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

tue superior, when a woman married
she became absorbed in her hus-
band, and everything she possessed
was his, unless guarded from him
by cumbrous machinery of settle
ments, which, presupposing him to
be a bad man, were rather irksome
if he happened to be good one.
Gradually society discovered that
men and women, though different,
are equal, and that therefore it was
desirable to recognize their sepa-
rate identity, and to make marriage.
financially, Il partnership with linn
tied liability. BY recent laws a
married woman is, as regards her
property and q good many of her
rights, Just as free as if she were
single. And no honest, honorable
man, 10 wise and tender husband,
would wish it otherwise. 1t makes
no difference at all to those who
really love and trust each other,
while to those who do not il is q GER
tain protection ON both Sides No
real union can be effected by it;
while in those marriages where the
sentimental notion of lone flesh" is
a mere sham, to keep up the pre-
tence of union is worse than folly.
When the ship is going down we
trouble ourselves little enough about
the style of the cabin furniture.
Therefore, nowadays, when a man
marries woman with money-and
why should he not, since love is
more precious than gold?-he has
only to leave it, as the law leaves it,
entirely IN her own hands, thereby
saving his pride, and removing all
questions as to his motive in choos-
ing her. That saddest lot of WON.
an CT property, to be sought by for
tune hunters, while honest, proud
men stand aloof, is thus safely
avoided.
But a step below heiresses are
many women who either have OF
earn a moderate income, which is
an exceeding help to thir husbands,
if the wives are left free to manage
and expend it, and really know how
to do so. That they so seldom dc
know is the great curse of social
life. A single woman, however in.
capable, careless, extravagant, can
only harm herself; a married woman
can be the ruin of the whole family
Far more SO even than a aman,against
whom a sensible woman can some
times stand as a barricade, counter.
acting his folly--nay, often his er'
rors. But a man has no barricade
against his wife.
/ can imagine nothing more pitia
BILE than the waking up an honest,
true hearted young fellow, who finds
his angel a commonplace, silly, help
less woman. whom he can neither
trust nor control. yet is obliged to
make the nominal mistress of his
household, secretly taking all its
burdens on himself in addition to
his own. Not that she is bad
woman at all, simply an ignorant
and thoughtless one, OF the tribe OF
"eareless virgins" who, as wives,
are the ruin of men. And one of the
worst of women, not actually crimi-
nal, is she who has no sense of the
value and use of the money, which,
when she gets it, "burns hole in
her pocket" who never keeps ac,
counts, "no head for figures" or
finding it .too much trouble Con-
sequently, even with the best inten-
tions, she wastes as much as she
spends, but consoles herself on the
easy principle that "it doesn't mat
ter; Mr. So-and-So pays for every
AS he does, God help him!
and chiefly for that false step which
made him tie himself for life to a
agreeable, perhaps even
lovable, fool!
But ifshe is not a fool, and he
really can trust her, he had better
do it, not only with her own money,
but his. l do not mean that he
should beeomet the proverbially good
husband, whose wife every Monday
morning puts sovereign in his
pocket"with strict injunctiOns never
to change it," but that he should
trust her with his affairs, and above
all tell her exactly what income he
has, and how he thinks it should be
spent Ifshe is sensible woman,
the chances are she will spend it far
more wisely and economically than
he will. Very few men have the
time or the patience to makea shill-
ing 60 as far as it can; women have.
Especially woman whose one
thought is to save her husband from
having burdens greater than he Gao
bear; to help him by that quiet
carefnlness in money matters which
alone gives an easy mind and a real
enjoyment of life, to take care of
the pennies, in short, that he may
have the pounds free for all his law
full needs, and lawfulpleasures too.
Surely there can be no sharper
pang to loving wife than to see
her husband staggering under the
weight of family life worked al