The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-23
POCKETBOOK AND WIFE.
Good Time of the Year to Appoint a
New Family Treasurer.

Good Time of the Year to Appoint a
New Family Treasurer. o..
From the Milwaukee Journal.
The season is coming near when we
are supposed to thaw out little.
You will buy skates for the boy
(which he cried for month ago, )maybe
a set of furs for the wife (who has peed-
cd them five years. dollar pipe for a
friend, who you know will give you a
dollars worth of something in honest
exchange and this you call Christmas
giving. You think you have properly
thawed out.
But you haven't. No, bless you; the
genial warmth of the true Christmas
spirit hast tbawed even the frost time
on your heart. -
If you want to have the satisfaction of
realizing what it means to thaw out
clear through, and yet cannot separate
the Christmas idea from money, turn
your pocket-book over to your wife for
the next two weeks. Make mighty
sacrifice for just the once.
1t may enable her to have the hap
piest Christmas che has had since she
married you. Aud you-if you won't
learn how to give-may at least learn
how to receive. -
You would have done it once. There
was time when love for her mellowed
your heart, and you wished you had
the whole world to lay at her feet. You
said lot of such nonsense, and meant
it. Yuu have forgotten, but she hasn't.
A woman never forgets such things.
She has ob-erved, Of course, that the
little portion of the world which you
have managed to make your own is
not lying at her feet, but is jammed
into your own pocket, with your hand
always on 1t.
It's yours, you think-just as she is.
Possession makes big difference.
True, you're good fellow. You
mean we'll, but you mean to be the
main thing yourself-don't you?
Ifany man were to tell you that you
act the brute and the bully toward the
patient woman who has brought you
nine-tenths of your joys and shared
all your souows, and whom you love
next to your money, you would get
fierce about it.
But in strict confidence now, between
you and your conscience, don't you
swell up to think that you're the boss,
that look from you is command to
her, that she must beg Of you piece
meal for what you promised to- lay at
her feet? You know you don't trea'
her a. we'll as you did the day she was
YOUR bride. You lied to her. You're q
bully toward her every day. You
don't do q. tenth for her that you ought
to. And If you're any man at all, you
know it.
She asks you now for money to get
Christmas gifts for the children-asks
you apologetically, as she must, and
maybe, after long waiting to catch you
in good humor.
You crouch and growl and sneer i:
"Much good did these knick-knacks
ever do anybodyW
You forget your own childhood yes,
you forget your manhood too.
You give her something, Of course
you're good fellow-but the thing you
give her is one part money and nine
parts heartache.
And you think you've thawed out.
Of course. you know your own busl-
ness. You want nobody to tell you
how much you can spare to your wife
for Christmas gifts. Yes, you know
how much you can spare-that's the
point-she has nothing to say, about it.
It's all yours-yours so is she.
Eyes; you know your own business
You have expenses to be met; you
have debts to be paid, and there is little
money left. That's good business
sense. But don't forget that your big
gest debt is to the patient woman who
has consigned to you all that is nearest
to your happiness and has trusted you
far beyond your rating in Bradstreet's
or anywhere else. Pay your debts, OF
course. But make her preferred
creditor. Integrity-it begins in JUS
tice to her. .. .. T.,
True you have given her hice home;
you dress her good enough; you pro-
vide we'll for her-yes, you treat her as
we'll as you do your horse. But, do
YOU think she ought to be content
with that? Don't you know she has
a soul that needs nourishment?
Be sordid and tyrannical and grumpy
toward her all the rest of the year., II
you must, but for the next two weeks
thaw out that muscular pump in your
left breast and see if it is still heart.
See If little kindness and affection
and self-denial can flow from it.
Be bridegroom to her again for a
little while.
See if you can't bring the almost for
gotten blush of happiness back into
her cheeks and the old light into her
eyes and the old laugh to her lips.
You have grubbed and scraped to-
gether lot of trash that you call your
fortune but do not enjoy. You know
in your heart that the CLINT and glitter
of success holds nothing for you half
so sweet as the simple happiness of the
honeymoon, when you had nothing
but her and she had nothing but you
and your promises, that you haven't
made good.
Fill your pocketbook full of that
trash you have sweat for and sacrificed
her for; give it to her to buy Christ
mas gifts, and learn for the first time
what it is all good for.