Broadside ballad entitled 'The Contented Wife and her Satisfied Husband'

Transcription

The Contented Wife,

AND HER SATISFIED HUSBAND.

You married people high and low, come listen to my song,
I'll show to you economy and not detain you long,
In this town liv'd a tradesman, who wished to see all things
right,
And to account 'at Monday morn he called his loving wife.

Who quickly told him in a crack,
Which way the money goes.

When to his wife be called account as you may well suppose,
My dear says he, come tell to me, when and where my money
goes,                                    
Each week I give you one pound one, we have but children
three,
And of my wages every week I very little do see.

We'll now. says she, if you must know, you shall with good
interest,
Now first we pay half-a-crown every Monday morn for rent,
Three and expence for bread, and for butter, sugar and tea,
Two and twopence I lay out, as you may plainly see.

There is 101. every week for coals, and 6d. wood and coke,
Three-pence needles, pins and thread, and 6½ 1. soap ;
Three and sixpence every week for meat, two shillings for po-
tatoes and greens,
And then there's 3½d. every week for milk and cream.

Well now says he we'll reckon up which way the money goes,
seventeen and just 1½d.   where's the rest of my £l 1;
Three and 9½d. left, as you perhaps well knows,
So pray inform me where's the rest of my week's wages goes.

Every morning for your breakfast I for you must something make
And once or twice you know you have a pound of steak;
That will average 1s. and 6d more, but stop that s not enough
You have 9d. for tobacoo, and 3d. half-penny for suuff

Well, that's Just 2s. and 8d. more, and if you do your best,
It will puzzle you to tell me how and where goes all the rest,
Nineteen and 5d. halfpenny, I've just reckone up what's gose,
There is but ls. and 6d. halfpenny remains of my £1 1s.

Says she you take me very close, you must confess you do,
There's 3d. halfpenny every week for soda, starch and blue;
A pint of beer I fetch you every day, you see which way it's
gone,
Now reckon up and see what's left out of your £1 1a.

Twenty shillings and 11d. is the exact amount,
Well now says she when you've called me to such a strictacoout
There's just one single penny left out of your £l 1,
So where does matches, candles, and all other things come from.

Well now says he I'm satisfied, you're tight and I'm contest,
But I could not imagine bow and where the money went,
Scarce one man out of fifty the house expences knows,
But I, at last, am satisfied, which way the money goes,

Muir, Printer.

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