Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-01-21

She was refined and delicate; Joe was
coarse and rough; she was pink oI
neatness. he a slov@n; she loved the
beautiful, lie could rot tell the difference
between lose ard burdock; she was
orderly aud sySte sIic, he was CON-
plttely the reverse she was warm and
genial as May morning. he as cold
and repulsive as an icicle in November.
So they commenced life; she worked
hard. early and late, to get along he
l.ierrd and laid in bed. made excuses,
put of. Procraslina'ed. let ihings go
wrong. aud by his neglect and careless
ness, doubied all her cares. | knowed
just how it all began; fer lived with
her FIVE years she never meant 10 be a
scold. never; it come by degrees. -
Come Mr.. Jenkins" she would say,
"can't you split me little wood. my
bread is almost ready for the oven. +"
:. Yes, nretty soon-where's the axe -
whose had that axe wi>h the ugly
CHILDREN" why, Mr.. Jenkins. don't
speak so :" well. its enough To try
the patience Of Job never can find any
thing when | wan'Ii;"
You should put it in its place then
yourself. when you use it,
81 did. l left it at the wood pile"
mo you did not. You left it down
by the barn where you was M nfing the
bars"
Humph ! sol did |" And of Joe
would 90 ter the axe. find the pigs in
the corn for want of care in The fences.
put off after the pigs full run. drive them
out half a mile from the house. meet a
neighbor. get upon the f.nce and talk an
hour. forgetting all about the wood. In
the mean time Lydia would run for the
axe, chop Ter own wood. and manage
somehow TO have the bread all ris bit, for
nothing is ever wrong in her department.
and Joe would NOT see nor know that lie
had in the least trsnsgressed. The
hou-e ieaked down rain pppn her head
for FIVE wears and She rould not iniuce
him 10 mend the roof. The crops were
never planted, nor never gaiher,d in
season. The {, noes were left till ha { he
did raise was destroyed by unruly cattle.
The ci>iern would leak by the year =
gelh-r. mans labor half day would
repair II. But he would go 10 town and
say three days in the week. and not get
back ill midnight II she mad,. li,rle
garden. the gates were left off the hinges
a d it was destroyed. He often Lid
abrd in the morning till called the third
or fourth time to breakfast, vhlle she
MIXED the COW wi b babe in her arms.
carried in wood and run to the garden
for what was needed He always kept
a great family and little help Iwas hui
a >hil then. H never put any tLiog in
place. left everything where he used it,
never cleaned his feet. or took the least
pairs TO save her labor. and instead of
helping her 10 govern ihr boys as they
grew up. by his own careless habits. his
waiting, putting off. AMI want of energy
he tau hi them to follow in his ways.
Little by little ydia learned TO >cold.
Every day for year she would have TO
remind him that the bucket was down
in the well. or The cistern pump need,
All ilese things she would
have rightrd herself, but she never had
for Joe's carelessness left him
always in debt, and these debts were an
Excuse FOR everything. He was m, an in
al little things. He would let ten dol
lars go to waste oui side ipr The want Of
an hours care, yeI scold her o. the chill.
iren for wasting a goose quill or lucif.r
rastch, or half sheet of paper in let- ,
.er. Easy and good ns'ured for the most
part, yet turbulent and abusive, whe u !
.hings went wrong for him. as they
l,ually did. Lydia's good bumored. /
Joyous disposition and gentleness of spirit
gradually wore out TO him, though she
was pleasant. as he used TO say. TO every
one else. Now, to worry is grown !
labit. and as hs takes Il easy. never n.y.
ng to please her in any one thing.
1T is no use." he says "to try TO
please her. She will fret. If he mends
he cistern she would ind fault about the I
COZ. and if be stopped the leak she !
would want the spou;s put up, and if I
hat was done, she'd remember that The
garden was behind time, and when that
vas brought up. the door yard would
heed moving ar manuIing, or the trees
pruning, aud SO its no use" Poor
man. He never uied putting
VI TO rights at once, to see its effect =
50 tor twenty-five years poor Mrs Jenk-
MS has toiled almost day and night to
Ieep along. and by dint of fretling. coax
ng and lOIling has raised pretty lie
pectabIe family. Blu, they ali think
'mother scolds." and her reason foi all
his quadrupled labor, is worn out ner.
Gus system. face wrlnkled and old.
pirii broken. an! the name OF Freiful
Housewife. Who is to blame ? | ask
ou csndidly and seriously. gentlemen.