Chapter 4 Although Mary tried her best to...
Although Mary has been working hard to plug all the loopholes, and the Price family's expenses have been reduced considerably, the money that has already been spent cannot be recovered.
Fortunately, Mrs. Price, seeing hope of not having to move, wrote to Mansfield Park with unprecedented diligence—the first time in many years she had been so proactive in anything she did. Even if Sir Thomas couldn't arrange a suitable future for his beloved William, he could at least help in other ways. "The children are all ambitious and eager to save money for the family, but what can the couple do? They're almost unable to afford their children's tuition, let alone do anything for them." We won't discuss the effect of this letter for now.
It was Saturday again, and William, John, and Richard had a half-day off from school. Since they didn't have to go to school, John and Richard spent the day shouting and running around at home. Their noise even reached Lieutenant Price, who was reading the newspaper in the living room. The lieutenant couldn't help but curse, "You two little brats, don't let me catch you!"
William wasn't with his brothers at the moment. He went upstairs and knocked on his sisters' door: "Mary, are you there? There's something I want to talk to you about."
“Yes, dear brother, is there anything you want to discuss with me?” Mary was tidying up the room. After welcoming William in, she sat down at the simple desk in her room and looked up at her brother. She saw William pacing back and forth in the room, his hands clenched into fists, as if hesitating about how to start the conversation.
Just as Mary had been waiting for a while and was about to ask what was wrong, William looked at the textbooks neatly arranged on Mary's desk—Richard's first and second grade textbooks that he no longer needed—and became more and more convinced that his decision was right. So he finally spoke up: "I won't be going to school next year after graduation. I'll suggest to Mom that we try to send you and Susan to a girls' school."
The saying that children from poor families learn self-reliance earlier is a timeless truth. Since learning of his family's financial difficulties, William had secretly resolved to start as a sailor and stop wasting his family's money on further education. He believed that as long as he dared to take risks and work hard, he would eventually find a way to get rich. In the port city of Portsmouth, he had heard stories more than once since childhood—a certain gentleman had gone to the East and returned with a fortune, buying houses and land in his hometown.
William wasn't unaware of the changes in the family during this time. What else could Mary be trying so hard to save money for her mother? From a young age, she was different from others. As soon as she was old enough to understand, she asked Mrs. Price why William, John, and Richard could go to school, but she, Fanny, and Susan couldn't. Although Mr. Price was very displeased with his daughter's "unreasonable desires," feeling that Mrs. Price had spoiled Mary rotten, William always felt guilty about it. His sisters were not lacking in intelligence, but they hadn't had the opportunity to receive a school education like their neighbors, Lucy and Jane.
He and Fanny had discussed it privately a few times. In terms of feelings, of course, he and Fanny had the best relationship. However, Fanny was already nine years old, and she did not feel that she needed to go to school anymore (the school that the Price family sent their children to was similar to the primary education of later generations, and generally enrolled children aged six to eleven).
“Oh, dear brother, thank you for your kindness. I think you realize I’ve been helping Mom save money lately. To be honest, given the family’s current situation, even if we save your share, I don’t know where John and Richard’s tuition will come from next year, let alone Susan’s and my. Maybe, like Mom said, we really hope that one day our wealthy relatives can lend a hand.”
Mary certainly wanted to go to school, even though education for women was very basic at the time; having an education was better than having none. However, Mr. Price, the head of the family, disapproved. The family was already struggling to make ends meet, and if things continued this way, they might have to move to an even worse neighborhood, where her upbringing would be even more difficult. Wanting everything would only result in having nothing. At least for now, the Price family could maintain a semblance of dignity. Although Mrs. Maxwell sometimes treated her like a pet, she had also broadened Mary's horizons; why be so demanding?
Some time after the siblings' conversation, just before Christmas, Sir Thomas's letter arrived, bringing the Price family a surprise: Sir Thomas promised to cover the education expenses of the Price family's boys from now on, and this time he also sent thirty pounds for the year.
William was overjoyed, Mrs. Price was ecstatic, and even Lieutenant Price praised his brother-in-law's generosity. Several boys in their family would be going to school in the future, and Sir Thomas would have to pay for it for many years. Now, he and Mrs. Price wouldn't have to worry about the next generation. As long as the boys could read and write, they would have a future.
Mary silently did the math: the family's expenses had decreased by about ten pounds in the last three months, and with the thirty pounds her uncle Sir Thomas had sent this time, the shortfall for the year was estimated to be only a few pounds. Unfortunately, her uncle was only willing to sponsor the boys' school fees, and Lieutenant Price was a very chauvinistic father, so she and Susan would still have to pay for their own school fees.
