Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-11-13
FARMERS WIVES.


when n farmer takes to himself wife, he considers
that he is only securing another domestic beast OF
burden to rank in point OF utility win ms morse
and OK: but we do know that IN too many instances
he lives and acts as if prompted by just such prh
ciplcs. ,,.,or
agement whatever to farming as an occuPalon' Io'
consider it the nobest employment man oan gu
pape in, the most healthful, the most conuuONo W
morality and expansion of intellect Us WEI. oS '.e
one when properly conducted pest culouateu ~. 70
secure the greatest amount OF happiness 10 ms W1e
md children, and sneak from experience. But 1t
rnust be confessed it is sad as well as amusing, TO
inok over the various agricultural periodicals and
mark how multifarious the labors which farmers
wife is bound in duty to perform; iobors the third,
nav the greater part of which, If imposed upon the
wives of any other class of men, would be stigma
tzed as outrageous and absurd In the first place,
with family twice as large as her next door neigh
boris whose husband is not farmer, she is allow
ed but half the number Of domestcs-happy in
deed if she secures more than that anomaly IN the
shape of hetp-a maid of all work. Then, 1t is ar
gued, that nothing can prosper unless performed
under her immediate supervision, and every thing
in the house, cooking, baking, washing, ironing,
sweeping, securing, busting, with all the other
thousand ings necessary, require her presence to
ensure their proper performance Next, ana we
will suppose in mercy that her children are not nu-
merous all the clothing for herself and family she
must make and keep in repair; and it is limited that
it would be a very fine thing if farmers wives
would spin and manufacture their cloth, before they
fashion it for use. They must of course, make
the sausages, try out the lard, cure the HAMS and
dry the herbs while her husband is advised that II
he piyes the poutry-yard into her care, he viii be
much more likely to secure good stock Of chick
ems AGAINST Christmas, as well as more eggs for
market 1t is also asserted a moral impossibility
that butter and cheese can be good, unless she
scalds the pans sets the milk and skins and churns
all with her own hands. And last for shal! tire
with these enumeraiions, though not half through
the list she is urged to cultivate her mind and 1t
is enforced as the highest duty, that she considers
the education of her children entrusted to her
charge.
Now | would ask where is the most willingly
disposed woman to find time for all these things,
LAYING aside the health and strength necessarily
quiste for such unceasng toll. That she should
endeavor to be good housekeeper is allowed that
she should endeavor as far as possible, to be an
assistant to her husband, is right; but if it is adj
mted that the instruction OF her children, land the
capability for that, presupposes the culture OF her
own inteect,) is a paramount duty, why should she
be obliged to utterly neglect such an important
matter, and waste SO much OF the precious time
that might be given to them, in doing and oversee
inc things which others can well do and oversee
for themselves. | have heard il remarked OF such
and such farmers that they did not get along well,
and the suggestion thrown in that they had not the
enough, when the truth was, the poor wives saw
othings altogether too much so that for them, the
old adage of too many cooks spoil the BROTH
might be more aptly rendered by too many employ
ments spoil the cook.
This unjust taxation upon womans time and
strength arises doubt, in measure, from the
fact that the greatest annual outgo upon farm is
for hired labor, and the farmer, seeing this is the
most obvious drainage from his purse, strives in ev
cry way to prevent it, And he generally COM
mences in the house, thinking what is done there,
being only woman's work. cannot amount to much
never observing, that his method is giving his wife
round of never ending duties, which is the lot of
no other upon the place, while the amount thus sa-
we'd is than spent again, in repairing the per-
petuaI accidents that will constantly occur, where
there is only one TO do the work OF hall dozen, as
well as in medicine and doctors bills for although
many men think that when their wives are contln-
ually moving about, they are only taking exercise,
vet exercise carried to is as injurious per-
petual inactlon; and though degree OF fatigue is
allowed TO be beneficial, yet, to have the faculties
constantly the stretch and wearled, is as much a
violation of the laws of physiology, as to neglect
the use of them altogether. But chapters might be
written upon this, and will pass TO some Illus
trations drawn from life, not iictitious- wish some
of them were.
Mr. A. is the possessor of farm containing some
three hundred acres, which was left him by his ia
Their, together with small sum Of money! sufficient
20 make him what is called better Off than the
generality of working farmers. He married a
Young intelligent, healthy, country girl, the daugh-
ter of a farmer and one who had been accustomed
to a part in the household labor, from Childhood
She had also been accustomed to seeking daily ex-
ercise and amusement IN the open air and to pass
ing portion OF her leisure i'll reading and study,
of which she was very fond. She married with
high anticipations Of enjoyment; but time soon
proved them delusve, She found 1t was the height
Of folly for farmers Uite TO think Of rambling in
the woods for flowers, and that IT was perfectly
less to inhae the fresh air, unless she ran out in
great hurry, to see what the matter with the
chickens or to look up eggs for some purpose Of
cookery. There no time for books, as every
thought must be given up to that one Of work |!
work work from morning till night. Still she
had one dream left and that was, when her little
ones were old enough, she could begin to teach
them, and thus renew her own knowledge; but
when they had grown old enough, where was the
time when she could be spared even to teach the
youngest Of the sroup its A b Cs? As this hope
departed, much anxiety was added to her many
burdens, and the health which had long been civ.
ing way, failed faster and faster Still she must
work while she could, till at last nature could hold
out no longer and the first words that met the ear
of the now really alarmed husband, were those
death-knelling ones, consumpton-and lncurable
Consumption how induced? Not by any heredta-
ry faint, out his conscience too surely told HIM
by violation of all natures laws, the disregard ID
which he himself had compelled, and these com
FUNCTIONS received only additional strength from
his wte's dying request that in seeking to fiji
her place, he should procure mother for his chill
dren, not servant for his work.
Mr.. BIS wife was thought to be, when he mar
ried her, woman Of high order of ioterlect, al
well as an excellent housekeeper, and she nigh
have remained till this time, the pride of her hus
band and friends, as she was then, had her inteec
been allowed any nourishment. We do not know
iOhy 1t is, but it has often been remarked, and il
certainly very true that let a woman, possessin:
ever SO superior Intellectual endowments, sulfe
them to be neglected and run into disuse, she be
comes in time more apparently devoid of menta
culture than those who never laid any claim 10 it
So it has been with Mrs. b. She could not civ,
up her favorte pursuits without struggle. bu
when once fairly set aside, she sank rapidly int,
that characterless being, domestic drudge, cook
ery her Christianity, and hers kitchen creed.n-