Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-05-22
A. WIFEs WAGES.
How Mrs. Jarvis Secured Pay for
Her Services. ~

Her Services. N
The following sketch is wrought out
OF substantial materials, the experience
of many'a woman in married life, and
its vivid character, with the practical
moral it carries, is excuse enough for
its appearance here:
"Well, Nettie, what do you wautP"
said Mr.. Jarvis to his wife, who stood
looking rather anxiously at him, after
he had paid the factory hands their
weeks wages.
"Why, Donald" said she, 81 thought
rs i had worked for you all the week,
would come for my wages, too You
pay Jane two dollars week, surely |
earn that, and would like very much
to have it as my own"
"Pshaw, Nettie, how ridiculous you
talk. You know that all have belongs
to you and the children-and don't |
furnish the house and everythinep What
under the sun would you do with the.
money ifyou had it.e'' -
II knbw, Donald, that you buy the
necessaries forius all, and | am willing
that you should do so still, but / should
like little money of my very own. we
have beeRlnarried fifteen years, and in
all that's slime / do not seem to have
earned dollar. As far as money is
concerned l might as well be slave.
l can not gbuy a.quart of berries, or a
book, without asking you for the money,
and | should like to be little more in
dependent --..-,v
MIR. Jarvis, proprietor OF Jarvis mills,
worth thousa and thousands of dol
lars, laughed deri lively.
you're fine one to talk of inde-
pendence," he said. "If you would start
out to make your own living you'd fetch
up at the poor-house soon enough, for
what could you do to earn a livingP
The girls in the factory know how to do
their work and they earn their wages.
When | have paid them off my duty is
done, but l have to board and clothe
you, and take care of You when you are
sick. If had to do that for the girls |
would have precious little money left, ]
can tell you.''
Donald, gave up good trade when
married you. For five years had
supported myself by it, and many time
since have envied myself the purse o.
those days. AS for my not earning any.
thing now, l leave it to you to say
whether it would be possible to hire an.
other to take my place; and how mucl
do you suppose it would cost to do with
out me yearp | know the girls have
little after paying their expenses, but
they enjoy that little so much. Allie
Watson supports herself and mother
with her wages, and they both dress
better than do. Jennie Hart is help
ing her father to pay the mortgage on
the farm, and sho is happy that she can
do so. Even Jane, the kitchen girl,
has more freedom than |, for out of her
own money she is laying by presents for
her relatives, and will send them
Christmas. Yesterday an Indian
woman was at the house with such
handsome beadwork to sell, and, al
though wanted some very much, had
not dollar! felt like crying when
Jane bought half dozen of the arti-
cles / wanted so much. You often say
that all you have is mine, but five dol
lars would have given me more pleas.
ure yesterday than your hundreds OF
thousands of dollars worth of property
did,"
"No doubt of that, Mrs. Jarvis You
have no idea of the value of money. and
would have enjoyed buying lot OF
bead trash that would not be worth a
cent to anybody. Jane needs guar
dian if she fools away her money like
that. She will be in the county poor
house yet il, she don't look out. It's
very lucky, indeed, that the men do
hold the money, for there's not one
woman in a-hundred who knows how
to use it!,gtig
"For shame, Donald Jarvis! You
know better. Look at Jerry and Mlly
Greg, will you, and say that he makes
the best use of his money. She is al
home with her parents every night,
making her wages go rs far as possible
toward making them comfortable,
while he is carousing in the village
wasting his time and money, and max
ing brute of himself besides. And
why does Mrs. Sarton come to receive
her husbands wages herselfP Simply
because he can not get by the saloon
with money in his pocket, and if she
did not get the money they would all
go hungry TO bed after his wages were
paid. And believe that every woman
who earns money here spends it as wise.
ly as the average man, and / have vet
to hear of one of them being in debit
Mr. Jarvis knew that he could moi
gainsay word his wife had said, for
they were all true. Luckily he thought
of Jane.
"Well, how much do you suppose
Jane will have left when New feal
comesP If she got sick how long could
she pay for such care as you haveP"
"lt is not likely she will lay uI
many dollars out of hundred year
but she is laying up something better.
i think. Last winter she sent hei
mother warm shawl and pail
OF shoes, and to her brother and
sister new school books, and tht
warm, loving letters they send hel
do her moro good than twice thu
amount of money In the bank would
This year she is laying away number
of useful and pretty things for them
and II any misfortune sho..ld happen u
Jane they would only be too glad Il
help her."
.'Well, who do you suppose woult
help you if you needed helpp' said Mr.
Jarvis. for want OF better question
Mrs. JARVIS eyes sparkled angrily a
she answered:
Nobody. If you should lose you
property to-day, should be beggar
without claim ON any one for help
You have always held your purse
strings SO tightly that 1t has been har,
bppugh 70 ask tor my own necessities