to take my place; and how
much it would cost you to go without me
year? know the girls have but little left
after paying their expenses, but they enjoy
that little so much. Allie Watson supports
herself and her mother with her wages, and
they both dress better than do. Jennie
Hart is helping her father pay off the mort
gage 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 laying by presents for her
relatives, and will send them Christmas, as
much to her own pleasure as theirs. Yes
| with such handsome bead work to sell, and
| although wanted some money 80 much,
had not dollar. | felt like crying when
Jane brought in her weeks wages and
| bought half dozen articles that | wanted
| so much. You often say that all you have
! is mine, but five dollars would have given
| me more pleasure yesterday than your hun
dreds of thousands of dollars worth of prop
erty did"
"No doubt of that, Mrs. Jarvis. You
have no idea of the value of money, and
would have enjoyed buying lot of bead
trash that wouldn't be worth a cent to any.
body. Jane needs guardian if she fools
away her money like that. She will be in
the county house yet if she don't look out.
It's lucky that men do hold the money, for
there's not one woman in hundred who
knows how to use it."
"For shame, Donald Jarvisl You know
better Look at Jerry and Milly Greg, will
you, and say that he makes the best use of
his money. She is at home with her parents
every night, making her wages go as far as
possible toward making them comfortable
while he is carousing in the village, wasting
his time and money, and making brute of
| himself besides. And why does Mrs. Sar.
ton come to receive her husbands wages her.
selfP simply because he cannot get by the
saloon with money in his pocket, aud il she
did not get the money they would all go
hungry to bed the day after his wages are
paid. And believe that every woman who
earns money here spends it as wisely as the
average OF men, and have yet to hear of
one of them being in debt"
Mr.. Jarvis knew that he could not gainsay
a word his wife had said, for they were ali
trina uckily ha thnuoht of Iana
"Well, how much do you suppose Jane
will have left when New Year comes If
she should get sick how long could she pay
for such care as you have 2"
alt is not likely she will lay up many
| dollars out Of a hundred year but she is
laying up something better, think. Last
winter she sent her mother q warm shawl
| and pair of shoes, and to her brother and
| sister money to buy new school books, aud
the warm, loving letters they send her do
her more good than twice the amount of
money in the bank would. This year she is
laying by number of useful and pretty
things for them, and if any misfortune
should happen to Jane they would only be
too glad to help her."
swell, who do you suppose would help
you if you needed help % said Mr.. Jarvis,
for want Of better question. Mrs. Jarvis
eyes sparkled angrily as she answered
| "Nobody. If you should lose your prop
erty to-day should be beggar, without
claim on any one for help. You have al
ways held your purse strings 80 tightly that
it has been hard enough to ask for my own
necessities, leaving Others out altogether.
Many time dollar or two would have
enabled me to do some poor man or woman
untold good, but although you have always
said that all your property was mine, never
could and cannot now command dollar
of it,"
"Lucky you couldn't, if you wanted to
spend it on beggars."
| "Donald, you know that | would spend
money as wisely as you do. Who was 1t
that, only last week gave poor, lame beg.
gar five dollars to pay his fare to Burton,
aud then saw him throw his crutches aside
and make for the nearest saloon Your wife
could do no worse If trusted with few dol
lars. You say that the money Is all mine,
yet you spend it as you please, while can
not spend dollar without asking you for it,
and telling you what | want il for. Any
beggar can get 1t in the same way Christ
mas you bought presents for US and ex.
pected us to be very grateful for them. A
shawl for me OF the very color that cannot
wear, set Of furs for Lucy that she did not
need, drum for Robin that has been nui-
sance ever since, and lot of worthless toys
4 hQf war all -. L