Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-02-05

nor ever gathered in season. The fen
COS were left until half he did raise was
destroyed by unruly cattle. The els
tern would leak by the year together, a
mans labor half day would repair it.
But he would go to town and spend
three days in the week, and not get back
till midnight. If she made little gar
den, the gates were left off the hinges,
and it was destroyed. He often laid
abed in the morning till called the third
or fourth time to breakfast, while she
MIXED the COW with the babe in her
arms, carried in wood and ran to the
garden for what was needed. He al
ways kept great family and little help.
1 was but child then. He never put
anything in place, left everything where
he used it, never cleaned his feet, or
took the least pains to save her labor,
and instead of helping her to govern the
boys as they grew up, by his own care
less habits, his waiting, and putting of,
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, that the bucket was down
in the well, or the cistern pump needed
mending. 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 outside for the want
of care, vet scold her or the children for
wasting goose quill Or lueifer match,
or half a 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 good humored, joy
Gus disposition and gentleness cf spirit
gradually wore out to him, though she
was pleasant, as he ueed to say to every
one else. Now, to worry has grown a
habit, and as he t,kcs 1t easy, never try
ing to please her in any one thing.
1T is 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 lie stopped the leak she
would want the spouts put up; and if
that were done, shed remember that the
gcrrJt-u y tct1srrli trrIrr; ~is=tt-tht.t
was brought up, the yard would
need moving or manuring, or the trees
pruning, and so its no use
Poor 1rctched man. H. never tried
putting all to rights at once, to see its
effect. So for twenty five years, poor
Mrs Jones has toiled almost day and
night to keep along, and by dint Of fret
ting coaxing and toiling has raised Il
pretty respectable family. But they ali
think mother scolds,' and her reason
for all this quadruple laNor, is q worn
out, nervous system, a face wrinkled
aud old, spirit broken, and the name
OF Fretful House Who is to blame? !
ask you cand;dly and seriously, gentle
men, if you could either of you be pa
ticnt and forbearing at all times, if you
had to live with such man as Joe
Jones? He is lazy, dogmatieal, sloycn-
ly, and cold hearted. Lydia 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 gro
Gerry smoking his pipe and talking to
old Phelps He's half drunk now. L
suppose somebody will say his wife
scoldcd Kim into it'
''Hang his lazy picture said the first
speaker, 4 believe all he does is talk;
he's good at that
The other got up and walked away,
signing:
Lydia amt at all to blame
He was thinking 10 doubt Of what
''might have been"
There are great many Ly lila Jones
in this world-frctful women, who get
d hard name simply because somebody
else never lives up to duty-good house
keepers, good wives, good mother, good
neighbors-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 careless and neglectful OF little
things, so thoughtless OF wife's COM
fort and happiness, and so fearfuld of
her acting for herself, as to restrict her
to just what they think necessary; and
would be offended and feel their digni-
~ infringed upon, were she to take the
responsibility Of hiring man to chop
ner wood, or spade their garden-thus
,urbing and fretting minds as earnest
and independent as their own, and fill
ng their paths with little annoyances,
md make their whole life bitterness,
simply because they know and feel these
,hings arc all unnecessary, and might
De 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 vezations,
and it is noticeable fact, that mostfret-
Ful women bear unavoidable trials with
patient fortitudc. There are pecvish,
retful 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 nothing
rmiss, but scold," look at both sides of
he question, and see who is to blame
Mrs. +. D. GAGE
Bg~I say, John, where did you get
that loafer's hat?
please yer Honor said John, 'its an
I'D one of yours that Misses gave me