Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-02-09

wv W W ''"' '''''y
0 understood you TO say II was oil mint
y and intended TO protest agains. you
y spending II 20 iooliShly, II II Is you
own, Of course, you haze a right I
= spend II M you please, but Il seems I
I me that a woman who left her patent
= and brothers and sisters, and all he
friends, to make q home for 20
. among strangers, a woman who Ia
given her whole lie TO you for filee
. years, might DO looked upon with a
much favor as you give to beggarF
, who are very likely 10 be impos,ors
| know that you seldom turn them Of
without help, Perhaps | would b
more successful II ] appealed to you a
a beggar, ] might say, kind sir
pleafe allow to me out OF your abund
ant means n small plttance for m,
comfort. II is true ] have enough Il
eat, and do not suffer for clothing
hut, although ! work for my master
from morning til night, and II hi'
children happen to be sick from night
until morning again, yet he does no,
pay me as much rs he does his cook
and lam often greatly distressed fol
want of a trihng sum which he would
not mind giving 10 perfect stranger
The other day while he was from
home, l had to 60 to the next station
TO see dear fiienl who was III, and,
not having dollar Of my own, l was
obliged TO borrow the money from his
cook. was 50 mortified ! And not
long since the berry.woman came with
such nice berries to sell, and my little
girl, who was not well, wanted some
very badly, but I had not even five
cents to pay for handful for her.
Yesterday n friend came TO ask me to
assist in n work Of charity. 1t was a
worthy object, and longed so much
to give her little money for so good
purpose, but though the wife OF a
rich man I had no money. Ofconrse
I might ask my husband for money,
and if I told him all about what | want
ed to do with it, and he approved of
my purpose, and was in good humor,
he would give it 10 me hut, sir, it is
terribly slavish to have to do so, even
if could run to him every time ]
wanted Eanything. People say am
a fortunate woman because my hus-
band is rich, but often envy the
factory girls their ability to earn and
spend their own money. And some
times | get 80 wild thinking about
my helplessness that it was not for
my children l think should just drop
into the river and end it all;
"Netie Nettie Jarvis! What are
you saying ?" cried the startled hus
band at last, for the far away look in
her eyes as if she did not see hlm, but
was looking to some higher power to
help her, touched his pride, if 1t did
not his heart, for he had good deal
of pride in n selfish sort of way. He
was proud to bs able to support his
family as we'll as he did. He was
proud that when his children needed
new shoes he could tell his wife to
take them to Crispin's and get what
they needed. He did it with -four
ish. He was not one of the stingy
kind he liked to spend money and
when Nettie, who was once the most
spirited young ledy of his acquaint-
ance, came meekly to him for dress
or cloak, be was sometimes tempted
to refuse her money just to show her
how helpless she was without him.
Yes, he YVES proud Of his family, and
wanted them to feel how much they
depended upon him. He would have
felt aggravated if any one had left his
wife legacy, thus allowing her to be
independent Of his purse. The idea
ot her earning money, as his other
work folks did, never entered his
mind. He supported her. that was
his idea of their relations He never
happened to think that it was very
good OF her to take his money and
spend it tor the good of himself and
his children. He never had thought
that any other woman would have
wanted big pay for doingit. He had
even thought himself very generous
for allowing her money to get things
to max. the family comfortable.
Thugs began to look differently TO
him just now. Could it be that he
was not generous, not even just TO his
wife! Had he paid her so poorly tor
her fifteen years offaithful labor for
him that if she had been obliged to
begin the world for herself that day,