Evening star., 1902-09-13
MONEY IN THE POCKET
KNOWING HOW TO SPEND 1T rs
AN EXCELLENT TRAIT.
The Muddle Some Women Make of 1t
A Wife's Right in Her Hus-
bands Income.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star
There may be greater virtues in the pos
session Of the married woman but there
are few greater and more excellent talents
than that of knowing how to spend money,
not to waste it, but to spend it and be ac-
quainted with its management.
The wife Of one of our foreign ambassa-
doris, whose husband was about to leave
her on long journey. was given cheque
book, which unfortunately and unwisely
she had never had before, with a sum OF
money in the bank. On her husbands re-
turn he asked her If she had had money
enough 'Oh, yes" she replied. And I'm
deed, l have half a dozen cheques Ieft;"
her idea being that each cheque stood for
as much money she chose to indicate
upon it, without reference TO any specific
deposit or anything apparently but the ca
pacity of the vaults of the bank: while the
bank officials, who had her husbands
greatly larger account, had suffered her
to draw what she pleased.
This little lady was no more unacquainted
with business processes than another. who,
seeing that when her husband wanted mon-
ey he drew a cheque, deliberately signed
his name to a cheque-he being absent,
and IL being necessary to meet the subscrip-
tion to a charity-and when other people
were in no end of a scrape In consequence,
she at once declared that she had done It.
as she and her husband had always had
their purse in common. A very little in
struction would have prevented any such
exhibition.
Knowing these instances TO be facts, II
is hardly necessary to emphasize the state
ment that every girl should be taught the
use of cheque book. even II she has only
a single dollar in the bank.
Where a woman can and does have funds
to draw upon, II is inexcusable that so SIM
pie matter should be neglected, although
HI frd IL IL
simple. STILL one cannot help wondering
how a man who is going to leave his daugh-
ter his wife many thousands does not
have her fitted to take care of IL by In
struction in the first principles of banking
in primitive bookkeeping and in the draw
ing of wills and their codicils. rs that my
husbands will?" said newly made widow
to the lawyer sitting beside her and read
ing the document. II can't think he would
make such will as that! Let me look at
it, And taking it, she glanced il over.
and tossed it into the fire. all unaware that
she had committed felony.
But whether or not one knows the details
of the methods OF getting money into the
right hands, II Is an important part OF .
wife's virtues to know how to spend the
money when once hers. Many a woman
buys what she wants, IL she has the means
to do SO, without a thought IL !: be best
or IL she could do without II, or II she could
get IL at better price elsewhere. But,
really, the more open-handed a husband S.
the more II is the wifes duty to Think twioc
when spending. For. putting aside any
question Of her equities In the husbands In
come, the fact remains that it is usually In
his power. and is under the province of that
law which declares that might makes right;
and IL he is open-handed that circumstance
gives her a double obligation TO spend IL
reasonably and wisely.
1t is not consideration of economy that
is involved, Of sparing. of unset tishness, OF
doing without that another may have. IL is
the exercise of sufficient degree of care
in expenditure and of seeing that nothing
be wasted. And undoubtedly where this
case becomes habit, other habi OF nice
inspection follow In Its wake; and in the
house OF the wise and careful purchaser.
where the value of dollar is known. but
not priced above its value. for all that
there is nothing left at loose ends: the
meats are all used up, the fruits are not
left to spoil; moth and rust do not corrupt.
And the servants here, who see a trust thus
administered. are quite prepared, when they
have a home of their own, 10 make the
most of their own properties. and to prac-
tice on the small scale that leads to larger
the sort of housekeeping in whose lexicon
there II no such word as waste"