Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-09-19
A Hint to Husbands.

The Detroit Tribune truthfn]lv save
that one of the first and highest dnties
which good husband owes to his wife
is to provide q maintenance for her in
case of his death. and not leave her to
the charity of the world with no expert
ence to fit her for position where she
can earn her own bread. He should ex-
plain to her exactly how his business
affairs are arranged, and what his in
come is, SO that she will not go into ex-
penditures beyond his means, and so in
cur censure she will not deserve. It
is not enough that woman has suffi-
cient to eat, drink and wear. She should
have an interest in her husbands bust
ness and a stated portion of his income
to expend as she deems best. It is she
who regulates household expenses, and
if she is a trusted and confidential part
ner she will soon feel natural pride in
having the debt and credit account
prosperous, and in saving a small bal
ance each month from the domestic out
lay. 1t seems, however, as if Just the
opposite was the rule in this partner
ship for life. The wife is too often an
one hired girl would be willing to as
sumo; doing it more satisfactorily, and
getting her board and lodging only. IL
she wants dollar to spend she must
account for it, and after years of servi-
tude as wife, mother, nurse, cook and
seamstress, the husband dies some day
and leaves nothing but confused fami-
ly, which finds out for the first time
what business means. With health and
strength fighting fearful odds of igno-
rance and inexperience, they may win
through, but how can man die in peace
who knows that he is leaving
his children to the hard, bitter struggle
with poverty? He has paid church
tithes and aided the widow and the
fatherless, but neglected his own How
can he anticipate the joys of heaven
when the innocent ones he brought into
the world will be in danger of losing it?
He does not intend to be unkind or sell
fish, but he consoles himself with the
thought: "Their mother will take care
of them," and so leaves the burden on
the shoulders of weak woman. It is
all wrong. The girl who has enough
practical sense. to ask in the rosy day
Of LIES young dream when an enrap-
tured lover asks her to share his lot:
rs there a house on the lot ?" will be q
happier wife with the title deeds to that
house in her pocket than if she had
taken him on the strength of senti-
mental promises. In the fond days of
early-wedded bliss the young husband
frequently asks his wife to promise that
she will not marry again if he dies. One
of the most sensible answers we have
heard of was that of young wife who
said: II will promise you faithfully
never to marry again if you leave me
comfortably provided for" The next
day the husband had his life insured,
and, although he is living yet, he has
not for one moment neglected to see
that his widow was provided for We
have only to look about us every day
to see these cases of culpable neglect,
and to understand why women are fill
ing the business ranks and educating
themselves to be independent, so that
when the labor of bread-winning is
thrust upon them, they will have some
fitness for their work and avenues in
which TO find it. But it is due to every
woman who is wife to be provided for
by her husband with respectable and
consistent portion of his estate as tes-
timonial of his true regard for her and
her own worthiness.