San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-12-21
COST OF HOUSEKEEPING
The Amount or Nancy One Can lr.,.
Married On. 30

Inc quesuon mas been revived bv,
correspondent in the Ner YorL
what amount of money youns m o
can afford to get married on, and a
variety and vivacity of the nums,aa s
replies from both married and nnm.a
ried people which his communicate
has called out, shows it to be LnS
ing question.
1t is noticeable, in this mass =,
correspondence, that those who b,s.
tried it on" hold the most consorv,
tive views, and put the expense :,
starting in housekeeping and keenna
it up at a good deal higher figure thaSS
the inexperienced boys and girls who
look ahead to matrimony as the sum nm
NIT of human felicity.
The original correspondent
bachelor, as he describes himself es
timated that he could start in houss.
keeping by purchasing, at second,
hand, with S15, and maintain him.
self and wife on an income of 81,
day; and he had the confidence Of
his convictions so strong as to itimize
his household furnishing and table
expense.
He is a wiser man now, for dozen
or more married people take up and
analyze his schedule, and show how
many things he wants as absolute es.
sential to housekeeping, letting alone
comfort. He ought to include pill
lows for bed, towels to dry himself
with, spoons for his table, etc., while
he makesa llowancefor but two quilts,
at dollar each, for his bed, and but
a knife and fork apiece for man and
wife. AS for articles of comfort, they
have to be omitted altogether.
1t is evident from this instructive
correspondence that good deal more
than SIS in cash is needed to set up
housekeeping, and that an allowance
of dollar a day for subsistence is
insufficient to supply wholesome,
plain food in sufficient quantities to
support two persons.
In this calculation there is no al
lowance for extras whatever, such as
medicines in case of sickness, occa'
sional visitors, or increase in the
family; nothing for car fares, or an
occasional outing, or anything else
that goes to relieve the monotony Of
routine work.
Now, a wife shut up in one or two
small rooms, sleeping on a straw tick,
wearing cheap calico, cooking and
using second hand household utensils
and furniture, without books, newspa-
pers, OF any of the trifes that adorn
and make home pleasant, and with
a husband too poor to take her out OF
an evening to any place of amuse'
ment, OF to entertain any company IN
his own house or rooms, must love
him devotedly, ifshe finds contentment
in her surroundings, and does not
long for the fshpots OF Egypt.
It is an old saying that when pow
erty comes in at the door love flles
out at the window. Grinding poverty
or even that stringency OF clrcumstan'
ces that keeps men and women steadl-
" at the wheel, with no relaxation
from drudgery, no amusement OF en-
tertainment because of the expensive
ness of it, become exceedingly monot-
onous.
1t will require measure OF 1ofu.
tude and forebearance on the part Oh
a couple who make such a start III
life, to render existence tolerab!e aIlel
the novelty of newly welded LIE na =,
worn off that is rarely to be found III
this wicked world. To live next door
to positive deprivation and distreSs'
and be conscious of it, dreadlng &C,
cident or adversely, is to be haunted
bv a demon worse than the nign'-
mare
The days of cheap living are ove H.
Even in remote settlements, oWlns y
the all pervasiveness of railroads anu ~
the facilities of sending all sorts u
produce to good markets, prices are
comparatively equalized, ana n'i is
costs a pretty sum of money OF ,abt
equivalent. Men must take thousn'
for the morrow, especially II tney aS
sumo the responsibility OF suppoi1ld aS
a wife, with the chances OF t9e auGou
responsibility for whose eduea a,oOr.
and proper development they are hsi5 %Oi
ally, and ought to be legally heiu'
While it is well and wise to man!
early where the means justify !. =
folly, likely to end in misery 70 Iu .I,s
into matrimony urprepared Tor tho
consequences. A young man W" n.
begins that kind of a life upon an = -