The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-07-20
WOMAyS DEPARTMENT.
WOMEN AND MONEY.

WOMEN AND MONEY.
The Capacity Of the Sex to rnderstand
Business and Engage In Financial Trans-
actions.
Our Girl lives from hand to mouth
a ..life of trust" far more pathetic than
Muller ever knew or wrote Of. Ii papa
is in a good humor and easy in body
and purse. she gets money ION call.
II one or all of these conditions be want
ing. she goes without it. She learns to
dread the asking for it long before she
leaves OFF short frOcks, and as early
learns to wheedle and maneuver to OBJ
tain supplies. When she is married
the difficulty becomes complication. |
Papa owed her living. legally and !
naturally. John is transmogrified from
the sutton. whose joy and pride found
inadequate expression in lavish gifts,
into the judicious (and judicial) holder
of the family pursestrinss- "Pln
money" with the average wife means
that she can not buy a row OF pins ex-
cept with her husbands money and
consent. She suffers humiliation in her
own eyes, and. she fancies. in his also.
whenever she prefers request for the
sum necessary for the supply OF the
daily wants of the household. She
cringes. like a whipped slave. under
his comments on the rapidity with
which money melts in her fingers. and.
if high-spirited. resents his suggestion
that she fought to keep an expense
book and learn the worth of fellows
earnings as a reflection upon her hon
esty. For every instance in which the
estate of wifehood is proprietary there
are one thousand where it is eleemOsy-
nary.
The effect OF this virtual pauperism
Is the history Of irregular charity the
world over. 1t demoralizes the tinan-
cial conscience and begets shiftlessness
rather than thrift. As a rule, it Is only
old maids and widows who have indie
pendent business concerns to manage.
Should property and responsibility fall
upon them in advance Of age they have
a chance to test the feminine ability to
conduct business sensibly and success
fully. Even then the nOvitiate is pain
full.
..Such pity that Jane should have
the management of her husbands
estate." contided James cousin to me.
..Only to think! A million dollars left
to her in fee simple. and when John
died she did not know how to write a
! check. or even that the money was de
posted in a bank for safe keeping and
, convenience. She thought it drew in
} terest and that it was pity to disturb
| it until the July dividend was de
D clared.'"
, 1.-The more shame for john" / re
Joined. first to make her helpless ant
: then crush her down with untried cares
: How was she to learn these things if no
from her husband at home?"
t Even she had a glimmering conscious
: ness OF savings bank laws and advan
e tages. Thousands of women live an
d die without that much.
e Another and older widow. also lei
i sole legatee and executrix OF her hu:
n bands estate. was thus spoken Of by he
d son. her advisor:
t I'm effect, run the whole thing as
S would for a twO-year-Old. She, dea
= soul! doesn't know coupon from
D check. bond from bill. If | were
tell her she would better be somewh,
h economical for a few months, sh
= would half starve herself and walk
o save car fare. Were to assure h
e that she had enough to maintain n
s comfortably. she would buy diamor
5, necklaces for my girls and fast hor:
is for my boy"
,e Here again the blame should ia
r. upon the foolishly indulgent husban
e. who kept the woman he loved in infa'
il tile ignorance during his lifetime, ca
I. rying her in his arms lest she shOu
= touch her dainty toe against a pebbl
then dropping her suddenly amor
Al sharks. boulders and pitfalls.
a. The cashier of the Fifth Avenue Bar
ID in New York City has issued mo
l. sensible little pamphlet, entitle
. ..Bank Accounts for Women" fro
I. which / gratefully extract the follo'
I'd ing:
"a "Many husbands and fathers gi
N their wives and daughters a certa
amount each month with which to n
70 the house or for p;n-money. By depo
ID ting this in the bank, carefully paSil
ia it out BY checks, and knowing VIII
an they have spent and what tn
ia have ahead, they learn how fast lit
;s. sums, added together, make great sun
q. and how small economies accumu!a
=, into great economies. 1t gives WON
ha business habits and helps in httil
them to take care Of property, If at a
time it should come into their poss'
sion; and. best of all. for married
al men, it relieves them from the nec'
or sity Of so frequently asking their HI
a bands for money. 1t also saves t
70. husband much care and annoyance
. the midst of his busy and anxio
ri life, for the presentation Of small hOu
ri bills is often confusion and an irri
ne ton.
of "Presuming that there is the prof.
% confidence between husband and wi
Il. a bank account and q check book
no longing to the wife will save both p
~. ties much wear and tear, and In
h. climate and social condition every thi
;cb which makes life easier and more tr'
~ quill is to be studied.
L. The writer of the foregoing !
looked at the subject from all sid