Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-29
ENGLISH WIVES.
They Are Lamentnbiy Ignorant OF Their
Husbands Incomes.

HusnhhuF lncomeh.
II Is clear that the point In which
the English middle class marriage
most differs from the French marriage
OF the same class IL the unwillingness
Of the English husband 90 sink any Of
his own individuality in the union and
To make his wife q real partner. For
example, some writers seem 10 hold
that husbands do not and ought not TO
tell their wives their incomes. This is.
we believe, In accordance with the
facts The middle class English wife
knowt very little, often nothing, OF her
husbands affairs. and II quite In the
dark as to what Ia the pecuniary posi-
tion OF the family. She knows that
her husband is sometimes willing 10
spend, sometimes unwilling; that is all
The French wife, on the other hand,
II We are 10 believe competent writer's
ON France, habitually understands her
husbands pecuniary position, and
would consider herself grossly slighted
" she did not enjoy his confidence in
this respect. She is as often us not in
deed the family cxchequer and knows
more exactly how things stand than
does her husband. The Englishman's
habit OF sccrctivencss IL, we can not
help thinking, extremely unfortunate,
and to IL may be attributed a great
deal Of the extravaganza and wart Of
knowledge as TO the value OF money at
tributed-and we fear rightly attrib-
utcd-to English wives.
English husbands TO often tell their
fF.. l.l
comes, and thus the wife has no means
of knowing whether she must keep rig
idly to her housekeeping allowance, or
whether she may occasionally go lit
tie beyond A proof Of the common
ness Of the practice is 10 he found in
the fact TINT the manuals ON house
keeping always assume that the wife
Is quite ignorant OF her husbands In
come and has no responsibility In re-
gard 90 expenditures outside her own
departments.
Another bad result OF this system Is
the complete ignorance Of money INIT.
tors displayed by most English wild
Ows. When the husband dies the
ordinary wife finds herself utterly
ut sea. She does not even
know how to draw II check. She does
not understand why, when or how
dividends are paid, and she has not tho
romotest conception of what is u good
and what bad investment. How
should she know Her husband has
been at no pains TO explain things 10
her, and she has lived ON the principle
cnunciatcd by the old gentleman In the
knight Of the burning Pcstle." She
never wore out dress without an
obliging dressmaller bringing another,
and Ms for food Of all kinds, II flowed
into the house just rs II II was laid on
like gas and water.
Yet the average woman can learn Ia
understand money matters quite as
well as the average man. Unfortu-
nntely, the husband Is too Jealous of his
power to tell his wife his exnct Rnan- =
cial position. while the wife Is too shv
to insist ON knowing, or very possibly
regards II ms quite virture not to In
terfere with such things, The conse-
, qucnces nre often disastrous. Many a
4 household would bc thrittily instead Of
eNtravagnntly managed " only the
| wife knew her hushl nd's income, while
| hundreds Of widows would be saved
from countless worries and impositions
II they realized more OF the ways OF
money.
English wives will not be perfect tin
their husbands share with them the
mysteries of the passbooS. London
Spectator