West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-09-21


fore to "want not"
But this is not always the wo-
mans fault. Many men insist
blindlv on style of living which
their means will not allow; and
many wife has been cruelty blam-
ed for living at rate Of expenditure
unwarranted by her husbands
means, and which his pecnniary con-
diuon made absolutely dishonest,
had she known it. But she did not
know it, he being too careless or too
cowardly to tell her. and she had
not the sense to inquire or find out.
Every mistress of the household, es-
pecially every mother, ought to find
out what the family income is, and
where it comes from, and thereby
prevent all needless extravaganza.
Half the miserable or disgraceful
bankruptcies that $hsppen never
would happen if the wives had the
sense and courage to stand firm and
insist on knowing enough about the
family income to expepd it proper
tionately; TO restrain, as every wife
should. a too lavish husband; or,
failing that. to stop herself out of
all luxuries which she cannot right
eously afford. Above all, to bring
up her children in tender
carefulness that refuse TO mnlct
"the governor out of one nnneces-
sary half-penny, or to waste the
money he works so hard for in their
own thoughless amusements.
If the past generation was too Sc
we're upon its offspring, and often
killed off the weakest Of them by q
mistaken system of Gardening the
present one errs in an opp osite di-
rection. Paterfamilias. whose father
put him in an office at sixteen, and
kept him there with only fort
nights holiday per annum, now
sends his boys 20 school till seven
teen, and then to college: gives them
yachting, cricketing, walking tours
and Continental travels; denies moth
ing to either them or their sisters,
but works for them till he drops;
and then-where are they?
1t is to prevent this-to counter
act the creed Of subservience and
blind obedience, to make the woman
mans help and not his hlndrance-
that / would have our girls taught
to claim their real "rights" and ex-
ercise their best "female franchise"
freedom to stand on their own feet,
and, be they single or married. to
take their affairs into their own
hands, especially their financial af-
fairs. A person who is careless
about money is careless about every
thing, and untrustworthy in every
thing. 1t is your despised prudent
folk to whom the rashly generous,
Indifferent and thoughtless come in
the end for all that makes life worth
having. "Give us of your oil, for
our lamps are gone out" But why
were they allowed to 60 out? Yet
there is such thing as ignoble
economy, as well as noble extrava-
gance. She who stints her servants
in wages and food; who goes shah
billy clad when her station and her
means require her to please the
world and her family by being
dressed at all points like a lady;
who worries herself and her friends
by trying always to save when she
can well afford to spend, is deserv'
ing of the severest blame. Money
is meant not for boarding, but for
using; the aim of life should be to
use it in the right way-to spend as
much as we can lawfully spend, both
upon ourselves and others. And
sometimes it is better to do this in
our lifetime, when we can see that it
is well spent, than to leave it to the
chance spending of those that come
after us. Above all, let us guard
against the two crying errors OF the
female enature-a prudence which de
generates into more worrying" and
an economy which becomes culpable
narrowness.
To teach the girls of the genera
tion-alas. the grown women are
beyond teaching-I have written
these pages, trying to put the ques-
ton of money in its true light; that
1T is not the root of all evil (unless
planted by evil hands J, but, wisely
dealt with, the source of all good
at least, the helper in all good !;
bringing, when rightly used, an
easy mind, quiet conscience, the
power of beneftting others, and, at
any rate, of saving ones self from
being burden to others.
To be able to earn money. or fail
ing that, to know how to keep it,
and to use it wisely and well, is one
of the greatest blessings that can
happen to any woman, as well as to
the man, be he father, brother, or.
husband, with whom her lot may be
cast. Single or married, she will al
ways have the power in her hands
that diyiDest power woman can
pessess-to make those about her
happy. Her husband, if she has
one, viii be praised in the gates"
for he is saved half the troubles and
humiliations of other men. He never