Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-11-07
AHARDsnlP OF MARRIAGE

In tho Woman's Journal, Col T. w.
Higginson thus speaks of "a Hard
ship of Marriage"
We are constantly told that the life
work of a wife is as arduous as W II as
absorbing as that of her husband. We
are told that, If she does her duty to her
family, she can nave no time to study
metaphysics or to put a slip of paper in
to the ballot box. l think it was the
conservative DR.. Edward II. Clarke who
declared that the duties of the mother
of family required as much toll Of
brain and body AZ those of the captain
of ship. Grant it all; grant that she
works as hard as her husband does.
II 80, the inference is irresistible that
she earns her share of the family
income. The fact that he receives the
money and pays the bills makes him the
treasurer of the family, that is all; and
he has no more right than any other
treasurer to take airs upon himself and
talk nonsense. When he pays out mon
ey to her, it is not as gift. but as earn
ings. In many cases the money all
came 10 her as dOwry to begin with.
In many other cases she does her own
full share in the direct earning Of the
income. As rule, am told, actresses
and women who sing in public support
their families, including their hus-
bands. In our New England farming
regions, the wife's work is not only as
hard as her husbands but a cOnsidera-
BILE share of the direct money getting
comes upon her. For farming in New
England, while yielding comfortable
support, yields but little in the form of
money; and, in many cases, the greater
part of the actual cash receipts during
the summer months comes through the
energy of the wife in taking city board
ers. In a farm house near my summer
abode, o cook is hired at four dollars
week while the boarding season lasts,
and SECOND girl' at three dollars and
half.
In another farm house near by, the
young wife of the famer does all this
work herself, with the assistance Of .
little girl of twelve; and she does it we'll
and for nearly as many bOarders. Con-
sidering merely the wages saved, bet
work is nearly dollar day; and, cOnr
sidering the profits she brings to tha-
establishment, it is worth probably
three times that. Yet probably the pay
ment is generally made through her
husband az treasurer, and whatever
money she spends her neighbOrs would
regard as given her by her husband.
And, if the farm is paid for by their
Joint accumulation, the neighbors would
consider-and indeed the law would as.
sume-that it was paid for by him, and
belonged TO him. am perfectly will
ing to admit that, in the majority of
cases, this whole matter settles itself;
but there is a largo minority of cases
where the wife is kept, during her whole
life, in false position from false the
ory of treasurership. There are no
doubt cases where the husband has
earned great fortune while his wife's
existence is that Of butterfly. These
cases are rare. Take one family with
another, the wife works a. hard as the
husband; and the fact that his share in
wolves tho handling Of tho money does
not make it his money. Il belongs to
both; and what he pays over to her is
not gift, but q matter Of right. This
was Q present to me from my wife, :"
said q rich man, showing an ornament.
Bought with your own money, said q
friend, loosely. "Nor he said, "out
Of her own hard earnings She keeps
house for q man Of your acquaint-
unooef