is adopted, it is utterly destructive of cealing their poverty from the world; and endeavouring to gild it over with a genteel and respectable appearance; nursing and educating her children, and assuming, perhaps, in the same day, the varied character of gentlewomanœuvres and efforts to get money man, preceptress, and housewife; and yet insensibility to her merit, ofttimes unkind language, is perhaps the return she receives from her unworthy husband. How often is a woman grieved by the foolish extravagance of her husband. When once a man has entered the marriage state, he should look on his property as belonging to his family, and act and economise accordingly. I remember being acquainted with a gentleman who was constantly saying, "It is true my property is large; but then it belongs not to myself alone, but also to my children; and I must act as a frugal agent for them. my wife, as well as those children, I feel accountable either for economy or extravagance." Another gentleman of my acquaintance, who was in stinted circumstances, was constantly debarring himself of a thousand little comforts, sooner than infringe on what he used to call his children's birthright. Το The three following remarks, from the pen of the excellent Mrs. Taylor, are well worth attention:-" To what sufferings are those wives exposed, who are not allowed a sufficiency to defray the expenses of their establishment, and who never obtain even their scanty allowance but at the price of peace! Men who act in this way often defeat their own intentions; and, by constant opposition, render their wives lavish and improvident, who would be quite the reverse were they treated in a more liberal manner. Wherever it from you: be generous to her, treat her as a wife ought to be treated, and, I venture to affirm, you shall have no further cause of complaint."—" A man who supplies unavoidable and necessary expenses with a parsimonious hand, will rarely be attentive to the extra calls of sickness, or endeavour to alleviate by his kindness the sufferings of a constitution perhaps wearing out in his service. It was observed, upon the subject of cruelty to animals, that many, because they would not drown, burn, or scourge a poor animal to death, think themselves sufficiently humane, though they suffer them to famish with hunger; and does not the conduct of many husbands suggest a similar idea? They imagine, that if they provide carefully for the maintenance of their families-if their conduct is moral-if they neither beat, starve, nor imprison their families,they are all that is requisite to constitute good husbands; and they pass for such among the crowd: but as their domestic virtues are chiefly of the negative kind, the happiness of her whose lot it is to be united to such an one for life, must be of the same description. Even the large allowance, Have what you like,' is insufficient to satisfy the feelings of many a woman, who would be more gratified by the presentation of a flower, accompanied with expressions of tenderness, than by the most costly indulgence they could procure themselves." ON DOMESTIC ECONOMY. I would recommend every woman, if possible, on her marriage, to get some yearly allowance, though ever so trifling, settled on her. Believe me, the little unavoidable demands on her husband's purse, to which a wife is so frequently compelled to have recourse, are very apt to create bickering and discord, and that at the very moment, perhaps, when all is peace and har for mony between them; and when once good-humour is put out of its way, it is not such a very easy matter, rely on it, to bring it back again to its old course. Conscientiously manage your husband's property, and shun every approach to extravagance. The domestic economy of a family is (as an admired writer remarks) entirely a woman's province, and furnishes a variety of subjects both for good sense and good taste. The want of economy has involved thousands in misery; and in those houses where extravagance is predominant, little is beheld but disorder and confusion. Their families are, in general, as dissipated and thoughtless as themselves. Harmony and decorum, with their inseparable companions, peace and happiness, are guests that find within such walls neither residence nor repose. In regard to money matters, some wives seem to think that all is gain which they can get in any way from their husbands; without ever considering that the state of his purse is a matter of equal consequence to both. Particularly avoid everything like extravagance. I really think a great deal of money is frequently expended in buying things which, after a while, we find we could have very well done without. The pleasure of getting a great bargain often induces people to part with their money; while the old adage, “Take care of the pence, the pounds will take care of themselves," is either not remembered at all, or, if it does occur to the mind, is allowed to have but little influence. Be extremely regular as to bills, payments, &c. You cannot think how much trouble may be avoided by regular weekly payments. It is sometimes very difficult to ascertain the correctness of a bill when allowed to lie over even for a month, and the delay constantly subjects you to