The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-02-14
Don't stint Your wife.

W OU10n II OS a ~ aAn0 tNS6
the laws of this country gave US :
; certain portion, however small, 0
our lord and masters pocket book
To my mind, it is one of the mos
humilating positions to compel ;
woman to ask her husband fol
spending money. Some men arr
manly enough not to put theil
wives in such a situation, but the
generation SIS few and far be
tween. How would a man like Il
be in such a place, compelled tC
beg, and very humbly too, for few
cents. Hasn't a woman a right to
part of the week earnings, even Il
she doesn't go to the store or shop
and work with her own handsi
Her work is at home and is for him.
A farmers wife usually has 8
shadow of chance" to get now
and then a few cents; she can ''slip
away" a few pounds of butter OF
cheese, dozen eggs or something
of that kind. ] do not say it is
right to do this without consulting
the ''gude mon," but it must be ia
ken into account the man you have
to deal with. If your husband is
one who thinks his wife needs moth
ing but her daily bread, it is no
use reasoning with him. The self
ishness and small-mindedness of
such man is beneath comment.
The wife's rights are these The
property IS as much hers as his,
that is, in a reasonable sense. But
in town or city, what is a woman
to do, whose lawful provider and
protector refuses to furnish her
needed funds, either from indiffer-
ence or else from ugliness? A wo-
man knows what is needed to keep
the household machinery running
in good order, and ought to have
the means in her power for replen-
ishing the supplies when out. How
do you manage when, for instance,
the sheets and pillow cases ought
to be increased? Have you q hus-
band who gives carte blanche to or
der what you like, or have you one
who says he cannot spare the mon
ey now, or one who says you don't
need any and can mend the old
ones?
Oh, Rosamond E., when read
your letters telling of the supplies
of cotton cloth, ETC., you make up,
/ wonder why the goodness and
kindness of mankind was not more
evenly distributed. The more 1
see of men, the more selfish find
them to be. / do not say women
are perfect, far from it, but great
many of their weaknesses can be
laid directly at their husbands.
Men trust their wives with every
thing but money, and why is this?
Do 1 oEerdraw the truth, when 1
say there are few women in New
England who can count the con-
tents of their pocket books at over
twenty five to fifty cents on an av-
erage,Ewithout it's their own special
property or they earn it indepen-
dent of their husbands? Women
have pride as well as men, and it is
we'll they have, for what would be
come of them?
In common families L do not in
clude boarding houses and hotels,
that issanother affair, the house
keeper ought to have the buying or
ordering of the provision; she
knows the family's likes and dis
likes, she can manage the meals,
was hing and ironing, and cleaning
days better, and has more interest
in her work. What would you
think of man who never allowed
his wife even to buy yeast cake?
Who, when told there is no meat
for dinner, goes out, and comes
back perhaps a..quarter of an hour
before dinner time perfectly happy,
with just what he likes best, but
the woman has 40 idea whether it
was to be broiled, baked, or eaten
cold, so she must have her fire in
readiness for any thing. With such
an anxiety, do you wonder when
dinner was on the table, she had no
appetite? You will say l exager-
ate, but this is a fact, not many
miles from where / live. This man
has his nice horse and carriage, but
what does the wife have. Oh, she
has her house and furniture and
children and plenty to keep her
busy caring for, but does she res
pect her husbandl She is not ex
travagant, he does not accuse her
of that, and why not give her SO
much a week or month and see
what she would do. Perhaps she
would do better, for woman is a
pretty good financier.
1t is no wonder that woman
leave their homes to take care of
themselves, and 90 into shops to
earn money, and then soon the iii
vorces and separations follow. l
say, it is not the extravaganza of
women, it is the selfshness Of the
men, that makes the most mischief
in domestic affairs. 1t is natural
to us to like pretty things, bright
colors, ETC., but they were all made
for humankind to use and admire,
and it is not wrong for them to be
INDUCED in moderation. 1t is a
great pity Ebenezer's precious
pocket book ever has to be opened,
but as he spends what he likes,
whether for a fast horse, an easy
carriage, a new coat, Decktie, book,
or a big red apple, then let Maria
have the same privilege on not so
costly a scale, perhaps, and not to
furnish her asV or an x will not
impoverish his finances so very
much. Doyou think 1 am Stretch
ing the facts?" I wish you could
know a few lives of women around
me. The martyrs are not all dead.
Religious prosecutions are not the
only ones.
1 wish every man who reads The
Household would strike this as the
first piece he reads. Wouldn't it
be fun to see how it affected them
I've not said just all 1 intended to,
but perhaps I've said enough for
now. I've said only what is true