THE RAINY DAY QUESTION.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12599, 13 September 1905, Page 7

THE RAINY DAY QUESTION.

There is an old story of a London gentleman touring in Ireland, who one day, when a long distance from anywhere in particular, was overtaken by a pitiless downpour of rain, and, as there was no other house of any kind within 'sight, he asked per mission to shelter at a roadside cottage until the storm was over, and the homely proprietor cordially received him. The visitor, however, very soon discovered that he might almost as well be out of doors, as the rain percoliated wholesale through the chinks and apertures in the roof, and he asked Patrick in a good-natured way why he didn't keep the tiling in better repair. " Shure," said Pat, " and yer honour wouldn't have me go out and attend to the matter in this dreadful weather — indade, I'm sure you wouldn't?" " Certainly not," was the reply; " but why not attend to it in ■the fine weather?" " Shure, yer honour," said Pat, " and it doesn't want it then ! "

Most of the " thriftless wives " referred to in your interesting correspondence would probably treat the above anecdote with only a passing smile at tho Irishman's simplicity—-the cap wouldn't, fit them; ibut, nevertheless, it. contains plenty of food for reflection. Housewives ought al lto do something to second their husbands' efforts to pro vide for tho proverbial " rainy days," and they can only do so by cultivating prudent forethought during the " fine weather " of life. " Wilful waste brings woeful want," and it is, as a nils, well-' nigh impossible during a heavy downpour of sickness or adversity to repair or make good the gaps whieli have been so continuously made in the exchequer through sheer unthrift and lack of reasonable care and economy; in short, a man may work as haa-d tis be likes, but the all-important " rainy-day " question is practically in the hands of hits wife. — London paper.