True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-02-25
THE FRETFUL HOUSEWIFE,
OR, WHO'S TO BLAME.

OR, WHO'S TO BLAME.
THAT Mrs. Jones is an awful piece.
| don't see how Jones stands it; good
easy soul he lets her scold away and
never seems 10 mind it at all don't even
seem to hear. Well, reckon that's the
best thing he can do; but tell you now,
if had such woman, I'D find some way
TO shut her up, and if couldn't, I'd set
fire to the house, and run away by the
light of it, for scold l never would live
with. Let's see, you came pretty nigh
marrying Lydia yourself, didn't you?-
1t seems to me there used to be such tak!'
Yes, 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 got into little squabble
like; | believe | was to blame, and we
agreed TO part company; and | married
Agnes, and Lydia turned about and mar
ried Joe."
This was said with deep sigh. as if
there was something struggling in the
speaker heart, that was not uttered.
/ reckon you thank your stars for the
dellverance - said the other speaker.
81 don't know" said the first slowly.
Lydia was one Of the keenest, smartest
girls in the country, then, and nobody
ever thought of her turning out a scold.;
she was as merry as bird, and her wild
song, as she tripped along with her milk
pail in the morning, had no twang of the
termagant in it. used TO think that she
was one of the nea!est and sweetest tenn.
pered of her sex. But she is mighty
changed" And the man of forty sighed
again, as he Whitfield his bit of pine shin.
gle to point.
There is no telling what a woman
will be at forty, by the sign of eighteen j;
is not that so. Mrs. Tyler :"
This was addressed to a good looking,
benevolent woman, who had joined The
two former on the porch, where they
were chatting away the twilight hours
after their days work.
" Not always" replied the lady ad-
dressed; "for woman at eighteen may
be moulded into an angel or demon, by
the surroundings Of her after life, some
times"
"We were talking of Mrs. Jones, she
lrets his life out of him."
." Better say he frets hers out of her,"
replied the lady, with spirit.
"Never was there a pleasanter girl
than Lydia when she married Joe Jones
active, energetic, orderly, ambitious and
afectionate. She was calculated to make
home as happy as woman could. She
was refined and delicate Joe was coarse
and rough she was pink of nealness,
he sloven, she loved the beau tiful, he
could not tell the difference between a
rose and burdock she was orderly and
systematic, he was completely the re-
verse she was warm and genial as
May morning, he as cold and repulsive
as an icicle in November. So they COM
menced life; she worked hard, eally and
late, to get along; he loilered and laid in
bed, made excuses, put off, procrastinated,
let things go wrong, and by neglect and
careessness doubled all her cares. +
knowed just how it all began; for lived
with her five years; she never meant to
be scold, never; it came by degrees
Come, Mr.. Jones' she would say, cant
you split me little wood, my bread is
almost ready for the oven.'
Yes, pretty soon-where's the axe ?
whose had tha. axe 81 wish tho ugly
why, Mr.. Jones, don't speak So
. Well, it's enough to try the patience
Of Job-never can find anything when l
want it,
You should put i: in its place then
yourself, when you use it,
Il did. / left it al the wood pile
No you did not. You left it down BY
he barn, where you was mending the
oars.'
:Humph so | did,
And off Joe would g0-af er the axe,
lind the pigs in the corn for want of care
n the fences, put off after the pigs full
un, drive them out half mile from the
louse, meet neighbor, get upon the
enCe and talk an hour, forgetting all abou,
he wood. In the meantime, Lydia would |
'un for the axe, chop her own wood, and |
manage somehow to have the bread all
light, for nothing is ever wrong in her
department., and Joe would not see nor
NOW that he had in the slightest trans.
Iressed. The house leaked down rain
Ipon her head for FIVE years, and she
ould not induce him to mend the roof.
The crops were never planted nor ever
-athered in season. The fences were left
ntil half he did raise was destroyed by
lnruly cattle. The cistern would leak
y the year together. when a mans labor
half day would repair it. But he
you'd 60 to town and spend three days
the week, and not get back till mid.
light II she made little garden. the
'ates were left off the hinges, and it was
estroyed. He often laid abed in the
iOrning till called the third or fourth
ime to breakfast, while she MIXED the
ow with the babe in her arms, carried in
rood and ran to the garden for what was