Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-02
A W0MAN'S MANAGEMENT

Mr., Ezra Newton's year closed Oh
Christmas; or rather he began work
with his employer on Christmas. The
second year closed on Friday, and on
Christmas Day which was Sunday, Mr..
Newton was looking over his cash &C
counts for the year. " Well, asked bis
wife, : how do you come out
q find, said her husband. that my
expenses during last year have been
thirty-seven cents over thousand dol
lars"
land your income has been a til ous-
and dollars ?"
Yes, guessed pretty well, didn't 1 %
'Do you think it managing well to
exceed our income ?" asked his wife.
whats thirty-seven cents ?" asked
Mr.. Newton lightly.
"Not much, to be sure, but still some
thing. It seems TO me that we ought to
have saved, instead of falling behind"
but how can we save on this salary,
Elizabeth We haven't lived extrava-
gantiy. Still it seems to have taken it
all. J"
Perhaps there is something in which
we might retrench. Suppose you men
ton some of the items"
F'The most important is house rent,
$3.50, and articles of food, $780,"
"Just half
Eyes, and you admit that we can't re-
trench them. [ like to live we'll; [ had
enough of poor bread before I married.
Now mean to live as well as [ cam
"Still we ought to save something for
a rainy day, Ezra"
"That would be like carrying an UNI
brella when the sun shines.
"Still it is well to have an umbrella
in the house."
g can't convert your logic, Eliza
beth, but / am afraid | shan't be able to
save anything this year. When [ get
my salary raised it will be time enough
to think of that.
8 Let me make proposition to you"
said Mrs. Newton. You said one-half
OF your income had been expended on
articles Of food. Are you willing to al
low me that sum for that purpose ?"
8 You guarantee to pay all bills out
of it ?"
Eyes.
. Then I shift the responsibility upon
you with pleasure. But [ can tell YOU
beforehand you won't be able to save
much of it, and I shouldn't relish hay
ing any additional bills to pay. As I
am paid every month, I Will hand you
half the money"
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-
tingencles might arise in the future he
would somehow be provided for. Now,
to trust Providence is proper way, but
there is a good deal of truth in the old
adage that God helps 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 indisposed to deny herself COM
forts, yet she felt that it was desirable to
procure them at a far 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 accordingly
called on the butcher and inquired:
Chow often have you been in the
habit of presenting your bills. Mr.. Will
Hams
"Once in six months, was the reply
"And I suppose you have sometimes
have had bad bills?"
eyes, one-third of my profits on the
average, are swept off by them"
81 will set them an example, then, !"
said Mrs. Newton. Hereafter what
ever articles shall be purchased shall be
paid for upon the spot, and [ shall ex-
pect you to sell them as reasonable as
you can"
This arrangement was also made with
the others, who, it is scarcely needful to
say, were glad to enter into the arrange
.ment. Ready money Is q great sup
porter of trade, and cash customer is
worth two who purchases on credit.
There are other ways In which a care
full 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 ex-
pended. The result was beyond her an
ticipations.
At the close of the year, on examin-
ing her bank book-for she had regu-
Larry deposited whatever money she had
not had occasion to use In one of the in
stitutions--she found that she had $3.50
besides reimbursing herself for the
money spent during the first month and
had enough to last the other.
well, Elizabeth, have you kept