The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1820-08-16
MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES
From she Plough Boy.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

warm disputcs upon the subject of man.
aging the farm. | want him to raise
more fax and less rye: his excuses are,
that fax requires too much labor---too
much expence for seeds uncertain
and cxhausts his land too much--and
chat he can buy India muslin eheaper!
y say all this is downright folly
My house is furnished with these India
cobwebs, and my children clothed with
cotton rags--my husband in debt for
this trash---and his rye wont pay his
debts, even if he could raise ever SO
much. Year after year he will persist
h this fatal practice and every year our
stock OF sheep and cows diminishes, and
we grow poorer and poorer my girls
are idle for want Of wool and fax, and |
verify believe that We shall want farm,
and an house, ere long, if some change
docs not take place in our economy.
tell him, when ! was girl, and
my ten sisters would have been ashamed
! Of ourselves and our mother would hsve
been ashamed Of us, if we did not spin
our 800 knots per day, of wool, cotton,
or fax, besides doing our chores; and
my father took pride in supplying us
with the raw materials, and was delight
cd to see us clothed in the abricks of
our own industry, and his house furnish
cd with substantial homespun in abun-
dance. Look, Moses, says /, at our
house and our six daughters eide
hardly decent in dress---trigged off in
slimsy calico and ldian muslin, and our
os5.spa Il clss:as.;'ll:Ee pr;
WY won't you raise fax ? 1t was not so
IN my iathcr's house. Hush, Dorothy,
hush | say---don't scold--I can buy ln-
dia cosfon cheaper.
Now, Mr.. Southwick, say this is
enough to provoke the patience OF apa-
thy itself. | will scold and fret to see
nv girls idle, hardly decent in dress,
my house furnished with cotton cob
webs and rags, and all going to loss and
ruin, tor want Of fax, and wool, and
wheels. merely for want Of materials
for do say that my girls, if they had a
chance would do themselves credit IN
any branch OF house wifery. and it is
cruel to deny them the means.
wI wish you would in your next
Plough Boy give my husband and bis
neighbors good lecture on the subject.
You will do most acceptable service to
Us wives, as well as to our daughters,
and particularly to yours, &c.
"There was time when, by sacri-
lsgious pcrversion, a rich man could
not die without being surrounded with
cove,ous priests and monks begging
"for our poor convent" while they
were wallowing in all the wealth OF the
country. A rich proprietor near Lyons
was on his death bed, from q sudden at
tack Of palsy, when his son, tall, stout
Colonel Of dragons, arrived ON the spur
from his garrison. He finds at the bed
side Frsuciscan friar and notary.
His father could not speak, but nodded
from the effect of the disease =" You
leave," says the ifiar, "to our poor con-
vent, your estate of -, with all ths
appurtcnances ?" A nod. Notary
observe the consent, and write. You
leave to our poor convent your house
here at Lyons, with all the plate and fur
niture ?" A nod. "No'ary, observe
!. the consent, and write. You leave tc
our poor convent your farm at -,
with all the arrears ?" A nod. You
leave to our poor convent" the ofh.
Ger lost all patience. My dear father,
do you order me to throw this THE
ftom the window ?" A nod. Notary,
observe, and write" Said and execn-
ted, while the notary was glad to es-
cape"