The Arkansas banner., 1849-06-19
[F.op the Home Journal.
Letter from , Retsy BlaEc.

Letter from Betsy Blake.
 GENTLEMEN IL isn't queer thai gentiemeh think they know every utlng. and ought te be leoked up ts by their wives. 1 thought of this. hecass se
 like the pieces in your uable paper about mothers making themselves young enough 10 go into com pahy when their daughters getting old.
 really belseve that husbands would thi iak sVeaG deal more of their wives # they'd only have some sort of character, and not depend upon tkeW for what they kncw and think Fus slriOst sure if ever married any one, should try to please them very much, sBd do syerythiaw to make them hwppy that was reasonable, aud saw was right-. Bat ! don't see why a woman shouldn't have character of her own as well a man, for she has soul just like his. Christian folks say, and sS she shosldnf take any pattern to follow altogether, any ,HofB than he's willing lo. With no oteuae 10 hushands, H perfect patterns could be found such as are la books ,i1at havn't any truth. perhaps n wooidn't bo dangerous 10 let husband lead awifs's thoughts and acts just he pleasedA But as It Is, Mir Nor ris and Wiliis, perhaps it WouldRst be qnte ahfe " Husband says so," is great deal more strong sometimes without anybody's hardly knowing It. than the little voice in the heart which whispers something about the great Spiritual Bridegroom who ought to be looked Co hFst, c t,aH hoss .ff5G l I'm sure wouldnt have anything to do with "WOman's Rights" or any of those public socie- ties that want wives and mothers 10 leave their houses and babies, and talk to nations aboat what they should do, because the men great deal better for that no doubt. But then Id have wives have a gentle, but some sort of decided character at home, and give up what would peaSe her. for her husband, but not what G cd called her say do. Some wives lhink they've done their duty beauti- | fully when they've made themselves nothing but sort of echoes to their husbands. But I'm sure real echo is only pleasant when the voice that gives the sound is sweet, and makes music between the hills, aud so if inc husbands heart is in tune with goodness and truth, the wife's echo is very holy and right. But l shouldn't want to be the echo of any wrong words if I was any body's wife. be- cause there wouldn't be much chance of tBakiag the voice any purer if it had the same power to make harmony, whether 1t was rough or soft
 hope nobody win go to work and say ''it's a good idea of BETsY BLAKE's about saying just what you think Tguess l'h have my own way for once r because-withont she's very careful to know her way is right-that wouldn't be true wife, i If mothers havn't any character of their own, they can't help the children form any, but have 10 send them to '' Father. |" who Is their pattern. It appears to me that :. Father" has enough to do out-dOOrs, without reguiEiing all the characters in the house, and therefore 6 woman should know what she thought and believed, and have s0me sort of order about her religion and mind, else she II be dreadfully puzzled how to get aong with her | Erowing.up girls. who are so apt to find out all their mother knows. Donty yoh think, Mir. Morris and Willis. that this way would bring husbands and wives more together than it would dive them away I band wosld respect the mother of his girls and boys just so far she knew how to give them the love in her heart and the knowledge in her mind. 1 Then there's another thing which is about the same. Mothers sit down at home and put figures on their childrens clothes, working them all up with braid, as I've seen so maRy times, and yet say | they can get any time to read. Now it's wicked to declare that God don't furnish time enough for them to grow holy aad wise! When, too. they'll spend gsod many weeks working a,worsted pic. ture that is n't of any real use aud pat thousand more stitches in baby's gown thsu are really 1 needed 10 make it streng. Some people that do n | put these embroidery stitches in, which are just 1 like beautiful little thieves 10 steal away hours, say they have so many babies they have 10 be busy from merning till night, only at plain sewing, aud they can't afford to give 1t 10 poor people who would like to earn money honestly by helping them. But I've such folks give five or six dollars for little girls silk dress, when sweet, pretty muslin-de-laines can be had nowadays cheap, anti io look great deal chiidiike and pretty. The difference would more than pay for having it made up. and 90 help some poor wo- man that sews, while the mother took the time to put some stitches into the garment which will be so carefully examined at the wedding" to see if | it's white and pure.
 l Whens mother says she hasn't time to make her mind ready to go out into company with her girls and still higher, to make her mind ready to go into the company of Heaven, she Is telling dreadful antruih; because it's putting work into fouuees and tucks, that's the real reason. 1 do mt wonder that girls make confdants of anybody that seem to open their hearts 10 them, for mothers generally make them do it. by shutting theirs up, or showing them full of mere needles and thread. | It does n't lock to if ths' beautiful time which people expect can be near, while mothers 20 so fast asleep. mind over sewing and extra fixing up. mean to be very modest when 1 wish they'd just feel the little jog of
 BETSEY BLAKE.