Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1881 — How English Wives Keep House. [ARTICLE]

How English Wives Keep House.

English wives, high and low, keep household accounts in a way that would surprise many American women. Every penny spent in the house goes down in the “housekeeper’s book,” with w’hich every mistress of a household is provided. Every bill is filed away carefully when receipted. In fact, a perfect system of order prevails, which enables every man to know’ exactly what it costs him to keep up his home. In that country every expenditure is made to bear its proper relation to the income received. House rent must be only such a percentage, table outlay so much, servant’s wages so much, children’s schooling so much, alms-giving so much, and if at the end of the year it is found that the income has been exceeded these people immediately proceed to t educe items in every department. The general style of their living remains dbout the same, but it is necessarily not quite so genuine.