The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-22
WOMAN AND HER HOME.
How \ Good Wife Prepared FOR An
Emergency and Made II
Profitable.
Remarkable Mercantile Capacity
Developed by Interest In Hor
Husbands Work.
Ad tilted 10 tho Firm and Possessed o
. F~ertune-Taks tsrs Of the
Family.

A Delaware girl, marrying at II, passed
seven years Of happy domestic life In New
York. Her husband WINS Il prosperous sales
man.. representing large dealers in Japa-
nese goods. She had inherited n small prop
erty. and they lived in handsome style, but
in the midst of her prosperity she was
overwhelmed with misfortune.
Herhusband was stricken with that hope
less disease, paresis, md incapacitated for
business. Her private fortune was swept
away by tho acknowledgement Of relatives
who had invested 1t.
Tins reduced to great straits, with four
children dependent upon her, she sold her
jewelry and costly furniture. left her hand
some home and found modest lodgings in
the suburba- Then she hit upon u bold
stroke.
She went to her husbands former en-
ployers and stated her case. She had her
sick husband and four children to provide
for. No ordinary employment for a wom-
an, like typewriting, would suffice to keep
them together and support them comfort
ably. She wished to take her husbands
route ~ a commercial traveller.
The firm raised objections. The route
had been divided among statesmen. 1t was
not Il suitable occupation for woman. She
would he exposed to insult.
She pleaded in desperation for a trial.
Her husband had always talked with her
freely, she aaid, about business. When on
the road, b. wrote to her every night and
gave minute details about sales and GUS
toners.
IT understand the business already" she
said, from his letters. I am sure / can
make myself respected, even in what seems
10 Ia m ~.,>r,,itoH lo coo,,rotinn o,,I ho ny
cessful."
Her courage inspired confidence. The
firm planned a short route and offered her
asmall salary, with commissions. She went
from town to town, opened her trunks and
displayed her samples. She found her hus-
bands customers and pleased them. Her
earnings in q few months averaged $50 q
week.
The experiment was repeated with a
longer route. Her earnings ran up to $50 a
week. The frm then placed her In charge
of her husbands trade, which enabled her
in time to earn $1,5O0 a year. Meanwhile
she had established a relative in business
and placed her children under his wife's
care in q comfortable home.
The firm, impressed with her intelligence,
now sent her 10 China to buy goods. She
ascertatned that traders were not allowed
to go into the interior.
Travelling ostensibly for pleasure, she
made a long circuit of interior villages and
purchased almost from house to house a
unique collection Of wares. Many Of these
goods had never before been seen in New
York. The firm made a very large sum
from her purchases.
since then she has been admitted into the
firm as a partner and has accumulated a
handsome fortune.
Without ~adaptability, self respect and a
natural talent for trade she could not, OF
course, have achieved this striking success,
but remarkable as was her mercantile ca
pacity ii should be remembered that it
was first developed by her interest in her
husbands business. He made her his con,
fidante, shared with her his daily expert.
ence and ~unconsciously educated her for
her work. She had often said laughingly:
II know your business SO well from your
letters that I could take your place."
When the emergency arose, she soon,
therefore, became fully equal to its de-
mands. Youths Companion.