American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-10-28
From the Ladies' Repository. ...
The Everyday Life Of n w ON an.
BY HARMONY


by HARMONY.
"QuIcKLr.--s Look you, keep his house, AMI wash
wiring bake scour dress meat and drink, make the BEDS
and do all myself
"SMpLE. 'Ts great charge to under one body's
hand"
A young man arrives at an age when he
thinks it time for him to get married and settle
down. He has respectable education, and
wants a woman who is his equal. He looks
about him, and makes choice She is girl
well educated, reared by careful parents, and is,
in the truest sense, a lady. She is intelligent,
loves books, possesses a refined and delicate
taste, and is in all points well fitted to be the
mistress of cheerful, happy home. She be-
comes his wife; is Industrious, and ambitious
to do as much. as she can toward living. 1t
may be they are not very well off as to the
things of this world, and both are equally am
bilious to accumulate comfortable property !;
| and the husband very soon becomes avaricious
| enough to allow the woman of his love to be-
come his most devoted drudge. Her life is
thenceforth one of the most unremitting toll
1t is nothing but cook and bake, wash dishes,
thrash about among pots and kettles, wash and
iron, churn, pick up chips, draw water, and a
thousand other things " too tedious to men
ton"
The result is, the husband soon owns the
house he lives in, and something besides; takes
IL
mind, and becomes important in the community.
But the cares of his faded broken-down wife
know no relaxation. The family enlarges, and
she poor woman, has enough to do without
finding time to increase her stock of knowledge,
or to watch the progress of the minds of her
children. 1t is, therefore, no fault of hers that
they are growing up with characteristics and
habits of doubtful tendency. There is always
the measles, the whooping- cough, or something
of that sort, in the family; and viii is con-
stantly breaking his head and brusing his
knees, and cutting his fingers; and Ned and
Sue are invariably in need of soap aud water.
And when the little, noisy, mischievous, yet be-
loved flock are safely tucked away for the night
in trundle- beds and cribs, how many stockings
there are out Mt the heels and toes; how many
jackets out at the elbows, and trowsers out at
the kneesl What variety of cross grained
holes in frocks, and how many buttons and
hooks and eyes off-all to sigh over, and be
mended!
The only wonder is, that the mother does
not sink within this circle of everlasting druid
gerry, which depriyes her Of the privilege of re-
taxation for u day, and the time which she
would gladly devote to the maternal education
of her children. She is occupied from morning
till night, in one unending round of duties and
| cares mistress, mother, and maid of all work.
Her mind, though craving knowledge, cannot
seek it, for she is generally too much fatigued
by the exertions of the day 10 seek ii after the
noisy little group are out of the way and she
has done darning and patching The husband
comes in now, and reads from some book or
newspaper. He wonders why she is so little
interested, and maybe very gently hints at her
deficiencies in this respect. Yes, amid all these
cares and this drudgery, he would have her
satisfied and happy sit by his side like Klop
stocks Metal, ''looking SO still in his sweet
face"
In the morning, as soon rs the birds begin
their songs, the little flock are out of bed
Then come the washings and dressings; the
busy mother needs twenty hands, since as many
wants are poured in upon her distracted ears
It's Mother, where's my jacket ?" "Mother,
can't get the knot out of my shoe string; :"
Mother / want pin !" f" Mother, Ned is
scattering me with soap -suds; ""Mother, mayn't
wear my pink dress or new apron?" BY this
time the baby wakes, and opens his infantie
battery of screams. In scolding Ned--the
naughty rogue, so full Of fun and frolic--and
helping the rest, and quieting the baby, the
minutes fly. Husband comes in with
Goodness, wife, amt breakfast ready yet ?
It's ten minutes past eight. I've been waiting
more than an hour"
"You forget that have all the children to
see to, and the baby is very fretfu this morn
ing" replies the wife.
Silenced but not convinced, the husband is
quite MS apt to take the newspaper and sit down
MS he is to take the baby from the arms of his
oppressed and tender wife, so that she may
hurry his breakfast. When it is ready, and
they are seated at the table, his wife must, as
usual pour out the coffee with the baby in her
arms, too much fatigued to enjoy her breakfast
"My dear" says the husband, cit seems to me
the coffee is not quite as clear as usual; the
steak is n little too rare or overdone, or the
hash is not seasoned quite right" Not that he
means to complain for he knows how desirous
she is to please him, ever to say n word inten-
tionally to wound her feelings. But these
slight hints to an overtasked woman, amid her
gentle but imperious demands, are often irrita-
ting to the feelings, and call out many sharp,
caustic reply, of which she repeuts in FIVE min
utes after.
Thus many woman breaks and sinks be-
meath the wear and tear of the frame and the