Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-11-07
RICH MEMS WIVES.
Mistaken Ideas Which People Have Re-
garding the wives of Wealthy Men
Business Affairs In the Household.


ing changes with the changing of one
point of view. Those only are poor
who feel poor, but whether one feels
poor or not depends much upon ones
situation.
You can never be sure that woman
is rich, says writer in Business Wom-
ans Record, because she is The wife OF a
wealthy man; not even though the mar
riage ceremony has made the husband
say: With all my worldly goods |
thee endow." This ceremonious speech
is hardly meant to BIO taken literally,
but how worse than empty rhetoric it
is when the wife OF the rich man who
utters it has never cent she can call
her own!
1t is seldom. probably, that rich
man wife has not some small sum in
her own little purse; but it is also sell
dom, If we may Judge from appear
ances, that she has an income properly
proportional to her husbands. You
can not Judge of this by her dress or
the equipments of her house. The hus-
band may crafty his own pride and his
own taste by lavish expenditure in
ornamentation OF his house and family.
He may allow his wife TO purchase
freely from the stores of the city, hav-
ing the bills sent to him for cheerful
payment, yet possibly the wife some
times finds herself literally penniless
don't think the case is often SO bad,
but it is very evident that some wives
OF rich men are frequently put to shame
for lack OF ability to give in charity or
in friendship 1.-THE of what their hus-
bands spend upon their own personal
whims and pleasures. School teachers
and seamstresses may be able to sur
pass them in generosity and in freedom
to indulge their personal tastes.
why should my wife want money!
the husband may ask, ''if she has all Of
her wants supplied? What difference
does it make whether the money that
supplies them goes through her own
purso?"
No one can tell the wants of another.
It makes one difference between child
hood and years Of discretion. You can
not tell a person taste unless that per-
son has money and time to crafty her
taste. A little of each will suffice to
Indicate the natural taste, but there are
women who wear rich silks and jewels
in positive discomfort, because the col
ors, styles and combinations are moi
to their taste. The one who buys them
for her does not realize that he is seek.
ing his own qualification more than his
wiie's.
Once it was believed that q married
pair could not live happily together i
the wife had a separate purse. Tha
was in the day when the laws gave the
husband absolute ownership of his wife
Her clothes. her wages, her inherit
ance, her body, and even her soul-tC
the extent of controlling its outward
forms of religion-were all legally il
the husbands possession. Little by
little these shameful laws have beer
modified, and public opinion now de
spises the man who does not deal fairly
with his wife.
Yes, times have changed, and many
happy wife now holds property in he
own name and uses the income from
her investments just as she pleases
She may even carry on business TO
herself, or have business partnership
with her husband. Whether this i
well or not depends upon circum
stances, chief among which are tn
claims of children; and the good sens
OF the parties must determine eacl
case.
Marriage is far higher than a mer
civil contract, and pecuniary consider
ations are the least that should in
fluence one. But external condition
have such power to perplex and dis
turb that they can not safely be ig
nored in making a promise for bette
or worse 1t will never do TO blam
the husbands for all the niggardlines
that appears among women. A selfis
wife is sometimes serious check upo
the generosity and public spirit of he
husband, begrudging every contribr
ton TO the public welfare. One ca
not help wondering where is the hitc
when wealthy mems wives who approx
a good cause. or who desire the readin
of a particular paper or magazin,
have nothing to give in aid of tn;
cause, or go without tho desired litel
AZURE. An allowance" does not a
ways settle the difficulty, especially
the allowance includes the househol
expenses. It's smallness sometime
causes meanness toward the kitche
maid and such higgling with huckstel
as creates widespread contempt f
the mistress Of the mansion. Or, If ii
mistress is kind and generous. she ma
fail entirely OF saving anything fro
the bills she pays for her own pc
sonal expenses"
Why can not wife ask her husbar
for what she wants on each occasioul
Put yourself in her place and realiz
the beggary this implies, unless 81
goes to him simply as a matter of CO
venience and with perfect assuran,
OF her recognized right TO receive; Il
husband acting as the family cashi
/ who can more conveniently receive al
pay out the common fund.
A separate purse is not a necessit
A common fund is all right il it real
: is common: il each feels an equal rig
TO its use with due regard to the pr
servation OF the income. II the fami
is really prosperous financially. it Dug
to be the wife's privilege as well as 1
; husband to subscribe large sums
, good works.
Woman's characteristic work in {
! world is yet UNDERMINED 1t never C