The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-02-12


tween important and unimportant mat
ters, and daily as long over the one as
the other This defect in character of
many women is by no means innate; it
is the result solely of their education
and training They have not been ac-
customed to decide for themselves, and
. the narrow scope of their lives has fore
ed them to regard even trivial matters
as unimportant ones. They look as
long before they leap in deciding be-
tween two pieces of black silk, as in
committing matrimony. . But then it
sometimes happens that husbands are
more easily to be had than are silk
frockS.
1t is always good training and an
essential part Of a child's education, to
have bank account, however SMALL
1t is not always practicable to give
child real bank account +; but you,
yourself, may be the banker, receive the
small deposits of the child, oblige it to
draw out its savings when desired by
means of checks, and so far as possible,
transact the business as at real banks
Interest may be allowed on the deposit
which the child should compute. OF
course, the child should be aided as much
as possible in making deposits, and in
spending the Withdrawals judiciously.-
Care should be taken to inculcate a
spirit of generosity, as we'll as one Of
frugality, and to teach that money has
but one value, the use to be made of it.
The investment and security of money
form good topic of talk with children,
occasionally, and girls especially should
be made to understand the meaning Of
bonds and of mortgages, and the value
and requirements of securities.
The custom in France of giving dot
or dowry to girl when she marries, is,
a most excellent one. French parents,
no matter how poor they are, never ex-
pect their daughters to marry without
dot, and the various members of the
family, somehow, manage to secure it.
Of course, it is often very small-one
or two francs it maybe-but it is some
hzing-and it is to belong to the young
wife exclusively; is duly invested and
secured for her sole use. The custom,
am glad to see, is being initiated in this
country. A young California lady who
was recently married had an income Of
fifty thousand dollars secured to her =
half by her father, and half by her pros
pective husband. Of course, that was
an exceptional case in amount, but the
principle is good one. Every married
woman ought to have certain income
which is secured against all probable
misfortune, and which no one but her
self can control. 1t ought to beregard
ed by every father and mother as their
duty to see to it that their daughter,
when she marries, has such an income
as it is possible to give her thoroughly
secured to her. 1t should be made
genuine matter of business, legally ar
ranged, and in no way be left to mat
ter of sentiment. Sentiment is all right
in its way women are over-much guild
ed by it, but we'll certified legal docu-
mcnt is apt to befriend one better in
the long run. 1t is much better to give
a daughter frugal Outset and a dot
than to make the former sumptuous and
the latter altogether lacking. Secure
to her an income at all events, | would
say, and the man to whom she is to be
married should be given the opportunity
to contribute to the tune. A wife is
worth as much nowadays as when
Abraham sent his servant to bargain for
a wife for Isaac. If husbands and faith
ers were sure Of living forever, there
would be no need of post-mortem pro-
vision for their families. 1t is not
pleasant to talk of death, or to keep the
possibility of it ever present to ones
mind but how much trouble might be
saved if there was clear understanding
by the elder members of the family as
to what would be best to do in case of
the death of parent-whom to consult,
by whose judgment to be guided, what
disposition to make of the property, etc.
In case of the death of the husband and
father, or of the mother-if the only
parent-the family then, would not be
plunged into such rayless perplexity,
not knowing what to do, whittier to
turn, and in their grief taking the first
hand profered, and living to regret 1t
ever after.
That all people have confidence in
their near relatives is right. They
should have; the world would be sorry
place without such trust and confidence.
But as regards the management and trust
of property, there are two reasons why
they should not be entrusted with ones
relatives. In the first place the business
is not conducted in a business like way,
whereas it should be regulated precisely
as it would be with stranger. In the
second place, if the management is bad
and money is lost hard feelings are en-
gendered and few things are more de-
plorable than anger between kindred.
1t is a common remark that if you wish
to retain the honest affection of person,
don't put him under pecuniary obliga-
ton to yourself; for if he finds himself
unable to discharge it, he never there
after feels comfortable and happy in
your presence. 1t is always better in
matters of finance to be guided by the
advice. of competent lawyer, (not a
"pettifogger' than by the gratuitious
advice or suggestion of the best and
dearest relative in the world, unless the
relative chances to be an entirely diSin-
terested party and person of expert
ence and good judgment in business
matters. Even then there is safety in
having good lawyer.
My great aim in referring to this mat
ter at all is to urge upon parents-espe-
cially husbands and fathers-the necessity
of educating their wives and daughters
in matters of business, obliging them,