The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-05-03
THE WIFE'S WAGES.

said Mr.. Jarvis to his wife, who stood
looking rather anxiously at him, after he
had paid the factory hands their weeks
wages.
"Why, Donald, i said she, 4 thought
as bad worked f6r yon all the week,
would come for my wages, too, You paw
Jane 81 a week. surely earn that, and
would like very much to have it as my
own"
Pshaw, Nettie, how ridiculous Won
talk. You know that all have belongs
to you and the chillren-and don't fur
'nish the house and everything: What
under the sun would you do with the
money if you had it -
Il knd w, Donald, that yon buy the
necessaries for us all, and am willing
that you should do SO stall, but should
like little money Of my very own. We
have been married fifteen wears. and in
all that time do not seem to have earned
a dollar. As far as money is concerned |
might as well be slave cannot bnv
quart Of berries nor book, without
asking you for the money, and | should
like to be little more independent"
Mr.. Jarvis. proprietor Of Jarvis mills,
worth thousands and thousands of dollars.
laughed derisivelv
on re a fine one to talk of independ-
ence," he said ''If you would start out
to make your own living you'd fetch up
In the pdor-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 then 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 | would have precious
little money left, can tell your
Dona Id, | gave up my good trade
when | married you For FIVE wears |
had supp ported myself by it, and many
time sine have | envied myself the purse
OF those days. As for my not earning
anything now, | leave it for YOU to say
whether it would be possible 10 hire an
other to take my place: ahd how much do
you. SUPPOSE it would cost TO do without
me year? | know the girls have little
after paying their expenses, but they en-
joy that little so much Allie Watson
supports herself and her mother with her
wages, and they both dress better than
do. Jen ME Hart is helping her father
pay off the mortgage on his farm, and
she Is 80 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, as much TO her own
pleasure as theirs Yesterday an Indian
woman was at the house with such hand
some bead-work to SELL and, although |
wanted pine money 80 much, had not
dollar. / felt ike crying when Jane
brought ia her weeks wages and bought
half dozen articles that | wanted so
much. You often saw that all you have
is mine, but FIVE dollars would have given
me more pleasure yesterday than your
hundreds of thousands Of dollars worth
of property did"
mo doubt Of that, Mrs. Jarvis You
have NO idea OF the value OF money, and
would have enjoyed buying lot OF bead
trash that would not be worth cent to
anybody Jane needs a guardian if she
fools away her money like that. She will
be In the county pocrhouse yet ii she
don't loo x out. It's very lncky, indeed
that men do hold the money, for there's
not one woman in hundred that knows
how to use it p"
For shame, Donald Jarvis 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 wi th her parents every night, max
ing her wages 90 as far as possible to
ward making them comfortable, while he
is carousing in the village wasting his
time and money, and making brute Of
himself besides. And why docs Mrs
Sarton come to receive her husbands
wages herself? Simply because he can
not get BY the saloon with money in his
pocket, and if she did not get the money
they would all go hungry to bed after his
wages we're paid. And | believe that
every woman that earns money here
spends it as wisely as the average men,
and have yet to hear of one OF them
being in debt
Mr.. arvis knew that he could not
gainsay word his wife had said, for they
were all true. Luckily he thought Of
Jane.
"Well, how much do you suppose Jane
will have left at the end of the year? If
she woul ID get sick how long could she
pay for such care as you haye?"
' 1t is not likely she will lay up many
dollars out of hundred year; but she
is laying up something better. / think
Last winter she sent her mother warm
shawl q nd pair of shoes, and to her
brother and sister new school books, and
the warm, loving letters they send her do
her more good than twice the amount Of
money ia the bank would. This year she
il laying by number of useful and pret-
ty things for them, and If any misfortune
shsuld happen to Jane they would only
be too glad to help her
Well, who do you suppose would
help yoh If you needed help?T said Mr..
Jarvis. for want Of better question. Mrs.
Jarvis eyes sparklei angriiy as she an
swered
Nobody. Ii yOn should lose your
property to-day / should be beggar,
without claim On any one for help. You
have alwsys held your purse strings 80
tiehtly that it has been hard enough 10
ask for my own necessities, leaving others
out altogether. Many . time dollar or
TIVE would have enabled me 20 do some
poor man or womaa pnteid good, but
although ron have always said that All
your property Was mine, ! neyeF could
and ea1not now command dollar Of It :