The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-10-24
xomtt's department.
Mans Work and Woman's Work.

/ nave fclU SOlNCWI lcIC tNdl d oSiiiuii was
one dsv walking with an American farmer
over his fields, when they came to steep
hillside. such as we've all seen often enough
"a rough dcclvity, covered with stones,
having the ground washed away from around
them by the rains, and, perhaps, scanty
covering OF grass in the intcrsticcs, and
few struggling bushes. Tie German asked
him:
IVY doan YOU blouyh 'um?"
plough it? Why cur horses couldn't
stand up here"
We doan bough 'um wild horses
"Wc.l. Ill like to see the pair of oxen that
could do it,"
NO more we doan blough 'um wild oxes."
"What in the world do you get to do 1t
with. Them
Wild wOmans ~
But we believe no nation has ever disgraccd
itself so as to set its women to fighting its
enemies. The dragon of war has a terrible
appetite for men. The wars of Napoleon are
said to have caused the death of three millions
of them. \ French lady has told me that
toward the end of that conquerors career a
Young man. or ony man within the ''conscrip-
ton" age was really rare sight, in the rural
district, of France. Any man, between the
ages of eighteen and forty-ive, was liable to
be called OH by lot to become a soldier.
whether he wished or not and soldiers so
obtained were called conscripts. Many
requis:tions were made on each department
Of France to furnish so many men now. and
40 many then, till they were positively all
gone. Each year the boys and youth. as
they grew into the conscript age, were called
off, and SO, silently disappeared from the face
of the country. 1.-The places that knew them
shall know them no more forever Still the
great man wanted more. SO they lowered
the limit as to age. Boys of sixteen were
taken In the last battles, among the dead
of the French were poor little fellows who
could scarcely hold Il mu>ket Beardlc>s
vouths-mcrcly "chair a canon" food for
cannon). as their master. the emperor, called
thcm-madc up his last levics. They did
not please him. "Mcn," he wrote, to the
people he left in charge at homc-or words
to this etfect-"Mcn. | want men, Not
such feeble boys as you sent me last-to
cucumber the hospitals and die by the road
side" But he could not get what was not
10 be mad. so at last he failed. He was
beaten at Waterloo, and went to end his DAYS
a prisoner at st. Helena and France had
peace once more.
But, in the mean time. the work of the
country had to lie done. in some way. to
avoid famine and starvation. Fields had to
be ploushed and planted. and gathered; and
as Sir Walter Scott says of certain Scotch
castle, Just before the battle of Eiodden, there
was no one left but
Women. boys. and gray -hairc'! men,
The rest were ali in Twiscl glen
SO of course. the women had to share the
tield-abor with the "boys and grayhaircd
men = and. in that way. the habit was formed
which makes it seem quite natural to French
and German ewes to see women working i'll
the fields.
Horses are, also-uniuchily for thcm-of
great use in war, to drag the artillery. and
carry the cavaliers; and oxen. too-poor.
patient beasts-draw the victuals about from
one place to another for the soldiers. and are
at las: eaten up themselves, when the time
comes. So, when the oxen and horses were
gone, YOU see "blough it wild womans" was
natural enough expcdient