True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-02-25

and little help. was but child then.
He never put anything in place, left every
thing where he USED it, never cleaned b is
feet, or took the least pains to save her
labor, and instead Of helping her 10 gov
ern the boys as they grew up, by his own
careless habits, his waiting, and putting
oh, and want of energy, he taught them
to follow in his ways.
Little by little Lydia learned to scold.
Every day for year she would have to
remind him the bucket was down in the
well, or the cislern pump needed mending.
All these things she would have righted
herself, but she never hadsmoney, for
Joe's carelessness left him always in debt,
and these debts were an excuse for every
thing. He was m can in all little things.
he would let ten dollars 60 to waste out
side for the want Of care, yet scold her
or the children for wasting goose quill
or lucifer match, or half sheet of paper
in letter. Easy and good natured for
the most part, yet turbulent and abusive
when things went wrong with 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 she used 10 say, to every
one else. Now, to worry has grown a
habit, and he takes 1t easy, never trying
to please her in any one thing.
Sits no use,' he says, to try TO please
her. She will fret. If he mends the
cistern she would find fault about the roof,
and if he stopped the leak she would
want the spouts put up, and if that were
done. she'd remember that the garden
was behind time, and when that was
brought up, the door.yard would need
moving or manuring, or the trees prun-
ing, and so it's no use.
Poor wretched man. He never tried
putting all to rights at once, to see lis
effect. So, for twenty-five years, poor
Mrs. Jones has toiled almost day and
night to keep along, aud by dnt of fret
ting, coaxing and toling has raised pret-
ty respectable family. But they all think
mother scolds,' and her reason for all
this quadrup!e labor, is a worn out, ner
vous system, face wrinkled and old, a
spirit broken, and the name of Fretful
House. Who is 10 blame! ask you
candidly and seriously, gentleman, if you
could either Of you be patient and for
bearing at all times, if you had to live
with such man as Joe Jones -! He is
lazy, dogmatical, slovenly and cold he art
ed. Lidia is exactly the reverse. There,
there she is now, driving the COWS out of
The cabbage, and there he is, as usual,
down BY the grocery smoking his pipe
and TALKING to old Phelps. He's half
drunk now. suppose somebody will say
his wife scolded him into it,"
Hang his lazy picture,' said the
first speaker, ~ believe all he does is
talk; he's good at that"
The other got up and walked away
signing.
Lydia amt at all 10 blame"
He was thinking no doubt Of what
"might have been."
There are great many Lidia Jones in
this world -fretful women, who get hard
name simply because somebody else
never lives up to duty--good housekeep.
ers, good wives, good mothers, good
neighbours--no fault to be found with
them, but that " they scold."
Look at the other side Of the picture.
Husbands. that are men prehaps of mind
and character, and even wealth, yet so
careless and neglectful of little things, so |
thoughtless Of a wife's comfort and hap.
piness, and SO fearful of her acting for
herself, as to restrict her 10 just what
they think Necessary and would be Of
Tended, and feel their dignity infringed
upon, were she 10 take the responsibility
OF hiring man to chop her wood, or
spade their garden--thus curbing and
tretting minds as earnest and Independent
as their own, and filling their paths with
little annoyances. and make their whole
life bitterness simply because they know
and feel these things are all unneces.
Sary, and might be removed without an
effort BY the very hands that placed them,
in their way.
1t is much easier for most minds to
bear great Affections, than to be cheerful
under constant recurring petty vexations,
and ii is noticeable fact, that most fretful
women bear unavoidable trials with pa.
tlent fortitude. There are peevish, fret
ful women, hosts of them, that have no
excuse but morbid temper. But in
Judging of the character of woman, Of
whom the world says; "she does moth
ing amiss, but scold," look on both sides
Of the question, and see whois to blame.
Mrs F. D. Gage.
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