DOMESTIC ECONOMY

Evening Star, Issue 17084, 1 July 1919, Page 6

DOMESTIC ECONOMY

[By a Saver, in Melbourne ‘Age.’] My existence* as a married man has been ono of almost perfect bliss;’. At times I | haw imagined myself living in. an earthly para'Bs©. My advice to my pc’s has been: “ Ot, married, old chan, and you’ll never regret it." Until a little while ago I had every reason to be happy. My wife—a dainty little creature—is the embodiment of .Ml lives© attribute® a man fees in a girl before 'he marries her, but which in some caves seem to vanish once the responsibilities of Wife and mother asro ebou'dered. My wife, however, is mot of the changing sort. She fe still as dainty as in.thorn days when only a diamond cluster adorned the “wedding" flngetr. My home—a neat suburban villa, which I rent—is always cheerful. Hoses grow in profusion in the garden, and the lawns bath and front give an air of rori-ful-noss and keep mo out of mischief on Sunday mornings. I am allow'd rights out to attend lodge or play bridge and billiards. I do not impose on the good nature of my Httlo partner, however, and I muedly strive to nnko these nocturnal outings synchronise with visits from her mother. Neither party has yet suspected my true motive*. Her mother dubs me a model husband, so thoughtful and all the rest of ft. What poor judges women usually are! Andther fruitful cause of my happiness is a bonny little (tirth, who. came into the home just three years a«ro. She ~wr her uses, as she is good oomjj&ny for the wife when I am “ buck at. the office.” How could I be otherwise than happy? Notwithstanding the high cost of living, vie found there was a small balance left over from my "weekly earning?. To ;ie-wt mi winelm' the war I undertook to pm-chu.'© war bonds on the instalment syflom. Just as I had accunmVited a nic-e parcel a very aiuective investment was su?graced. A cc-irtape in the Ml’s where we could 1 pond week-ends and let to tenants at s-b urdly high re'ftab during the fl'mimer months. I went thoroughly into details-, and Proud I could grt 15 per emit, return on the money Ike bargain was riinck'd, ’Everythin*" was put- in *«ulihioes for the ‘bem.rits who w-m to prove instrumental "in imkinv ire a eunc'spful investor, but except during the school holiday period no- one s-cm-rd to wa-t lv" "A* of>"rtavo c- --at Ip-a t 'h~ , "' l \vi = r n ,-p-m->-u tomine. I have -since learnt that tbs agent who obligingly iwvterteok to fil'd ten.*» r -ts *or ire ha- 1 c-ef aec- of 1-w nwa to fill, and—well, he gave himself preference-. Pc uVlif- T t o’’-'- el with _mv wife way? and means of turning our _ investment to tu’od acc'irnt. .Vi ki.-t we bit irrou a The site, of the cot-togs was just fa-- enough away from the city lo nwk-e dri V railway ■ joiftiteys imprac''-cihln : but- Pro dtrodv n''U v " oou’d be met by a motor bike. Later wo would also got a ride car I should have bar] a. motor bike years ago but for one ci ni stance. When ab~ift to p' -r.o'R 1 ped-rod on the advantages of a wife over a motor bile©. I dearly wanted that niv-bine. and tbo girl .to whom I was paying attention want'd mo—-i k>"Ft. slv r,l, v“ encouraging indications in that direction. I cleoidt d to allow my dc-'Fay to be deter- , mined by the io s of a uenuy. “Tails” it was. I lost, so pot married. On the very -ni-ht we arranged to purchase a motor bike a friend (to whom 1 was to appeal for guidance in the deal, and who knew nil about, the ®afe ha"d’ing of these maclriucs, was taken home wfth a broken leg, the result of & too m'imate meeting with an electric tram, an elde ly lady, and a pm all doe- a t a coo-. iLrg. Wy w’fr- always? declared that “those wretched''things [motor bikes] arc rlcnge - u. but I bad -ahn-o i overcome her womanly prejudice when Ibis thing occurred. Tbo idea- was hit on the head without delay. A small motor car wan'd be safer; but there was the question of a bigger outlay. For the life of me I con’d not eee a way to finaive the project. A\e left our future in doubt that night. Next day when I came home from my office my ivdto rant me in a- state of supprcpsrd ‘exc’tomenfc. I wondered for a moment wh-fiber ft was a vte'tor or a new variety' of nuddiiig- When X reached the breakW. rcoir. (w alway® have (Inner in the breakfast room, except on Sundays and when we have vhit.or-V) I .saw ibe end of the, table that was not, “set” snowed up with I papers. On: clcv-cr examination I found them : to be tbo bui’c’rorV-, baker's, mrikm-an's, draper’®. and mflliuer’s receipts and bills—mostly' bit's. There was ouo slip or paper apart from the rest, and on this lay a load per.cl. “Bob, dear,'’ raid my wife, “ I’ve just boon gcL g in o the iKrus-o’ old oc'ountand what do you think?'’ I thought, a number of things, but dared not express myra... I “If I esoironiiro,” she continued, “I can I rave at least 15s a week on the ordinary 1 iradesnirn's a.r.:-o-ant.s : 1 ci2.w Jo wahout Ih" \ chavw jumr.—'hiA will oeve -aivothcr 5--; I won’t buv a new winter frock: 3’ll nir.lcc last season’s bat ‘ do *: and, ob. 1 know trere a-ro lots of ways I can cave money. In a yea." we’ll hove 'enough to pat down as a deposit for a, car” . , “ You’re a little brick,” mw I, becoming enthusiastic. X could a’r-rsdv sec myself behind the steering wheel of a singl-e-v'eflter. I said a lot more compliment®ry things, and we dircimscd itho project. aioumicdly during the meal. The whole field_ oi gossibrhUes was tia-verced, my wife giving inmute deinihs of 1.