Sure enough, when William naively thought that his brothers wouldn't need to spend the family's money to send their three sisters to girls' school, Mrs. Price directly refused: "My dear, you're so kind! You're so considerate of your sisters! But Mr. Price won't agree. Look, Sir Thomas didn't mention any girls in the family. The most important thing for a girl is to find a good husband. Mary is so beautiful; she can outshine the other girls even without going to school. As for Fanny and Susan, they are both good girls. Don't worry about it. What a wonderful brother you are! It's a pity Sir Thomas can't arrange a good future for you."
Mrs. Price's words disappointed William. He felt somewhat embarrassed to face his sisters. If he had money, he would have been more than willing to let his sisters share in this joy. Unfortunately, Sir Thomas had not considered this point. However, he was already very grateful for his uncle's generosity. He could not blame him, but could only blame himself for not having enough money.
In any case, thanks to the good news from Sir Thomas, the Price family had a truly pleasant Christmas. That morning, after breakfast, the family changed into their best clothes and went to church. Although Mr. Price was usually rude, irritable, and careless at home, and Mrs. Price was exhausted by the children and housework, on Sundays and major holidays, a little dressing up revealed the family's good looks.
Mr. Price, in particular, had become quite dignified, speaking very politely to outsiders, showing no trace of the way he used to yell at his wife and children at home. At these times, Mary no longer wondered why Mrs. Price had fallen for him at first sight.
Back home, Mary handed the compiled December accounts to Mrs. Price and compared them with the bills sent by the merchants. Sure enough, there was only an eight-pound shortfall. But it didn't matter; Lieutenant Price had already received his interest income for the year. This time of year was also when Mrs. Price was at his most extravagant. The merchants all left with smiles on their faces.
The lady looked very happy. She counted out the money she had promised to give her daughter, then thought for a moment and took an extra shilling, handing it all to Mary. “My dear, it’s a holiday today, you little one, take a break. Go play with the ribbons with Fanny and Susan. Don’t worry about the household expenses anymore. Lieutenant Price said that this year’s salary will be paid soon, and I really hope it will be at least forty pounds.”
Mrs. Price was in a really good mood today: her sons were all healthy and handsome, and her daughter Mary always attracted everyone's attention whenever she appeared, which made her very proud. Mrs. Gregory was extremely envious during church services, knowing that her son was always sickly and her two girls were not particularly pretty.
Mary kissed Mrs. Price on the cheek, thanked her mother, and then said, "Oh, Mother, I don't like playing with ribbons! I wish Father would get his salary; he deserves it. What a dangerous year we've had! We almost had to move out of the neighborhood next year, all thanks to Sir Thomas, Uncle, and Mrs. Bertram!"
“Of course, it’s a pity Sir Thomas has no connections in the Navy.” Mrs. Price then thought of her eldest son, William.
“Mom, there’s an old Eastern proverb that says, ‘Help in an emergency, but don’t support a life of poverty.’ Uncle has already done a lot for the Price family, so we shouldn’t keep troubling them. We can think ahead about what expenses we can cut so that we won’t be in such a rush next year as we are this year.”
According to Mary's estimate, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Price family's household expenses next year can be kept to around £140. Servants' wages will be about £27.60, clothing expenses about £45, rent, taxes, and water bills about £45.12, and ancillary expenses such as church donations, newspaper subscriptions, and pocket money for the children will be about £42. The total annual expenses will be just about £300.
Kitchen expenses have decreased considerably, while servants' wages and children's allowances have increased somewhat (previously Mrs. Price gave William one shilling a month, and the boys occasionally received a few pennies from Lieutenant Price, not exceeding two shillings a month; now Mary receives a fixed four to five shillings a month), but other expenses remain the same. If Mr. Price receives this year's salary, he may have a surplus of twenty pounds next year; however, if there is any mishap with this money, he will be in debt by twenty pounds next year.
“Sir Thomas, it’s not troublesome at all for him. After the baby is born, he and Mrs. Bertram will be the child’s godparents! I think they’ll send something to the child eventually.” Mrs. Price missed the point.
As for how to manage the money, that was Mr. Price's business. Although the income came from his wife's dowry, Mrs. Price had no say in how the money should be spent. She could only receive a certain amount from her husband each month to cover fixed expenses, such as housework, servants' wages, tailor's bills, and rent. If that wasn't enough—which happened frequently—she would have to go back to her husband for more. As for ancillary expenses such as education fees, church seat fees, and newspaper subscriptions, Mr. Price usually made the decisions alone. Just like this year, a month before Michael's Day, Mr. Price already found that the money was running out. Without the support of their good relatives, they might have to move to a new house in October.
Mary wanted to cut the lieutenant's unnecessary expenses, but the family's money was all in Mr. Price's hands. No matter how good Mary's plans were, they were useless. Even if there was a surplus, Mr. Price would often spend it somewhere else. To get the family out of the financial crisis and even save money, they needed a financial channel that wasn't under his control.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
