LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2172, 10 February 1881, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE MANAGING WIFE. Fan Newton had been looking over hifl yearly account. « «-ell,' asked hia wife, looking up, 'how do ycu come out?' 'I iiid,' s»id her hatband, 'that my exoemtes during the past year have been thirty-seven cents over a thousand dollars.' ' And your income has been a thousand dollars.'

' Yes, I managed pretty well, didn't I p' ' Do you think it managing well to exceed your Income ?' said his wife. ' What's this thirty-seven cents ?' asked Mr Newton, lightly. • Not much, to be sure, but still something, It seems to me we ought to have saved, instead of falling behind.' ' But now hot? can we save on this salary, Elizabeth? We haven't lived extravagantly. Still it seems to have taken it all.' ' Perhaps there is something in which we might retrench. Suppose you mention some of the items.' ' The most important is house rent, 150 dols , and articles of food, 500Jols.' « Just half.' ' Yes, aid you'll admit that wo can't retrench there. I like to live well. I had enongh of poor board before I was married. Now I mean to live as well as I c»n.' ' Still we c ught to save something against a rainy day, Ezra,' ' That would be like carrying an umbrella when the sun shines.' ' Still it is well to have an umbrella in the house,' ' I can't oontrovert your logic, Elizabeth, but I'm afraid we shan't be able to save anything this year. When I get my salary it will be time enough to think of that.' ' Let me make a proposition to you,' said Mrs Newton. • You said that one-half of your income had been rxpended for articles of food. Are you willing to allow me that sum if or that purpose ?' ' You guarantee to pay all bills ont of It?' «Ye».' ' Then I will shift the responsibility upon yon with pleasure. But I can tell yau be. forehand yoa won't be able to save much out of it.'

' That's well. I shouldn't relish having any additional bills to pay. As lam paid every month, I will at each month hand you half of the money.' The different character of the husband and wife may be judged from the conversation which has been recorded. Mr Newton had little prude, ce or foresight. He lived chiefly for the present and seemed to fancy that whatever contingencies might arise in future, he would somehow be provided for. Now, to trust in Providence is a very proper way, bat there is a god deal of truth in the old adage, that God will help those who help themselves. Mrs Newton, on the contrary, had been brought np in a family which was compelled to be economical, and though she was not disposed to deny herself comforts, yet she felt that it was desirable to procure them at a fair rate. The time at which this conversation took place was at the commencement of the second year of their married life. The first step Mrs Newton took on accepting the charge of the household expenses was to institute the practice of paying cash for all articles that came under her department. She accordingly called on the butcher and enquired : ' How often have yon been in the habit of presenting your bill, Mr Williams ? * ' Once in six months,' was the reply. * And I suppose you sometimes have bad bills P' ' Yes; one third my profits, on the average, are swept off by them.' ' And yon could afford to sell cheaper, I suppose, for ready money.' ' Yes ; and I would be glad if all my customers would give me a chance to do so.' ' I will Bet them an example, then,' said Mrs Newton. ' Hereafter, whatever articles shall be purchased of you shall be paid for on the spot, and I shall expect you to sell them as reasonably ss you can.' This arrangement was also made with tho others, who, it is scarcely needful to say, were glad to enter into the arrangement. Beady money is a great supporter of trado, and a cash customer is worth two who purchase on credit.

Fortunately, Mrs Newton had a small supply of money by her, which lasted till the first monthly instalment from her husband beoune due. Thus she was enabled to carry out her plan from the beginning. Another plan 'which occurred to her as likely to save expenses was to purchase articles in large quantities. She had soon saved enough from the money allowed to do this.

For example, instead of buying sugar a few pounds at a time, purchased a barrel, and ao succeeded in saving a cent, or more on a pound. This perhaps amounted to but a trifle in the course of a year, bnt the same system carried out in regard to other things yielded a result which was by no means a trifle.

There are other ways in which a careful housekeeper is able to limit expenses, which Mrs Newton did not overlook.

With an object in view she waa always on the look out to prevent waste, to get the fall valne of whatever was expended. The result was beyond her anticipations. At the close of the year, on examining her bank book—for she had regularly deposited whatever money she had not occasion to use in one of the institutions—she found that she had 150 dole,'besides reimbursing herself for the money during the first month, and having enough to last the other. ' Well Elizabeth, have you kept within your allowance ? ' asked the husband at that time. ' I guess you have not found it bo easy to stve as you thought for.' ' I have something, however,' said his wife. ' How is it with yon ?' ' That's more than I can say. However I have not exceeded my income, that's one good thing. We have lived fully as well as last year, and I don't know but better than when we spent 500 dole.' ' It's knack, Ezra/ taid his wife, smiling. She was not inclined to mention how mnoh she had saved. She wanted, some time or other, to surprise him when it would be a service.

