The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-03
TWO GIRLS AND
i AN ALLOWANCE.
Attempt Of Mr.. Fatherly to Reform
the Financial Affairs OF
His Home.

MY two grown up girls said Mr.. Fa-
therly, certainly do put an awful crimpin
my pocketbook. When they were little and
their mother looked after them they didn't
cost so much, but now, as grown young
women. with ideas of their own about dress
and got to nave things, it's very different.
please don't understand that / am COM
planning Of this-far from it; | only wish
that had an income Of 81 1000, 900 a week,
for nothing in the world could give greater
pleasure than to be able to supply all their
wants; but you amt float a 10 900 ton battle
ship in a shallow creek, and that, fguratively
speaking, is ABOUT the sort Of proposition
that my two charming young daughters
are putting me up against with their con-
slant demands for money.
you see It isn't alone for the price OF
oloaks and hats and dresses that / am called
upon, but for innumerable smaller sums
as we'll, for a great variety Of purposes
Lucinda comes to me to-day for $1.76 for
something, and lane wants half a dollar.
And the next day Lucinda has got to have
81, and Jane wants $3.50, and so on; not great
amounts, any Of them. individually consid-
cred, but amounting in the aggregate to a
sum frightful to me to contemplate.
But the girls can only see the sums in
detail.
whats a dollar1' says Lucinda; and,
"'Poohl Fifty oents!' says Jane; and it's
no use, you can make them see it.
so it ran along until n day when
had ventured as gently as I could to men
ton the subject again.
why don't you give us an alfowanceT
saws Lucinda. All the girls we know have
an allowance. Their fathers give them 80
much every week to spend, and everything
they want they buy out OF that. You give
us an allowance and then we wouldn't have
to come to you for money at ALL
REALLY, there seemed to be ar Idea in
that. You see, getting the money from
me a little bit at a time, the girls didn't
fairly realize how much they we're spending,
and I thought that il we we're to give them
each weekly a lump sum, why they would be
a little more chary about spending 1t. SO
it was settled that thereafter | was to pay
over to Lucinda and Jane each a speoiiied
provide for Ill their wants. We started the
new arrangement last Monday.
Monday morning l handed over to Lu-
cinda and Jane each a bright new bill of
the denomination called for, thinking that
with that the business was now happily
settled; but before / left the breakfast table
I learned that the girls we're going that day
to visit some friends living in the suburbs,
and quite casually the question was brought
up of who was to pay for their transporta-
a'Why, you'll pay for that I said to the
girls, of course, out OF your allowance
s'Out Of our allowance?' said Lucinda and
Jane, together. Why; no! Not our travel
ing expenses That's Tor our personal ex-
There was something In that, too, and
we came to an understanding right there that
1 was to pay all travelling expenses; but
that was a little jolt to me, and 1t certainly
did come early, hey?.
TUESDAY morning the girls were going
down town to do a little shopping; and
here the question was raised az to who was
was simple enough, and I said, right off,
that they'd pay for that out of their allow
ance, OF course. Here the gentle lady of
the house interviewed, and there's no going
back of anything she says.
why, no. she said. They, don't pay
for their luncheon at home, do they? Why
should they ray for IT anyway
"A ruling from which there was no ap-
peal, and Of course ! agreed to pay, but !
did manage to get in a slight amendment
pay out OF their allowance for. whatever
ice cream soda they bought, on the ground
that we never had it at home.
Wednesday morning | heard Lucinda
saving to her mother;
Mother, we're out CT 40 thread and
mother saying to Lucinda;
We'll, / suppose w11l have to get some.'
And then Lucinda to me:
- Father, l want some money for thread
Well | say, why don't you get 1t out
Of your allowance
MY a~llowancep says Lucinda. For
thread Why, the thread isn't for me. it's
for sll Of u.s.
There's something in that, and !
think I a make more money going TO