New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-02-24
finally mixed Mrs. Hunter up so that


crying, even if there are dozen walls
intervening, and Mr.. Hunter was that
kind OF a man. It may be perception,
instinct, the superiority Of man, or
conscience that tells him. But what
ever it is, on this occasion the hus-
band threw down his paper and went
in to see about it. OF course he wiped
away her tears and took his pipe out
OF his mouth long enough to kiss her
and call her by her first name, and tell
her not to cry any more.
81 do-do so want to get a home of
our own she gasped, between sobs,
and | think we might try .and-be
careful, Henry, or you'll spill hot
ashes on the baby and send it into
convulslons."
The little rain-cloud passed away,
but nothing more was said about
homes or building associations that
night. The very next evening, how
ever, Mrs. Hunter sat down in her
husbands lap, put her arms about
his neck, looked him in the eyes in her.
old way, and said:
*'Now, dear, Ihave a little request to
make OF you. Will you grant it like
good husband?''
And Of course he granted. Few men
refuse their wives requests under such
conditions. Then Mrs. Hunter made
known her desires. She wanted to run
the finances of the household.
"Glve me your salary every week."
she said, land Twill take care of ev-
erything. You work hard, hubby,
and you don't want to be worried by
these little things. Business men like
yoqaa have enough to bother them
without paying butchers and grocers
and landlords Well make bargain
you keep out So a week for your
personal expenses, and I'll have the
rest. That gives you fifty cents day
for lunch and street car fare. When
you want anything else come to me-"
The bargain was made and Mr..
Hunter lived up to it. He gave
his wife seventeen dollars every week,
carefully retaining and always spend
ing his So, and was glad of the arrange
ment. He had no trouble about any
thing, and smoked his pipe i'll peace,
unworried by the goldman, The butch
er, the grocer or the landlord. The
So a week kept him going nicely, and
altogether it was a satisfactory ar
rangement.for him.
Mrs. Hunter liked it, too She was
pleased with the responsibility and
with the care and the scheming to make
both ends meet. She seemed to have
some object in life besides the mere
routine Of household care. The first
thing she did, of course, was to take
out her pencil (sharpened with the
carving knife) and figure up her pros
poets.
"Now, let's see, said she to herself.
'Income 81 ,O4O ay year; out OF that we
must pay rent, $500; groceries and
meat, $3.50; coal, $50; Henry $3.50;
clothing, newspapers, miscellaneous,
$500: | think we can get, along on
that if we are not sick, and that will
leave me s19O a year Let me see;
Mrs. Smith said their thirty shares in
the building association cost them
1885 a week-that is $l95 q year.
We can do it,
.. Soethis is what Mrs. Hunter was
driving at. She had not given up the
building association idea. But the
meek, sly, little woman kept her own
counsel, and in about a week latter
consulting and pledging to secrecy
Mrs. Smith) went around to the Office
OF the building association and took
out thirty shares of stock. This cost
her $3.50 cash, and she had to make
payments of $ 3.75 week. She was
confident that she could do it, but
she did not find it SO easy. There were
very few cents left after all the bills
were paid. Then she began to look
about for cutting down the expenses.
She bought a cook book and studied
kitchen economy. Shegot asifter and
sifted the coal. She induced Henry to
give up the thirty cents week paper
he had always read and take one
Tor fifteen cents-a change which
he did not like at first but
with which he was soon de-
lighted. The new paper pleased him
Immensely. ''Of course" he said,
"the difference in price is only triAe,
but ] prefer the cheap paper at any
price-it is SO clean bright and handy.
He didn't stop to think that his wife
had saved SO a year by slyly inducing
him$to change his paper. In many
other ways Mrs. Hunter cut down the
family expenses, without at all inter-
fering with the comfort which her liege
lord loved SO we'll. But her most sue.
cessful strike was at the landlord.
The Hunters had always paid their
rent promptly and taken good care of
the house, and when Mrs. Hunter put
on her boldest air and bluntly told
the landlord that the rent was too
high and that there would be NOV
ing out unless he came down in his
price, the landlord came down like g.
little man to $50 a month. Well. this
thing went on for several months and
Mr.. Hunter knew nothing of the build
ing association investment. He fre.
quently quizzed his wife as to the re-
suits OF her financiering, and praised her
when she showed him a little roll of bills
which she had saved and tucked away
in the middle bureau drawer. He
didn't see how on earth she could do
it, and then, OF course, Mrs. Hunter
had to give up her secret. She. had
not intended saying aword for two