New Ulm weekly review., 1882-04-12
Household Finance,
The Trouble Exnavaeaut Wives and Near. Rue.
bands Make In the World.

The Trouble Ertrav.g.nt Wives and Mean Has.
bands Mako In the World.
One of the peculiarities of the present
social system is that relating to the
'money question: between husbands
and wives. Although with the nuptial
oath the husband does with all his world
" goods the wife endow, too often the
memory Of the obligation dies with the
word of promise on the lips. When =
man takes q woman to be his wife he
assumes the broadcast obligation to pro-
vide for her comfort and support. A
man Of wealth is bound to enable wo-
man to sustain herself creditably in tho
circle in which they move; the poor
man to administer to the comfort of his
family as far as within his means. The
ethical code does not obligate tho afiu-
ent man to indulge his family in proai-
gate extravagance, nor the poor man to
make provisions for his family inconsist-
ent with his income. The inconsiderate
and reckless waste of money BY some
women provided with unstinted means.
and tho endeavor of others whose means
are limited to q pretentious display, are
equally to be condemned. There are
some men who do not realize, or, at any
rate, who seem to forget, that their
wives have any rights in money matters
which they are bound to respect A
wife to this sort Of husband is much
the same as = servant. Does she require
money for family necessities, sho must
render account for the expenditure Of
every cent. If shopping is to be done,
she must 60 to him for money to pur-
chase even spool of thread or to pay
car-fare. This is humiliating to SEN
sitive woman, yet such instances come
under observation every day. A man
of delicate sensibilities would himself
feel Inundated that his wife should be
placed in such position. And yet the
man who never thinks to provide his
wife with small changei IL careful enough
to keep the wherewith in his pocket to
supply his cigars, his drinks, bis lunch
cons, and other incidentals, regardless
OF the fact that woman, too, has daily
incidental expenses. The s.mean man.
treats his wife in this manner out of
pure cussedness. There are others, how
ever, who make tho grave mistake of
not recognizing tho ability of their
wives in pecuniary matters, and treat
them 40 though they were children who
do not know the value of money. These
two classes comprehend all married
men, for the man who is too stingy to
give his wife the money which is hers
by rights is mean. Advice would be
wasted on him, but kicking might have
potent effect. As to those men who
question the financial shrewdness and
ability of women, careful observation
should convince them that Is general
thing good wives are ever more prudent,
thrifty and economical financiers than
men. Put money in your wife's purse
and send her out shopping, and she
will, nine times out of ten, make 81 20
as far again as you will. Hundreds Of
prosperous men to-day owe their success
to the counsel and advice of their wives,
to whom they have confded; nor are
hey ashamed to acknowledge it. Many
are the bankrupts who would have con-
tinued in prosperity had they but follow
ed the advice of their wives; they will
tell you so themselves. Every day we
see noble wives who are cast upon their
own resources by the failure of some
reckless speculation on which their hus-
bands entered, assume grave RESPONSE
bilities and display wonderful powers Of
energy and calculation. Every day we
see women whose entire lives have been
of domestic devotion left widowed and
destitute, with the burden of family
upon their inexperienced shoulders, dis
play q persevering industry, thrift, and
financial discretion which ought to put
to shame any man who would question
the fiduciary ability Of woman. Let ev-
cry husband consider his wife entitled
to a fair share of his income for person
al and family expenses, avoid meddling
with the interior details of the home,
trusting implicitly to the judgment and
management of the wife, and the cases
will be rare where the result will not be
greater domestic happiness. as well as
pecalniarv advantaeo. z-