Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-05-01
From the Newark Daily Advertiser.
THE WIFE AT HOME.

1t has been one Of my most serious
apprchensions, that in The multitude OF
our societies and public combinations,
men and women might chance TO forget
that they have any thing TO do individu-
ally. We have societies 10 take care Of
our health, and societies TO take care Of
our Kitchens. Aims giving, as far as
done at all, is done chiefly by wholesale
Perhaps we may see the day when we
shall all dine together like the Spartans,
aud when all family cookery and edu-
cation shall be done upon the large
scale.
These thoughts were brought to my
mind with greater force than usual, a
few days since, upon taking visit to
The house of Mrs. Nelson, the wife Of
reputable farmer, a few miles from
our village. If | were to attempt por-
trait Of this excellent lady, | should fill a
volume / can only give sketchy out
line -
Mrs. Nelson is, in the American as
well as in the English sense, fine wo-
man. Temperance, early rising, indus
try, and, above all, serene cheerfulness
Of soul, had left on her check at forty
those roses which fashion and excite
Inent often blast before fifteen. But
what ! took my pen TO notice, was that
truly feminine and Christian trait of my
good friend-she is keeper al home
Though | have been a church-g Ding
man full many years, do not remember
TO have heard any one of our clergy en-
large upon this scripture phrase and
yet the olderI grow, the more meaning
there seems to be in it, The best women
in the world are those who stay at home
such is the opinion OF the best Judges,
to wit, their husbands. The worst wo-
men are those who have no home, or
who love all other places better-such is
broad. A wife in the house is us in
dispensable as steersman at the wheel.
Who. can count up the cases where
poor fellows have been ruined by their
wives
This is hard saying, but if it were
sofiened it would be less true. Surely
it is no disrespect to the better sex to
point out those exceptions, which, like a
dim tarnish on the face Of the moon, g,
makes the other tracks look all the
brighter. After you have exaggerated
TO the utmost the number and the faults
OF the gadding, gossipping and idle
women, we still have a million Of Amcri-
can housewives, Frightening million Of
homes and hearts. Mrs. Nelson is one
of them. Her husband is not the meek
est man in the country, nor by nature
the most hospitable but she makes up
for all, like the credit side Of an account.
In the exercise Of goodness, she holds it
as the very first duty of life, to render
her home delightful, first to her husband
next to her children, and then to all who
may enter her hospitable door. Early
in life she observed that. several Of her
husbands most intimate acquaintances,
were becoming irregular in their habits
she and Nelson talked it over at length
He, being a rough man, declared it to
be his intention to break all that intima
cy with Lang and Shepherd on the spot
"Oh, no husband" said she, "tha
would be cruel remember the provcrb
"a soft word breaketh the bone.' lie
me alone to bring them to their bearing
at any rate give me month for an ex
pertinent" ;" "You, Mary" he exclaim
ed IN astonishment "you amaze me
surely you will not follow them TO th'
bar room, as Jemima Murphy does he
man." No said his wife laughing "bu
we women have some secrets left still
Wait but month.
The month rolled around. Nelson
had hard work to refrain from falling up
on the two men violently, but he waitet
the issue, and even kept out Of theiI
way, that the incarnation might not bs
uninterrupted. AT the close Of less thar
three weeks Lang and Shepherd were
two Of the most quiet, orderly and do
mestic men in the neighborhood -
"Why, Mary" said Nelson, "what in
the world have you done TO them ?''-
81 husband | have not exchanged
words with them Tor a weeks ether
you have some witchcrsft at work.
"Not >" she replied "the story /
soon related. I had observed for lon,
time that their homes were growing dis