The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-05-12
The Managing Wife.

GfZRA Newton had been looking
over his yearly account. "Well,
~ asked his wife, looking up, show
f5G2 do you come out ?"
R6E2 81 find," said her husband
"that my yearly expenses have beer
thirty-seven cents over a thousand dol.
lars"
"And your income has been a thou,
sand dollars ?''
eyes; managed pretty well, didn't
I?"
do you think it's managing well tc
exceed your income ?" said his wife
"What's this thirty-seven cents %
asked Mr.. Newton, lightly.
tNot much, to be sure, but still some
thing. 1t seems to me we ought to have
saved, instead of falling behind"
"But now how can we save on this
salary, Elizabeth ?" We haven't lived
extravagantly. Still it seems to have
taken it ALL"
Perhaps there is something in which
we might retrench. Suppose you men,
ton some of the items.'
'"rhe most important is house rent,
$3.50, and articles of food, $780,"
"Just half.'
eyes; and you'll admit that we can't
retrench there. l like to live well.
had enough of poor board before mar
ried. Now mean TO live as well as i
can.''
"Still, we ought to save something
against rainy day, Ezra"
"That would be like carrying an UNI
brella when the sun shines"
''Still, it is we'll to have an umbrella
in the house."
''I can't controvert your logic, Eliza
| beth, but Pm afraid we shan't be able
to save anything this year. When l get
my salary raised it will be time enough
to think of that"
''Let me make proposition to yop,''
said Mrs. Newton. "You said that one
half of your income had been expended
for articles of food. Are ycu willing to
allow me that sum for that purpose 2"
it ?''
"Yes.n
"Then l will shift the responsibility
upon you with pleasure. But can tell
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-
tingencies 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 a family which was
compelled to be economical, and though
she was not disposed to deny herself
comforts, yet she felt that it was desira-
bic to procure them at a fair rate.
The time at which this conversation
took place was at the commencement of
the second year of their married life.
The first step Mrs. Newton took on
accepting the charge of the household
expenses was to institute the practice of
paying cash for all articles that came
under her department. She accord
ingly called on the butcher and in
quired:
"How often have you been in the
habit Of presenting your bills, Mr.. Will
liams ?r
"Once in six MONTHS" was the reply.
"And | suppose you sometimes have
bad bills?"
''Yes, one-third my profits, on the av-
erage, are swept off by them"
"And you could afford to sell cheap
er, L suppose, for ready moneys"
"Yes; and would be glad if all my
customers would give me o chance to
do So"
''I will set them an example, then,"
said Mrs. Newton. thereafter, what
ever articles shall be purchased of-you
shall be paid for on the spot, and shall
n coll fhapn as
as you can"
This arrangement was also made with
the others, who, it is scarcely needless
to say, were glad to enter into the ar
rangemenG. Ready money is a great
supporter of trade, and cash customer
is worth two who purchase on credit.
Fortunately, Mrs. Newton had
small supply of money by her, which
lasted till the first menthly 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 money
allowed to do this. For example, in
stead of buying few pounds of sugar
at time, she purchased a barrel, and
on pound. This, perhaps, amounted
to but 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
careful housekeeper iS able to limit ex-
penses which Mrs. Newton did not over
look.
With an object in view, she was al |
ways on the lookout to prevent waste,
to get the full value of whatever was
The result was beyond her |
At the close of the year, on examin-
ing her bank -book-for she had regu-
larly deposited whatever money she had |
not occasion to use in one of those in
stitutiOns-she found that she had $3.50, |
besides reimbursing herself for the |
money spent during the first month |
"Well, Elizabeth, have you kept with |
band at that time. 81 guess you have !
not found it so easy to save as you
thought for"
81 have something, however," said his
wife. ''How is it with you?"
"That's more than / can say. But
have not exceeded my income, that's
one good thing. We have lived fully as
we'll as last year, and / don't know but
better than when we speut $780,"
"It's knaek, Ezra" said his wife,
smiling. She was not inclined to men
ion how much she had Saved. She
some time or other, to surprise
him when it would be OF service.
She may possibly have saved up $25,
thought Mr. Newton" ,"or some trifle, ,rand
so dismissed the matter from his mind.
hn ~ bA
Newton's savings, including the inter-
est, amounted to $3.50, and she began to
feel quite rich.
Her husband did not think to inquire
how much she had saYed, supposing, as
before, that it could he but very little.
However, he had a piece of good news
20 communicate. Hissalary had been
raised from 81 900 TO ST, 200.
He added: "As 1 before allowed
you one-half of my income for house.
hold expenses, it is no more than fair l
Nl,af |