Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-05-16
The Wife's Wages.

looking rather anxiously at him, after he
had paid the factory hands their weeks
wages.
"Why, Donald" said she, 81 thought
as | had worked for you all the week, I
would come for my wages, too. You pay
Jane two dollars a week, and surely [
earn that much; so l would very much
like to have it as my own"
"Pshaw, Nettie, how ridiculous you
talk. You know that all have belongs
to you and the children-and don't |
furnish the house and everything? What
would you do with the money if you had
it 2"
II know, Donald. that you buy the nee
essaries for US all, and am willing that
you shall do so still; but would like
little money for my very own. We have
been married fifteen years. and all that
time | do not seem to have earned dol
lar. AS far as money is concerned, [
might as we'll be slave. l cannot buy
quart of berries without asking you for
the money, and I should like to be lit
tie more independent" :"
Mr.. Jarvis, proprietor of Jarvis Mills,
worth thousands and thousands of dollars,
laughed derisively.
You're 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 poor house soon enough, for what
would you do to earn a living? The girls
in the factory know how to do their work
and they earn their wages. When [
have paid them off my duty is done, but
l have to board and clothe you and take
care of you when you are sick. If had
to do that for the girls l should have
precious little money left | can tell you
Donald, l gave up good trade when
| married you. For FIVE years had sup
ported myself by it, and many time
since have envied myself the purse of
those days. AS for my not earning any
thing now, | leave it for you to say wheth-
er it would be possible to hire another to
take my place and how much do you
suppose it would cost to do without me a
year ? | know the girls have little left
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. Jennie Hart is helping her father
to pay the mortgage on his farm and she
is so happy that she can do so. Even
Jane, the kitchen girl, has more money
than |, for out of her own money she is
laying by presents for her relatives, and
will send them at Christmas, as much to
her own pleasure as theirs Yesterday
an Indian woman was at the house with
such handsome bead work to sell, and |
had not dollar 1 felt like crying
when Jane brought in her weeks wages
and bought half dozen articles l want
ed so much. You often say that all you
have Is mine, but five dollars would have
given me much more pleasure yesterday
than all your hundreds of thousands Of
dollars worth of property did,
mo doubt of that. Mrs. Jarvis. You
haue no idea of the value of money, and
would have enjoyed buying a lot of bead
trash that would not have been worth a
cent to anybody. Jane needs a guard
ian if she fools away her money like that
She will be in the poor-house yet if she
don't look out. It's very lucky indeed
that the men do hold the money, fol
there is not one woman in hundred wht
, knows how to make use of it."
l ''For shame, Donald Jarvis! Yol
: know better. Look at Jerry and Mill,
Greg, will you, and say that he makes tn,
best use of his money. She is at hom'
with her parents every night, making he
wages 60 as far as possible toward max
ing them comfortable, while he is carous
e ing in the village wasting his time ant
n | oF Il
besides. And why does Mrs. Sartol
come to receive her husbands wages
Simply because he cannot get by the sa
loon with money in his pocket, and
she did not they would all go hungry t
f bed after his wages were paid. And
e believe that every woman who earn
F: money here, spends it as wisely as tn
$ average man, and [ have yet to hear Q
one of them being in debt
Mr.. Jarvis knew be could not gainsa
word his wife had said, for they wer
9 all true. Luckily he thought of Jane.
e "Well, how much do you suppos eJan
n will have when New Year comes?
she should get sick how long do you SUI
;, pose she could pay for such care as 20
. have %
n at is not likely she will lay up man
d dollars out of hundred year; but sh
a is laying up something better, I thinl
Last winter she sent her mother war;
,. shawl and pair of shoes, and to her br
r ther and sister new school books; and Il
" warm, loving letters they send her q
LC her mora Onnd than twice tho amount .