The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-12-03
The Fretful Housewife.
w HOS TO L A ME-.

L
"That Mrs. Jenkins is an awful piece.
don't see how Jenkins stands it; good easy soul
he lets her scold away and never seems to mind
1t at all, don't even seem to hear. Well, dc
reckon that's the best thing he can do, but I tell
you, now, Il had such woman, I'D find
some way to shut her up, and il couldn't
I'd set fire to the house, and run away by the
light Of it; for scold never would live with
Let's see, you came pretty nigh marrying heI
yourself; didn't youp It seem to me there used
to be such talkl'
eyes, I'll own up we were engaged, as the
young folks say-but things didn't prosper
with me and the wedding was put off, and we
got into little squabble, like; believe was
to blame, and we agreed to part company; and
l married Agnes, and Lydia turned about and
married Joe."
This was said with deep sigh, as il there
was something struggling in the speakers
heart, tha. was not uttered.
"I reckon you thank your stars for deliver
ance " asked the speaker.
"I don't know" said the other slowly
"Lydia was one Of the keenest and smartest
girls in the country then, and nobody ever
thought Of her turning out scold; she was as
merry rs bird, and her wild song, as she trip
ped along with her milk pale in the morning
had no twang Of the termagsnt in it. used
to think she was one of the neatest and sweet.
est tempered OF her sex. But she has might
ly changed" And the man Of forty sighed
again, as he whitfield the bit Of pine shingle to
point.
"Thers was no telling what woman will b.
at forty, by the sign Of eighteen, is not that 80
Mrs. Tylsr?" This was addressed to good
looking benevolent woman, who had joined the
two former on the porch, where they were
chatting away the twilight hour after thei,
days work.
"Not always" replied the lady addressed.
"For woman at eighteen may be moulded,
into an angel or demon; by the surround.
in;s Of her after life, sometimes"
"We were talking Of Mrs. Jenkins--she
frets his life out Of him /"
"Betty says he frets hers out of her." repli-
ed the lady with spirit.
"Never was there pleasanter girl thar
Lydia when she married Joe Jenkins; active.
energetic, orderly, ambitious and atfectionate.
She was calculated to make home happy as
woman could. She wa, refined and delicate;
Joe was coarse and rough, she was pink oi
neatness, he a sloven; she loved the beautiful
he could not tell the difference between a rose
and burdock; she was orderly and systemat-
Ic, he was completely the reverse; she wa,
warm and genial asa May morning, he as cold
and repulsive as an icicle in November. Sc
they commenced life; she worked early anc
late to get along; he loitered and laid in bed
made excuses, put off-procrastiuated, lei
things 20 wrong, and by his neglect and care
lessness, doubled all her cares. lived with
her five years: she never meant to be a scold
never; it came by degrees. sCome Mr.. Jen,
kins.' she would say, 'can't you split me lit.
tie wood, my bread is almost ready f,r the ov.
en- 'Yes, pretty soon--where's the s,!--who'.
had that ax!--I wish the ugly children
sWhy, Mr.. Jenkins, don't speak to' .We,l. il
Is enough to try .he patience Of Job--nevel
can find anything when want it.''
.'You should put it in its place yourself
when you use it." 8#a'
"I did, L left it at the woodpile.o
"No you did not. You left it down BY the
barn, where you were nending the bars.o
"Humph! So Idid.' And Joe would GO az
ter the AK, find the pigs in the corn for want
Of care in the fences, put off after the pigs full
run, drive them out half-mile from the house
meet neighbor, get upon the fence and talk an
hour, forgetting all about the wood. In the
mean time Lydia would run for the ak, chaH
her own wood, and manage somehow, to have
the bread all right, for nothing is evsx wrong
In her department., and Joe would not know
that he had in the slightest transgies essed. Tn.
house leaked down rain upon her head fol
FIVE years, and she could not induce him ia
mend the roof. The crops were never plant.
ed, nor never gathered in season. The fences
were left till balf hs did raise was destroyet
by unruly cattle. The cistern would leak by thu
year together, a mans labor half day woult
repair it. But he would 70 to towE and stay
three days in week, and not get back til
midnight. II she made little garden, tn,
gates were left of the hinges and II was de-
stroyed. He often laid abed in the morning
till called the third or fourth time to breakfast
while she milked the COW with babe in he
arms, carried in wood and run 20 the garden TO
what was needed. He always kept big fami
ly and little Eelp, l was but child then. HI
never put anything in place, left everything
where he used it, never cleaned hissnat, O
took the least pains to save labor, and Aea,
Of helping her to govern the boys as the1
grew up, by his own careless habits, his wait
ing, putting of and want Of energy, he taugh
them to follow his ways.
Little BY little Lydia began to scold. Ever,
day Tor year she would have to remind hin
that the bucket was down 10 the well, or tn,
cistern pump needed meading. All thes,
things she would have righied herself, but .h,
never had money for Jos's carelessness left hin
always iadsbt and those debts were an sxcus'
for every thing. He was mean In all littl,
things. He would let ten dollars 20 to vast
outside for want Of an hours care, yet scolt
the children for wasting goose quill or luce
fer match or half sheet Of paper in letter
Easy and good natursd for the most part 70
turbulent and abusive when things went wrong