Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-12
For the Green Mountain Freeman.
Woman's Wrongs.
By MRS D. MF. WALKER.

We wish somebody would strike new
harmonious key in the world of reform. We
are tired of hearing the same shrijl discor.
dant note Of womans rights" constantly
ringing in our ears, while her wrongs lie
heavy on the heart, and are grinding into
the very soul.
'Tis with her lOrongS, reformers and hui.
mantarians should have to do.
All this talking and speech-making, all the
pretty resolutions passed at conventions, will
accomplish nothing for women without action.
While great organizations are oiling their
machinery, and disputing whether this wheel
shall turn in this direction or the other,
whether this end of the lever or that shall be
used, woman is still suffering and wasting
away.
Take an illustration. Here is the mother
of half dozen children. Her husband is
mechanic, whose wages will not average over
dollar and half a day, or not more at
farthest, than four hundred year, taking in
to account lost time. Their house-rent, fuel
and lights we will put at one hundred dollars
per annum, leaving about three hundred, for
the support Of eight pcrsons-at an average
of a traction less than fifty cents per week.
The mother, seeing the necessities of the
family, and knowing the smalIness OF the in.
come, contrives, by haad labor, to do all her
house work, and all the family sewing-she
stays al home, working early and late, deny.
ing herself the privilege of social intercourse,
and intellectual culture, that she may, by her
economy exc out their Income, so as to make
debt and credit balance when the year comes
round.
How is it with her husband? If he.
wishes to go hunting or fishing, he goes !;
not considering that the time he loses will
amount to more than his wife can save in a
month. But few days of recreation to a
laboring man is necessary, and we do not OBJ
ject to it, provided the wife can have her
share There are hundreds of women in
New England, who toll on, the year through
with no relaxation, whose husbands do not
bear up manfully their end of the yoke. But
there is, generally, greater evil connected
with families Of this class. Nearly all the
men make constant use of tobacco. To say
nothing of the injurious effects, mentally and
physically OF such practice, the expense is
no small draft upon their income.
We will suppose man smokes but two ci-
gars day, at a cost of five cents each. This
will amount in year, to the snug little
sum of thirty.six dollars and fifty cents,
enough to purchase cow-to buy half a
dozen cords of wood, or as many barrels of
flour. Now, we ask if this worse than need
less expenditure of money for tobacco, is
not wrong to women? Has not the wife
and child higher claim on the common
fund, than has the perverted appetite of the
husband ? Is that man fulfilling the great
law of love, who will neglect the education
of his children, on the plea of poverty, when
he spends from thirty to forty or fifty dollars
annually, on perverted appetite? Where
is his self-dcnial? Where his benevolence
Where is the fulGlment of his marriage
vows? HoO is such mans wife cherished
and protected? 2" Little better than South
ern chattels. This is not an over-drawn pic
ture. In more than one New England State
very much worse wrongs than this have fall
en- under our observation. But time will
notpermit us to speak of them ai'this arti-
Gle. 1t would seem that so sight, yet really
SO great a wrong, as the smoking of two ci-
gars day, inaicts upon the wife of the la
boring man, might be righted, without call
ing Convention.