Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-08-07
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
MENDlCANT WIVES.

employe, or mendicant? For it must
be one or the other. Perhaps she is re-
garded as partner in the domestic firm,
having the same right to draw her share
OF its profits as the other partner, even
If he keeps the books, and has the mon
ey pass through his hands 1t is very
common thing in firms for one partner
to do the selling, or the manufacturing,
or whatever it is, while the other acts
as treasurer and cashier. But the latter
does not for that reason claim any supe-
riority over his associate. He does not,
merely because the money passes
through his hands, talk of giving his
partner what he pays him; he knows
that the money belongs to his partner
as much as to him. This is surely the
way in which the marriage partnership
ought to be viewed, on the business side.
In the great majority of cases the wife
works as hard as the husband, though in
different way. Her management of the
household and the children, if properly
done, is usually to be set againsthis work
at his place of business; it is equally es-
sential to the marriage partnership, and
though the money passes through his
hands, she has really as much right to
1t as he. OF course, in cases where the
wife has no children, and lives at hotel
or clearinghouse, and simply spends
the husbands money, while doing little
in return, it is less of grievance to
talk of his giving" her money. Even
then, perhaps they live in this way by
his desire. There are such cases, no
doubt, just as there are cases at the 9TH
er extreme, where the wife actually
earns-or owns-the money, and the
husband merely spends it. But neither
of these is the normal state of things,
the normal condition is for the wife to
be as hard-worked at home as is. her
husband abroad, and in this case it is
fair to regard it as an equal partner
ship, in which partners have right to
share the profits, and there is no ''giv-
ing about it.
But suppose that fer any reason, the
wife can not convince her husband that
this theory of an equal partnership is a
just one, she has perfect right to put
the matter in another way. "If l am
not partner, she may fairly say 81
have just right to be regarded as ar
employe. If l am not a partner, / al
least render certain services to tho
household, and can claim as of right
not by 'giving'-whateve compensation
you would pay to any third person fol
the same services. Put it as matter O.
equal partnership or of employment
whichever you please, only do not evadt
the obligations of both" Surely thi!
demand at least is reasonable. If The
wife is simply an official, let her be pai(
for the official work, and call the com
pensation her own. If she keeps house
she is at least entitled to what yo,
would pay housekeeper; if she does thu
duty of a governess, let her have tn,
compensation Of one; if she does the du
ty of cook, she earns cooks wages
Do not regard all these economies simpl,
as something saved to the husband
pocket; the saving has no place in hi
pocket, for it belongs in thatof his wife
You do not expect any one else to keeI
house, or teach the children or cook thu
dinner merely for her board or lodging
why should you ask the wife to do it? |
a penny saved is as good as penn,
earned, her saving should count as earn
ing.
/ 1t is not enough to say, but we d.
not wish to complicate matters witt
these technicalities. Observe, that i
is always technicality when it is
question of moneys going to the wife
but it is a vast and simple business prin
ciple whenever it goes to the husband.
when my wife asks me for money,
give it to her." But is that the kind O
relation you like to have with your ow,
employer-one of asking" and ''giy
ing? You prefer to feel that you ear
it, and that the very moment pay-da
comes it is yours, and there is no 'giy
ing" about it. From that moment tn
law itself makes it yours. If men, VIII
are trained to rough it in the world fee
this shrinking, women can not escape il
Only long and patient observation,
suppose, can enable any mere man t
understand the continual and unjust hi
initiation undergone by multitudes c
admirable women-the pinching an
contriving and patient enduring the
will undergo first-because of this pei
pctual ordeal of asking" their husband
for money. The husband may DO tn
best-natured man living; the wife ma
know that asking means receiving; bu
that which annoys her Is the ASKING L
self. In many cases the money is PAL
without it, / know, as an allowance
but in that case the word is still on
which implies favor given and +,
ceived; it is not an allowance" prope
ly speaking, but is simply her share {
the income, if you regard her as q par
ner; or her salary, if you view her as a
employee
Why does she need this sense of ind,
pendence in her possession of what
due her? She needs it in many way
First, that she may feel that she is
woman, not a child; that she is of ag,
not under tutelage. Secondly, that sh
may feel free, as her husband woul
feel, to subscribe for such charities {
may seem to her desirable. AS it i
any subscription agent will tell you tn;
the husband puts down his dollar or h
ten dollars without hesitation, on h
own Judgment; while the wife rarel
ventures on a subscription even to tt
Missionary Society or the Seaside Hon
for Sick Children, without requestir
the agent to call again, that she ma
have had an opportunity to ask her hu
band. Thirdly, that she may make pre-
ents, and feel that they come from mo-
ey that is justly hers, and which she
notmerely requiring her husband to gi,
something to Cousin Sarah, to whom
is quite Indifferent, or to Aunt Mehi
abel, who once broadly limited that /
was not good provider for his famil
That may be very good reason why /