San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-15
WOMAN AND HOME.
A WIFE's POSSIBLE TROUBLES WITH
HOUSEHOLD FINANCES.

The American Girl Compared with Her
English Sister-Points About the Toilet.
Teaching the Little Ones to Talk-Use-
full Recipes for the Good Housewife.
Husband, loq.-I buy everything that is
needed in the house, and you have only to
speak to me if you are in want of pin money.
That doesn't seem to be great hardship.
I wouldn't mind asking for money, if was
sure of getting it without any further ex-
ertion.
Ali wouldn't you, good sirl Suppose your
self in the place of wife, who, however petted
and INDUCED is expected TO render a strict ac-
count 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 luxuriesl She may dip into her
purse for caramels, perfumes and flowers;
your cigars, luncheons and other marginal
expenses foot up a far larger bill.
First and last, in many otherwise happy
homes, there is a 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 as
sumed or attempted or else husband and wife
do not agree perfectly about the spending of
it, or, again. there is a lack of openness 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 the disposition of whatever his hard hand
labor has gained.
Where, however, there is fuctuating in
come, and a man desires that his home shall
present brave front to the world, making,
for business reasons or those of personal
pride, goodly show in the eyes of his towns
people and acquaintance, there is often great
injustice done to wives Their extravaganza
is taken for granted by the uniformed
How shall the wife of a lawyer, doctor or
business man know precisely how to arrange
her expenses, if she is treated like 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
go, till some day there is mutter, rumble
or a storm, when payment is asked; or, when
a crash comes, she finds that she has been
walking heedlessly on a lava crust, with ruin
seething under her feet.
Entire and candid explanation of the
finances of the business firm in which hus-
band and wife are partners, and the manage
ment Of home affairs, according to business
methods and in a common sense way, would
relieve great deal of embarrassment and
prevent 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
that proves the rule, when, even
after years Of happy marriage, awife is found
who owns to no dread in this regard, is con
scious of no reluctant aversion-feels about
her husbands purse as she would about her
E. Sangster in Once Week.