St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-07-09
ifistellanp.
From sIoor's Rural New Yorker
A Chapter for Husbands.

Mr. Editor II am, suppose, a
fault-fnding, fretful sort OF body, dis.
posed to make fuss, and not 80 sub
missivc and gentle as l ought to be
but somehow or other, I am not salts.
fed with the state of things in this
world and am not quite willing to
wait for the better times in the world
to come, and so would fain take up
a cudgel and pound Mr.. Somebody or
Mr.. Everybody, hoping, amongst them
all, to hit the right ones. You see it
is the MIS- am out with, but don't
mean you--not at all-but it's the
other gentleman
We women, all over the country, are
getting old SO fast-so lean, lank,
withered and worn, l am vexed about
it and mortified too. What's the
meaning of it? Now you men viii
work hard, and yet look better, dc
clare, at forty or fifty, than ever but
we insi gnilicant women fade, lose oul
teeth and bloom, and turn grey and have
to stuff with cotton, wear head dresses,
crinolineS, &C., to make semblance
to a veritablc woman It's too bad, l
say, and who's to blame?
You are very kind to us on board
the cars, and give up you seat, and
give us the best,-very attentive and
polite, and all that and you are will
ing, too, to get us nice silk dresses
and splendid hats, with ribbons ant
feathers, and wait upon us to church
open and shut the gate, carry oul
books or baskets 0 such gentlemen
such kindness is really overwhclm.
ming The world can see all your
goodness, and of course you are not to
blame
But then there is another side tc
this picture, and one l have seen toe
often, and see every day. You who
never see beneath the surface, and arc
toodignifed to bother yourselves with
trihes,--mere nothings, l want to
"speak in meeting" and let the easily
humbugged multitude see behind the
scenes. To find out what makes more
than half the women prematurely old
and cross, perhaps,is, they are orertazed
You expect too much of them. YOU
have your houses and affairs so arrang
ed that they are constantly on the
alert to bring things around. An am
bilious, sensitive woman, is anxious
to do all left for her. She wants he
house in order, her children cared for
and her husbands meals in season
and clothes kept in readiness. AM
beside, wishes time to make or re
ceive calls or visits, and be sociable
But how can all this be accomplishe
with such miserable help as wome
have had for years past? And amids
all her endless cares two thirds {
them have to contend with numberles
difficulties. which their husbands Nigh
remove with very little trouble or g,
pense, and that is what l want to scol
about. You polite men do not kee
your wives in wood-not half of vol
You live in great nice houses, and 20
want fires kept here and there, br
want her to cut it and bring it il
and put it on to burn You let he
toll with an old leaky bucket or puml
till human patience is exhausted an
through your neglect and procrastin
ton, you allow her to be fretted, VIC
= ried, taxed, wearied, beyond all rea
on, day after day, and year after yea
Meanwhile the buttons must be Ike
on, the rents sewed up, the carmen
made, the victuals cooked, the childr
pleased, the house clean and tidy
(good gracious, what don't you G
pcct of us ?)--your friends cntertaine
&c, &c! Morning, noon and evenin
a woman's cares are never ended.
the endless minutia of a housekeeper
duties.
Now if you strong and youthfl
men would but do your duty, I'll
roses would not leave our cheeks S
fast. Take better care of US. Provid
conveniences-give us plenty I
wood and water handy for us. b
kind and speak gently to us, and don
grnmble if the potatoes are not warn
when we have waited two hours &c
you, and give us sweet kiss occasion
ally, and may be we should sta
young and lovely. ULTRA.
r.o,, 40 co;a IN lo,lr vary fine in Ne