The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-04-04
DOMESTIC FINANCES.
Why May Not tho Wife Be q
Bread

Bread-winner7
Margaret E. Sangster Discusses . Question
Pertinent 10 This Day and Generation
Suggestive Reading for Thought
less II usbands.
HUSBAND, loq.-"I buy every thing
that Is needed il the house. and you
have only to speak to me il you are in
want Of pin-money. That doesn' seem
to be q great hardship. / wouldn't
mind asking for money, II l was sure
Of getting it without any further exer-
tiOn.n
Ah! wouldn't you. good sir7 Sup
pose yourself in the place Of q wife.
who. however pctted and INDUCED. lie
expected to render q strict account Of
every trifle she buys. or rather fancy
yourself telling her, because compelled
by the necessity Of the case. Of every
cent you spend on personal luxuries?
She may dip into her purse for cara
mels. perfumes and flowers; your
cigars, luncheons and other marginal
expenses foot up far larger bill But
this is all apart from the question with
which We begin: Shall the wife be o
bread-winner?"
First and last, in many otherwise
happy homes. there is good deal Of
friction and consequent discomfort
with regard to the management Of the
finances Either there is not money
enough to warrant the style assumed or
attempted. or else husband and wife do
not agree perfectly about the spending
Of 1t, or again. there is lack of Open
ness about the resources OF the married
partners.
Among wage-earning classes this
does not so often occur. where the
husband quite often puts his weeks
salary without reserve in the hands OF
his wife. taking what she chooses to
give him for spending-money, and
leaving to her tho disposition OF what
ever his hard hand labor has gained.
Where, however, there is . nuctu-
ating income. and man desires tnat
his home shall present a brave front
TO the world. making. for business rea-
sons. or those OF personal pride. y
goodly show in the eyes OF his towns
people and acquaintances. there is
often great injustice done to wives.
Their extravaganza il taken for
granted by the uninformed. How
shall the wife Of q lawyer, doctor, or
business man know precisely how to
arrange her expenses, II she is treated
like q child or petted dependent,
told to buy whatever she pleases and
send the bills to her husband. she, in
the meanwhile, uncertain how far she
may 60. till some day there is NUT
ter. . rumble, or q storm. when pay
ment Is asked; or. when crash comes,
she finds that she has been walking
heedfessly on lava crust with ruin
seething under her feet?
Entire and candid explanation of the
finances Of the business firm. IN which
husband and wife are partners. and
the management OF home affairs
0S~OAAAA6 ~ ouSAuOSS AACbIlOQ6 du0 III
q common-sense way, would relieve q
great deal OF embarrassment and pre-
vent no end of annoyance and pain.
The most considerable of husbands do
not dream, dear, generous souls. of the
dislike which the most trustful and
loving wives feel when obliged to ask
for money. unless it be directly for
purposes OF household economy. 1t is
the exception that proves the rule,
when. even after years of happy mar
riage, wife is found who owns to no
dread in this regard. is conscious Of no
reluctant aversion-feels about her
husbands purse as she would about
her own.
Within the past year the wife Of q
man who spends thousands annually
in the elegant and lavish support of
his family. gratifying their tastes in
the most delicately thoughtful man
ner. and furnishing the home in the
most sumptuous style-the wife Of such
o man has said TO me:
IF could earn q few dollars o year
OF my own to do as ! please with /
should be perfectly happy"
Another, married for many years
TO q merchant Of large means, con-
fessed to q relative that she had taken
q heavy cold and incurred the risk
and agony Of pneumonia, with the
expense attendant upon physician
and trained nurse. because she had
imprudently taken long walk on q
windy day, when she was already
overtired.
"Could you not have called cab,
or gone in the cars?" was the natural
inquiry.
Il hadn't car fare!' was tho anaz.
Ing reply. And if Eugene can no,
divine when am out of money,
will never stoop to beg for It. l move,
have asked him for money. and
never willr'
Absurd! Illogical! Utterly un.
reasonable and silly! OF course, and
on no ground which the observer car
discover in the least defensible
Nevertheless. there are hundreds ano
thousands OF women, happy, pettei
and adored in their wifehood, who
thoroughly understand the case. They
know that to them, easeful ant
beautiful as their outward lives ap
pear. it would be luxury untold
could they but subscribe for q maya
zine, contribute to charity, take !,
days outing. or assist a poor relation
without having tn ash Innafha,