Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-10-01

on her head for five years, and she coul(
not induce him to mend the roof. Tht
crops were never planted, nor never gath
cred in season. The fences were left til
half he did raise was destroyed by unruly
cattle. The cistern would leak by the yea
together, a mans labor half day would
repair it. But he would 60 to town and
stay three days in week, and not gel
back till midnight. If she made little
garden, the gates were left off the hinges
and it was destroyed. He often laid abed
in the morning till called the the third OF
fourth time to breakfast, while she milked
the COW with babe in her arms, carried
in wood and run to the garden for what
was needed. He always kept great fam
lily and little help. was but child then.
He never put anything in place, left every
thing where he used it, never cleaned his
feet, or took the least pains to save labor,
and instead Of helping her to govern the
boys as they grew up by his own careless
habits his waiting, putting off and want
of energy he taught them TO follow his
ways.
Little by little Lydia learned to scold.-
Every day for year she would have to
remind him, that the bucket was down in
the well, or the cistern pump needed mend
ing. All these things she would have
righted herself but she never had money,
for Joe's carelessness left him always in
debt, and these debts were an excuse for
everything. He was mean in all little
things. He would let ten dollars 90 to
waste out side for the want of an hours
care, yet scold her or the children for vast
ing goose quill or lucifer match, or a half
sheet of paper in letter. Easy and good
natured for the most part, yet turbulent
and abusive, when things went wrong for
him, as they usually did. Lydia's good
humored, joyous disposition and gentleness
Of spirit gradually wore out to him though
she was pleasant, as be used to say, to ev-
cry one else. Now, to worry, is grown
habit, and as he takes it easy, never trying
TO please her in any one thing.
If is no use he says ito try to please
her. She will fret If he mends the els
terms she would find fault about the roof,
and if be stopped the leak she would want
the spouts put up, and if that was done,
she'd remember that the garden was be-
bind time, and when that was brought up,
the door yard would need moving or ma
nuring, or the tress pruning, and so its no
use.' Poor wretehed man. He never til
ed putting all to rights at once, to see its
effect. SO for twenty-five years poor Mrs.
jenkins has toiled almost day and night to
keep along, and by dint of fretting, coax
ing and toiling has raised pretty respect
able family. But they ali think mother
scolds' and her reason for all this quadra-
pied labor is worn out nervous system,
face wrinkled and old, spirit broken,
and the name of Fretful Housewife. Who
is to blame? ask you candidly and seri-
ously, gentlemen, if you could either of
you be patient and forbearing at all times,
if you had to live with such man as Joe
Jenkinss He is lazy, dogmatical, sloven-
ly, and cold hearted. Lydia is exactly
the reverse. There, there she is now driv-
ing the COWS out of the cabbage, and there
LIE is, as usual, down by the grocery, smok-
ing his pipe and talking to old Phelps
He's half drunk. Isuppose somebody will
say his wife scolded him into it.
Hang his lazy picture said the first
speaker, 4 believe all be does is to talk
he's good at that The other got up and
walked away, signing:
Lydia amt all to blame
He was thinking, no doubt, of 'what
might have been.'
There are great many Lydia jenkins
in this world-fretful women, who get
hard name simply because somebody else
never lives up to duty-good house-keep- |
ers, good wives, good mothers, good neigh
bors-no fault to be found with them, but
that they scold.'
Look at the other side of the picture
Husbands, that are men perhaps of mind,
and character, and even wealth, yet so care
less and neglectful of little things, so
thoughtless of wife's comfort and happi-
ness, and so fearful of her acting herself,
as to restrict her to just what thay think
necessary; and would be offended, and feel
their dignity infringed upon. were she to
take the responsibility of hiring a man to
chop her wood, or spade her garden-thus
curbing and fretting minds as earnest and
as their own, and filling their
paths with little annoyances, that make the
whole life a bitterness, simply beca1se they
know and feel that these things are oil un-
necessary, and might be removed without
an effort by the very hands that place them
in their way.
1t is much easier for most minds to bear
great Affections than to be cheerful under
constantly recurring petty vexation, and it
is noticeable fact, that most fretful women
bear unavoidable trials with patient forti-
tude. There are peevish, fretful women,
hosts of them, that have no excuse but
morbid temper. But in judging of the
character Of a woman, of whom the world
says: she does nothing amiss, but scold,'
look at both sides of the question, and see
who is to blame.
LARGE EMANoIPATIoN.-Isaac N. Rob
ertson, who lived in Charlotte county, Va,
died on the 22d ult., and left will eman-
cipating about IS slaves, and dividing his
real estate and other property among them.
Provision is made in the will for their re-