Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-05-16
THE FAMILY PURSE.

Vhe FAMILY PuNoe.
]. III. III. OF wolfborough comments 40
follows, on the subject Of wives having
to ask their husbands for money:
Was somewhat struck by d short ar.
ticle In the last issue Of the Mirror and
Farmer In the Patrons Of Husbandry
column, by Mrs. Lair, In which she
graphically portrays the hard lot OF
farmers wives. She tells OF q young
wife who In her girlhood had earned
regular wages as seamstress, aud con-
sequently had become accustomed to
having pocket money OF her own. She
goes ON to relate how the lady exclAim-
ed, 81 always have lump In my throat
when ask my husband for q dollar"
etc., aud In q general way implies, II
she does not state, that this II by no
means an uncommon condition OF things
In rural districts; nor is she alone, Tor
any one, after reading the correspond
ence columns Of the many household or
domestic papers published might easily
conclude that farmers are little better
than brutes. Now cannot but feel that
this public complaining. to say the
least, detracts from the dignity OF our
wives; and n the little seamstress refer
red to, instead of telling her troubles to
a woman friend (O who would publish
her unhapplness, had explained TO her
husband lust how hard Il Was for her to
apply to him every time she needed mon-
ey, am confident they would have come
to an understanding which would have
made her life pleasanter from that day
ON and it would have done more good
In that household than all the articles
Mrs. Lair has ever written.
Oh, this lack of confidence between
husband and wife! We can only feel
compassion for the woman who has liv-
ed years with companion and Is yet so
little acquainted with him. That there
are such cases aud worse, no one doubts;
God knows they are many, but they are
not the rule, and those who sufier most
are not those who complain.
IL may be that husbands In many
places are niggardly, but IL Is not so
here; for surely the women OF this COM
munity dress better than their husbands,
as anyone will agree who visits our pub
lie gatherings. Whether they experience
the lump In their throats described by
Mrs. lair when they apply totheir lords
and masters for the necessary means l
am unable To say.
But fancy some one says: "ihat
party IL a crusty old bachelor and does
not know anything about It." There
you are wrong. have a darling vile
Who has been with me thirteen years,
and am sure she always comes to me
for money with as much confidence and
as little trepidation as would feel 10
asking her to fasten recreant button or
remove a splinter from a damaged hn-
ger. still we are brutes, no doubt, put
very lovable brutes many wives are Kind
enough to think.
[lAlthough In no way parallel, this re
minds US Of couple In western city.
They were simple and shlftiess, and
neither carried pocketbook. They had
a family Of children, which was largely
the care Of the neighbors, who one day
thought they would make the poor
family supremely happy. 80 they made
up purse Of so aud presented 1t To the
wife and mother. The next time one OF
the nelghbors visited her she found
the woman wearing silk dress aud
pair of bracelets In which to receive |
calls.-Ed. Mirror and Farmer.