Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-13
A wOMAN'sBANK. ACCOUNT.

We attach meaning to GO0TdS, and
often are attracted by some powerful
definition. Thus, for instance, Ruskin
says. what do you think the beautiful
word acife came from? The great value
of Saxon words is that they mean some
thing. Wife means 1CeaUer You must
either be housewives or house moths!
Remember that in the deep sense, you
must either weave mems fortunes and
embroider them, or feed upon and bring
them to decay. Wherever true wife
comes, home is always around her."
And in order to make this home all il
should be for all brought within its in.
iuence, we lay down this proposition.
viz: Some knowledge of the methods
of conducting business affairs is ne
cessity to the complete usefulness of wo-
man in the home life. In that grand
future when housekeeping is to become
so easy; when woman shall have all
the leisure they now clamor for in order
that they may become more cultivated;
when women will vote.-not so much
because it is the law of the land, as that
we believe Americans should rule Amer.
lea, and also to preserve American laws
and liberty as endangered by the influx
of foreign votes In that coming time,
l say. we shall find that women need q
knowledge of business principles. By
O business education for women, please
do not understand me to advocate an
exact and thorough knowledge of all
mathematics, bookkeeping, ETC., as
taught in schools. Not at all. But il
should be the duty, as also the pleasure,
OF every woman to aequaint herself,
practically, with the necessary details
of the business by which the father,
brother, or husband gains the means
for her support II, by any misfortune,
he be laid aside for time, or taken
away from her altogether, the woman
is not without sufficient knowledge to
this case should make it his duty and
pleasure to give this information, else il
is like the imperfect co-partnership in
business life, and consequently causes
unhappiness to say the least.
A woman's innate convictions are
often more correct than her husbands.
Many man is proud to confess how
much of material success he owes to the
fact of considering his wife equal part
ner in his business affairs. Many men
sneer at this idea of confding the af.
fairs of business to thes wife. "It's
enough for her to bring up the children
and Keep the house." they say. Granted,
NOT only enough, but oftentimes too
much, but are not these the men who
usually wonder where all the money
goes to-" and deal it out grudgingly If
not sparingly? 1t is just because the
woman does bring up the children and
does keep the house that would urge
her positive knowledge Of the income Of
the home and the proper management
of it. This win not necessitate her go
ing to the counting-house. Office or store
to carry out business details there. The
wife no more desires to do that, than
that the husband shall dictate in her
kitchen, but, if she be a true weaver"
she would know of the amount of mater
ial in hand in order that she NAV
fashion the garments accordingly.
Suppose a widow is left with a certain
amount of money represented by yari-
Gus bonds, stocks, mortgages or notes
of hand from which she is to derive
her income. If she has been the conf
dant of her husband in all these matters.
she already knows how to act, and when
the dividends accrue, can collect them
properly, and possibly may know how
to make good, profitable, and safe fut-
ure investments. On the other hand, if
she be altogether ignorant of business
and is thus obliged to entrust her in
terests to others, her income is very La
BILE to be swallowed up in LAWYERS
fees, or, worse still, literally sunk, prin-
cipal, and interest, too, in some pet
scheme into which some kind friend has
induced her to enter; or, in full faith in
friend she is made to endorse note
Cor some other equally hazardous pro-
ceeding), which comes back upon her
for payment, whereas knowledge of
business matters would have caused her
to let that alone. Very few women are
ever taught the risk of endorsements;
very few, also. know how to draw
check, or keep bank account properly.
That is pretty good illustration of the
subject, which is true story, of the
woman whose husband provided her for
long absence from home by leaving
her certain amount in bank with a
check-book. After time she was mott.
he'd that her bank account was over.
drawn-finally was called upon by one
of the officers of the bank, when she
innocently replied, why, | haven'i
used up all my checks yet" All of this,
we claim. should be part of female
education. Mrs. Ellen Bliss Hooker, in
Good Housekeeping.