The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-09-04
Correspondence Of the New York Tribune.
A Working Woman on Country Life.

Correspondence Of the New York Tribune.
Working Woman on Country Life.
HoR1coN, wis July 20, 1852.
In this day of Woman's Rights and
Woman's Rights Conventions, l thought
l would take the liberty, to address a
few lines to The Tribune, in answer to an
article from C. D., on 1.-The Tendency of
Population to the City-its causes" C..
D. must be grossly ignorant of country
life, think, from the description he
gives Of farmers. or, at least, in Wis
consin. think there are very few that
are saucy enough to rise before the sun,
and ii ores hands do grow hard, that is
no sign that "his manners are uncouth,
or his mind uncultivated."
If c. d. would come to Wisconsin and
see our fields Of wheat nodding yellow
heads invitingly to the harvest-men, our
tall corn, our beds of rich garden vegeta-
bles, our fat, contented hogs and cattle,
and our flocks of hens and turkeys, he
would think farmer might contrive 10
exist. in spite "of the plainness of his
homespun suit.
After having held up scarecrow of
farmer 10 brighten people from the coun-
try, ne paints out city clerk, with "glit-
tering apendages and graceful manners"
and takes him for decoy pigeon to lure
them to the city.
Perhaps C. d. does not know how
much better health person can enjoy in
the country than in the city. He does
not tell you how the pale dyspeptical
clerk turns away with sickening stom-
ach from "the table loaded with luxu-
ries;" or how, amid the smoke and heat
and dust Of the city, he closes his aching
eyes and wishes himself among the sha-
dy groves. the green hills, and cool
springs of the cnnnfry
"Then as 10 the respective condition
of the women"
We do not think that that class which
consider shopping, visiting and thrum-
ming the piano" to be the object of life,
comprises all the women of the city. We
would beg leave to compare another class
of city women with the country ones.-
The country girl comes forth in the morn
ing to breath the fresh air, burdened with
sweets of a thousand fragrant flowers, and
as she trips along she carols forth a song
in the very gladness Of her heart; her
step is light as the fawn'>, the rose of
health blooms on her check, innocence
and happiness beam from her eve. Com
pare her with the pale, sal!cw counten-
ance, the bowed form, and weak step of
the city sewing-girl who sits stitching
away her life in garnet, or shop; and
which, will reflection tell us, is the more
desirable condition of the two? Then
compare the large, airy kitchen of the far
mer, TO the sweltering cellars of the city.
And then, girl in the country, is paid
from eight TO ten shillings per week. /
do not know what they average in the
city, but presume no more.
Now would sincerely advise all young
men and girls, who have not the fear Of
hard hands and dumpy fingers before their
eyes, TO come to this country. They will
find labor we'll requited, and thanks TO the
Free School law, there is no lack of edu-
cation, and there is no excuse for being
ignorant when we can get The Weekly
Tribune for two dollars per annum. And
if they have any such fears for their COM
fort, / would say that l can show them
hands that have MIXED, made butter,
washed, scrubbed and done all kinds of
homework for quarter of century,
and am not afraid to compare them with
the hands of any woman in the city, al
though hers have never been used for any
coarser purposes than to thump time into
eternity on the keys of a groaning, Shrek
ing piano. Now, Mr.. Editor, as we have
a good Wing Governor, we shall of course
have Thanksgiving duly announced: l
would take this opportunity to invite you
and c. D. to take supper with us. And
if we have none of the "luxuries of the
city," our fare will be the product Of our
own labor, and though we eat in log
cottage. from pine table, it will be be-
meath the shade of our own spreading
oaks, (if not "our own vine and fig
tree.") We will venture to promise you
as good turkey as you can get in any
city, and hope when c. d. becomes
better acquitted with the country people,
he will think that vulgarity and ignorance
are not necessarily the attendants Of the
farmhouse.
Oh, if my voice could reach the gar
rets and cellars of New York, l would
try and lure forth their inhabitants to the
spreading praires and green oak openings
of Wisconsin.
Mr.. Editor, if you think these few
lines worth your notice, they are at your
disposal; if not, it is no great loss in these
days Of cheap postage.
There 20 a parcel of harvest-men;
Hurra for Scor7! they are singing
Amen, say. May the cry of Scorr and
Liberty ring forth through the length and
hre.dth of o,,, I.nd ill tia hack-oo1s