' She may possibly have'saved up £5 dols,' thought Mr Newton, 'or some other trifle,' and so dismissed the matter from his mind.

At the end of the second year Mrs Newton's savings, including the interest, amounted to 360 dobs, and she began to feel quite rich. Her husband did not think to inquire how much she had saved, supposing as before that it could bo bat very little. However, he had a piece of good news to oommunioate. His salary had been raised from 1000 dols to 1200 dols. He added : * As I before allowed you onehalf of my income for household expenses, it is no more than fur that I should do so now. That will give you a better chance to save'part of it than before.' As before, Mrs Newton merely said that she had saved something, without the amount. Her allowance was increased to 600 dols , but her expenses were not proportionately increased at all, so that her savings for the third year swelled the aggregate Bum In the savings batik to GOOJols. Mr Newton, on the contrary, in spite of his increased salary, waa no hotter off at the end of his third year than before. His expenses had increased by lOOdol, though he would have found it difficult to tell in what way his comfort or happiness had been increased thereby. In spits of his carelessness in regard to his own affairs, Mr Newton was an excellent man in regard <o his business, and his services were valuable to his employers. They accordingly increased his salary from timo t» time, till it reached 1600.i01s He had steadily preserved the custom of assigning one-half to his wife, as heretofore, and this had become such a hubit that he never thought to inquire whether she found it necesaaiy to employ tho whole or not. Thus ten years rolled away. During all this time Newton lived in tho same hired house, for which he had paid an annual rent of l&Odols. Latterly, however, he has become diesatisfied with it. It had passed into the hands of a new landlord, who was not disposed to keep it in the repair which he considered desirable. About thiß timo a blook of excellent houses was erected by a capitalist, who designed to sail them or let them as he might have an opportunity. They were modern and much better arranged thaa the one in which Mr Newton now lived, and he felt a strong

dseiro to move into one of them. He mentioned it to his wife one morning. * What's the rent ?' inquired she. ' Two hundred and twenty-five for corner house ; 2Qodole for either of the other*.' ' The corner honse wonli be preferable, on account of the side windows.' 1 Yes, and they have a large yard besides. I think we had better rent one of them. I guess I'll engage one of them to-day; yon know our year la cut next week." * Please wait till to-morrow before en* gaging one.* ' For what reason ?' ' I should like to examine the house.' * Very well, I suppose to-morrow wi3 be sufficiently early.' Soon after breakfast, Mrs Newton called on 'Squire Bent, the owner of the new block, and intimated her desire to be shown the corner house. Her request was readily complied with; Mrs Newton was quite delighted with all the arrangements, and expressed hex satisfaction. ' Are these houses for sale or let ? ' she enquired. ' Either,' said the owner. ' The rent is, I understand, two hundred and twenty-five dollars.' ' Yea. I consider the corner house worth at least twenty-five dollars more than the rest.' * And what do yon oharge for the house for a oash pnrohaser P ' asked Mrs Newton, with snbdued eagerness. ' Four thouiand dollars cash,* was the reply, ' and that is but a small advance on. the cost.' 'Very well, I will buy of you,' added Mrs Newton, quietly. •What did I understand you to say ? » asked the 'Squire, scarcely believing his own ears. ' I repeat that I will buy this house at yonr price, and pay the money within a week.' ' Then the house is yours. But your has* band did not say anything of his intention, and in fact I did not know—' ' That he had money to invest, I suppose you would say. Neither doos he know it, and I must ask yon not to tell him for the present,' The next morning Mrs Newton invited her husband to take a walk, but without speolfying the direction. They soon stood in front of the house in which he desired to live. ' Wouldn't you like to go in P * aho asked. ' Yes. It's a pity we haven't got the key.* *I have the key,' said the wife, and proceeded to open the door. * When did you get tho key of Squire Bent 7' asked her husband. «Yesterday, when I bought the house,' said his wife quietly. Mr Newton gazed on his wife in profound astonishment. * What do you mean ?' ' Just what I say—the bouse is mine, and what is mine is thine. So the house is yours, Ezra.' ' Where in the name of goodness did yon raise the money?' <sked the husband, in amazement as great as ever. * I haven't been a managing wife for ten, years for nothing,* said Mrs Newtoa, smiling. With some difficulty Mrs Newton persuaded her husband that the prioe of the house waa really the result of her savings. He felt, when he surveyed tho commodious arrangements of the house, that ho had reasons to be 'grateful for the prudence of his managing wife.