imposition. Much, indeed, will attention to order and regularity contribute to the comfort of your husband. Men particularly love neatness, tidiness, and method; any thing soiled or out of place discomposes them; and a littered room will often make them peevish. Meals should always be ready at a stated hour; a little decision and firmness will soon make your servants punctual. Rise early; give your orders early; breakfast early; be ready to sit down to your work-table early. Doing much before twelve o'clock gives you a command of the day, and gets you through it with ease. But adieu to all this order and regularity, if you are fond of lying in bed! Eight hours sleep," 46 | say our physicians, "are quite enough;" and the woman who prefers her pillow to the numerous advantages which early rising produces, would not, I fear, have strength of mind to perform more important duties. An hour rescued from sleep does wonders, and your health is much benefited by it. "How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard ? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 80 shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man," Prov. vi. 9—11. "Do not defer till to-morrow what may as well be done to-day," says the old proverb. If you have a letter to write, why not do it to-day as well as to-morrow? If you have a visit to pay, why not do it to-day as well as to morrow? &c., &c. "To-morrow, believe me," says a most useful writer of the present day, "comes loaded with duties of its own. And when it does arrive, we always feel pleased at not having it encumbered with the business of yesterday." A Few things please a man more than seeing his wife notable and clever in the management of her household. knowledge of cookery, as well as every other branch in housekeeping, is indispensable in a female; and a wife should always endeavour to support with equal applause the character of the lady and the housewife. "I can tell you, my good madam," says a humorous character, "when your husband comes home hungry at five o'clock, he won't look very pleasant at being put off with music, sentiment, and poetry, instead of a comfortable dinner. Bless my stars! I have known some ladies, who could play a fine tol lol on the piano, talk with you all day long about poetry and history, and gabble Italian and French like a monkey; and yet, if the husband of one of them asked for a beefsteak for dinner, mercy me! she doesn't know whether it should be roasted or fried; or if he wished for a venison pasty, the accomplished lady is equally ignorant whether paste be made with butter or mutton suet! I can't abide such balderdash !" A woman should endeavour to wield her needle, and to manage her scissars, with dexterity and cleverness. This is the peculiar province of a female; great comfort and economy are to be derived from it; and a man is always pleased at seeing his wife thus employed. Solomon, in describing an excellent woman, makes her particularly expert at her distaff and spindle. And all Homer's lovely matrons "Deck'd with the freshest tints of beauty's bloom, Bend o'er the distaff, or direct the loom." A woman's greatest praise does certainly consist in the order and management of her family; and when much of her time is spent in visiting and company, what but anarchy and confusion at home must be the consequence? If we could but see the inside of some fashionable houses, how much would surprise and reflection be excited! The mistress, perhaps, at the theatre or a card-party; servants drunken, extravagant, criminal; children receiving their very first impressions from the oaths and improper conversation of these servants! Here, meat perishing which might have fed the hungry; there, garments mouldering which might have clothed the The Fragment Basket. INTERESTING ANECDOTE OF A DEAF MOTHER. * THE following curious anecdote is related of the Countess of Orkney, who died in 1790, aged 76: "Her ladyship was deaf and dumb, and married in 1753 by signs; she lived with her husband, Murrah, first Marquis of Thomond, who was also her first cousin, at his seat, Rostellan, on the harbour of Cork. Shortly after the birth of her first child, the nurse, with considerable astonishment, saw the mothercautiously approach the cradle in which the infant was sleeping, evidently full of some deep design. The Countess, having perfectly assured herself that the child really slept, took out a large stone, which she had concealed under her shawl, and, to the horror of the nurse, (who, like all persons of the lowest order in her country—indeed, in most countries-was fully impressed with an idea of the peculiar cunning and malignity of 'dumbies,') seized it with an intent to fling it down vehemently. Before the nurse could interpose, the Countess had flung the stone-not, however, as the servant had apprehended, at the child, but on the floor, where, of course, it made a great noise. The child immediately awoke and cried. The Countess, who had looked with maternal eagerness to the result of her experiment, fell on her knees in a transport of joy. She had discovered that her child possessed the sense which was wanting in herself." She exhibited on many occasions proofs of intelligence, but none so interesting. |