Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-05-17
THE MANAGING WIFE.

THE MANAGING WIFE.
Ezra Newton had been looking owe
his yearly account. "Well," asked Iii
wife, looking up, chow do you com
out ?"
81 find," said her husband, "that M.
expenses during the past year have beeI
lars"
''And your income has been a thou
sand dollars ?"
"Yes; managed pretty well, didn'
"Do you think it's managing well t.
exceed your income ?" said his wife.
| whats this thirty-seven cents ?' ask
ed Mr.. Newton, lightly.
"Not much, to be sure, but still some
thing. 1t seems to me we ought to hav'
saved. instead of falling behind"
"But now how can we save on thi
salary, Elizabeth? We haven't LIVED
extravagantly. Still it seems to hav'
| taken it ALL"
"Perhaps there is something in which
we might retrench. Suppose you men
| ton some of the items"
"The most important is house rent
$3.50. and articles of food, $780,"
"Just half"
"Yes; and you'll admit that we CAM
retrench there. [ like to live well.
had enough of poor board before I mar
ried. Now mean to live as we'll as
can"
"Still, we ought to save something a.
gainst rainy day, Ezra"
"That would be like carrying an um.
brella when the sun Shines"
"Still, it is well to have an umbrells
in the house."
81 can't controvert your logic, Eliza
beth, but Pm afraid we shan't be able
to save anything this year. When gel
my salary raised it will.be time enough
to think of that"
"Let me make proposition to you,'
said Mrs Newton. "You said that one
half of your income had been expended
for articles of food. Are you willing tC
allow nc that sum for that purpose?
You guarantee to pay all bills out Of
it ?"
ayes"
"Then I will shift the responsibility
upon you with pleasure. But can tel
you beforehand you won't be able to save
much out of it,"
The different characters of the hus.
band and wife may be judged from the
conversation which has been recorded
Mr.. Newton had little prudence OR fore
sight. He lived chiefly for the present
and seemed to fancy that whatever con
| tingencles might arise in the future, he
would somehow be provided for. Now
| to trust to Providence is very proper
| way, but there is good deal of truth in
the old adage that God will help those
who help themselves.
| Mrs. Newton, on the contrary, had
been brought up in family which was
compelled to be economical, and though
she was not disposed to deny herself
comforts, Yet she felt thai it was desir.
able to procure them at q fair rate.
| The time at which this conversation
| took place was at the commencement o.
the second year Of their married life.
The first step Mrs. Newton took or
| accepting the charge of the household
expenses was to institute the practice o.
| paying cash for all articles that came
under her department. She according
| ly called on the butcher and inquired
How often have you been III tht
habit of presenting your bills, Mr.. Viii
| liams ?"
"Once in six MONTHS" was the reply
And | suppose you sometimes have
| bad bills ?"
eyes one-third of my profits, on tns
average, are swept off by them"
"And you could afford to sell cheaper
I suppose, for ready money?
Yes and would be glad if all my
customers would give me chance to dc
So"
II will set themssan example, then, ,
O /,
ever articles shall be purchased Of you
shall be paid for on hespot, and shal
Xpect you to sell them az reasonably al
you can"
This arrangement was also made with
the Others, who, it is scarcely needless
to say, were glad to enter into the ar
rangement. Ready money is great
supporter of trade, and cash customer
is worth two who purchase on credit.
Fortunately, Mrs. Newton had q small
supply of money by her, which LASTED
till the first monthly installment from
her husband became due. Thus she was
enabled to carry out her cash plan from
the beginning.
Another plan which occurred to her
as likely to save expenses was to pur
chase articles in large quantities. She
had soon saved enough from the mon y
allowed to do this. For example, in
stead of buying a few pour ds of sugar al
a time, she purchased a barrel, and sc
succeeded in saving cent or more on g
pound. This, perhaps, amounted to bu!
trifie in the course of year, but the
same system carried out in regard to
other things yielded result which was
by no means trifle.
There are other ways in which a care.
full hOusekeeper is able to limit expenses
which Mrs. Newton did not overlook.
With an object in view, she was al
ways on the lookout to prevent waste
to get the full value of whatever was eX'
pended. The result was beyond hel
anticipation.
At the close of the year, on examining
her bahk bOok-for she had regularl, j.,
deposited whatever money she had moi
occasion to use in one of those institu
tions-she found that she had $3.50, be
sides reimbulsing herself for the money
spent during the first month.
"Well, Elizabeth, have you KEEP
within your allowance?" asked the hus
band at that time. "I guess you have
not found it so easy to save as yor
thought for"
81 have something, however, said his
wife. "How is it with you ?"
"That's more than can say. How
ever. have not exceeded my income
that's one good thing. We have liveC
fully as well as last year, and I don't
know but better than when we spent
$500"
"It's knack, Ezra" said his wife
smiling. She was not inclined to men
ton how much she had saved. Sht
wanted, some time OR other, to surpris1
him when it would be of service.
'She may possibly have saved VI
$25," thought Mr.. Newton, Tor SOM
trifle," and so dismissed the matter from
his mind.
At the end of the second year Mrs
Newton's savings, including the inter
est amounted to $3.50, and she began t.
feel quite rich.
Her husband did not think to inquir,
how much she had saved, suppOsing, a
before, that it could be but very little.
| However he had piece of good new
to communi cate. His salary had beer
raised from 81 900 to 81 200
He added: 'As before allowed yo,
one-half of my income for household ex
penses, it is no more than fair I shoult
do so now. That will give you bette
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