-cr economy sch. mo. “ Lake the charwoman,” 'he said- V. hoi wit-i lighting the copper for her, waiting cn her wi hj morning tea, lunch, and then afte.roon tea—why. I hr gift juto as well nib out "ibe few clot bee myself.” Towards the curl of the rasa! my wile very calmly and wi kou.t warning of what was coming said; “Of can e, Byb % dear. V--U rmr-t al-'o make a IHe ?aor tic .’ 1 _tea cd it from the nuiiTg', 'out succeicl-cd in kiuh"ig my true fl c in. s. “Do you i. ink you could do with, say, IDs le s w-".ekly tor luirkf-s. l.iiaui-d.-;, and coffee tor jour friend X recalled my d fllculty to keep strict y within the limim oi my weekly cliowauic the oivar. ; t’C'; I am n 'f ace 1.1, sac>l ■© b row ana tik.c iimumeribl-o innc-cait irdiscrc-t'on-s that happen with all vr.-ea who c-p iv ir-'r dav= the -itv but 1 did not bee ay myself. ' With the slightest tinge of satire a.u.l a great d.sp-ay o. scj’-abn-au-t-ion which even .le-ii = u oia I raul . Ccrtiaii.lyg my d-icar. rn.i-i.e-. c we make it 12s Cel. lii.tuimtoly, my wife lias a sense of proportion, and we- agreed upon 10r~. ..... Tli-c "coiioruy pre gramme v,:ii, imualca after next pay day- I handed ever 10- more than visual,' aii.i wondered how I should get throw hj •h' wc-k w 'hout thr-wing my-df on her luorcv or appoalmg to Jones for tow-p-,r.irv lii.a- i-uil iico.mmcdalion. During the 11". xi tow wei It" I w Ip a on iui* ,-mn e of bankruptcy. My friends we.ro puxzled. Tho pcor.GDiy campaign wa.» now hi fall swing. The g; ey gaberdine coat frock ibe wife boughi a-i a bargain coni-lcr la-J, v.Mier f->: £!) 9s w,:« lo be made ‘do" again thi; winter; hat it would reejuire a liulc a.-toiu-liou. A local co tumic.ro was com-ultod, and sire suggested " i iiruing ” if. I assured hc-v charges would be ixgisomible ’Unr velvet '-at bang t to match the frock for £3 cs wax to be rcfurbiihiid at a cost of only 255; the coat with fiquinel for cuffs c d c.llar was. lo be dyed and rektoocraied with rabbit skin; one pair of “ retd ” s.lk stockings i at 15'- mi to be pu-chaired m i-loce of three ; pairs with rilk on y at tij*.; anl lu. wlticii 1 usually run ir.1.0 5s lid. Seal “ al’amli stocking!!, I W.l'. told, don’t, “ lartae.r ’’ like ■the, half-and-half article. Undcrcloth.iig was to bo embroidered at 'home in 1 P;"*' morn." nt-s, and oui ings were to bo curtailed. This -is only a small pari of the cnbo..ite > sebem-o for saving money diat wa-r. oni lined to me. In a. Iftt’e while that motor cur would be ours. I had imp icit faith in ray wife's busingw c-apabilitiei, and when a lew i weeks 1-ator 1 no'iced she le.rcly mencionecl I economy I felt certain sno w.rr planning to 1 exceed the sraii we hud sot out to luivv b\ ' us at the cud of the year. But one clay I ] felt (vinstxwiiii d to b each this* subj-cci. Jly wife was visibly uneasy; she w-iui soon in ■ tears. That night, a®' her head .ay in tire crook of inv -ciibow, I liff-icnod io a Icnfiliy confe <sion. ' The- turning of the gaberdine coat fit«k had ocx.-l- £2 15 , but it wac not u success. In the piocesis it hud bccorno -shoriened- by scv-.tol inches, making it- impossib!® for a married woman and the mother of a child of three yea.s to w-uvr. A n.v.’ ficok would simply have to be bsught. la purchasing nciw velvet for tb-e hut she had go I ■one-f-igiith of a yard too little, and the miiliner had “ skimped ” tho job. Tlio dus-xman took the hut away last Friday. In ordcu to dye the coat a Ice- cr.enc tin was requisitioned. Tlic eye was prepared, and the- coal left- to eimtner on the gas stove while a, neighbcrly call was made. XVhen the wife -returned 'she found tire tin bad a. bole in it. The dye bad run down the back of the stove, and -subroqueu-tly over the kitchen linoleum; and as for the coat—’.veil. I’ll not go into details. The theory that ical silk stockings, however shrewdly bought-, will nor “ ladder ” : has-iio fcundiUiau in fart; and, iurthemio-ic. | tho soic-s wear out just as quickly as the ba-re imitations. More money war. spent on enibroid'ry ; silks, materials, and transfer* for experimental purposes than would have bought several “sets.” White the wife’s outings were certainly' fewer, they were usually done in a ham-oia cab instead of trains, the justification being, according to her particular brand of logic, that she only .'•pent on this liltlo comfort what would ’have -gone to. the ciiniwoman. My- sacrifice? had been in vain, and tho household bills were bigger tl-.a-u ever on -account of the numerous friends s.he entertained at the house to- save he* going out.

It Mias a full, open confession, land after 1 ft was through my wife a wish to start alt over again, Hw experience would be of great banefti. But T was lina. I have given up the idea of a motor car. Such things -cannot be acquired thmig-h tho agency of houeehohj econorctos. Of that I am convinced. I now get my old ftlcwar.ce. The strain of it -all brought ray wife to the verge of a nervous breakdown, 1 saw the doctor. He said: “Take her for a quiet holiday' in tho hills or somewhere.” Thank heavens, we have at last foam, a use for the cottage.