Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-13
With something of an angel light"

Greatly, Mary, you are growing quite poetic,
on this inspiring theme. But you can never
convince me, that it is right or proper for ladies
to 90 into the kitchen, or to trouble themselves
about affairs that belong to the province of SER
wants; and when am married, depend upon it,
shall consider it quite sufficient to play the la
dy in the parlor leaving the details of my cstab-
lshment to those who are paid for taking charge
of them
"And can you expect, my dear Julia, that
strangers feel more interest in these details, ION
which so much of domestic felicity depends
than the wife and mistress to whom they properly
belong! Money may purchase the labor of the
hands, but the heart serUice which makes labor
| Iight-which alone ensures order and harmony,
and comfort in the little world of home-what
is the equivalent for this
"Love, and love only is the boon for love-"
and if the affection of the wife, does not lead her
to love the household duties on which the comfort
of her husband depends, how vain to suppose
that a stipulated sum of money will secure from
stranger that care and attention which she finds
burden too wearsome to endure. have thought
much ON this subject since my acquaintance with
Mrs. Morris, and am persuaded, that if other la
dies, Of her standing and influence, took the same
view of domestic duties that she does, there
would soon be revolution in society, no less
salutary than needul We have long enough
been butterflies, or rather drones-I am deter
mined henceforh to initiate the bee, who, while
she enjoys the sweets of every summer flower,
is at the same time laying up store for the COM
ing winter"
] am not writing story-I shall not, therefore,
follow Mrs. Morris in her useful and happy ca
reer-or paint the comfortess establishment over
which the fashionable Julia Danvers presdes-
my readers have only to look about them in So
ciety, and they will probably see many who might
furnish originals for the sketch drawn here
The sentiments avowed by Miss Danvers, are
unfortunately too generally entertained to attract
observation and it is only the woman who in a
certain rank of lie dares to act in opposition tC
them, who is marked as an object of censure by
others of their class. The wife and daughters
ofihe man whose income is counted by hundreds
enter the lists of fashionable competition with
the family of the millionaire while, as a necessa
ry consequence the husband and father is crush
ed to the earth by the heavy burden thus impo,
sed upon him. "A proper regard to appearan-
ces is the soft name bestowed on this heartless
and reckless system of expenditure, by those
who see no object in life more desirable or emo
bling than to attract the envy and admiration Of
others by the splendor of their dress, furniture
and equippagc. The world has become then
idol, and on this shrine time, talents, peace o
conscience, and domestic happiness are sacrih
ced to gain-whatl Let those answer, who
have made the rash experiment of exchanging
comfort and independence for outward seeming,
only to find the fancied good, like the fableC
apples of the Dead Sea, filled with the bitter ash
es of disappointment and remorse.
S 1t is this runous love of display-this apny
of wealth and fashion, SO prevalent among al
, classes of females in our land, which deter
many young man in moderate circumstance
from ven turing on so expensive luxury a
o matrimony. A mechanic, for instance-just es
tablished in business with no capital but his en-
, ergy and skill--could he find young lady, who
1t in addition to her charms Of person and mind
r possesses a thorough knowledge of domestic e
$, economy, and loves him we'll enough to practic
n it for his sake-who seeks enjoyments in the du
j. ties Of home, and is willing to regulate her ex
m Ipendlture by her income; such wife, instead c
lie hindrance, will be an invaluable assistant t