Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-03-16

hat woman occupies quite as important o place 10
he business relations Of life as man, and che is
luite as necessary to him, as he is to her. | would
ike to have some gentleman tell me how much the
the labor, the love Of a patient wife end ten
Ter mother are worth. How much is il worth to
BRING up a family of children, and ct them, even
mperfectly, for life and its du.ies-to heed all
heir numberless wants, settle their controversies
n the right spirit, watch oil their ailments and
patiently abide their nights Of suffcringS How
much is II worth per annum to seek the comfort
happiness of husband, to cater to his appetite.
to look after bis wardrobe, and see that be be pre-
pared to meet The claims OF decenoys What is it,
gentlemen, that gives that indescribable charm to
your own homesf Why is the FIRE in your own
grate so much more to you than q fire any where
else2 Why is the food on your own table, so much
better than tho dinner you buyH What is the
meaning Of that strange beauty in the flowers
around your own dweilingi Aud why, whSn you
return to your home, will your heart bound with
~gladness as you com in eight Of the curling
smoke of your own chimney? 1t is the being that
ministers within, 20 whom you are indebted for all
this, and l pray you that before you shall meet
her again, you sill show your appreciation Of her,
and of her service, by making her an equal legal
proprietor, at least, of the earthly comforts you
hove heaped together.
The absurdity of making tho husband the sole
owner of the common estate, lie most severely felt,
perhaps, where the wife possesses all the executive
talent of the family, and the property is acquired
through her agency. OfcouIse, gentlemen are all
unconscious that such cases exist, and the husband
himself is nearly always obvious to the ability Of
his wife. l heard a man complaining Of his hard
lo'; he had an expensive family to support, work
was scarce, and his health poor. l afterward
learned that all his claims to intelligence and re-
spect were owing to bis wife. She was q teacher,
we'll educated and successful. He was poor and
ignorant and idle. A very striking weakness in
her 20 marry him! She educated him, supported
him in part, brought up Q family and gave them
respectable place in the world, and thus she had
constantly struggled on with a brave spirit, and
an eye single to the good Of her household. Her
husband was a good honest soul as ever lived, but
he really thong b the support of his family was
all derived from him. This reminds one of the
man who was riding with his wife in a carriage,
and as they approached a railroad bridge, they
saw a train of cars coming. The bridge was very
fine and highly elevated, and a curve in the road
leading to it, caused tho train to make a very
grand appearance in passing. The husband pro-
posed that they should sit in the carriage and en-
joy the view. The vito said NO; she was afraid
Fanny, the animal they were driving, would ge.
to dancing. 81 will take care of Fanny" said
the husband; "sit still" She said no; he said
yes, and finally his will conquered. The train
came, and swept around the curve and over the
bridge, making q very majestic appearance; the
view was all they had anticipated. But, sure
enough, Fanny got to dancing. and she danced SC
hard that one Of the reiDs snapped in two, and left
him powerless to control her. This completely
p~aralyzed the husband; and be sat still. His wife,
with remarkable presence of mind, jumped out OIL
the carriage, seized Fanny by the BIT, and held
her fast till the train had passed out Of sight
Then turning to him, she sail: "Are you going t
get out and help mend this harm ess, or, do you ex
pect to cit there?" "0hl" said he, II am as veal
as w-a-:-e-rW Presently the reins were repaired
they started on their way, and the husband becam,
perfectly absorbed in the very narrow escape the
had had, and turning to his wife he said, Sail,
Ann, what could you have done, if you had beer
alone ?"
Under our present laws, no matter what the cir
cumstances may be under which the property j
acquired, even if the mother has earned it all. lie
r gal guardians must be appointed for the children
upon the decease of the father. If she chooses t
3 act as guardian herself, she can do so only on til
: same conditions as a stranger. She must Civ
bonds in twice the amount Of two-lhirds of tn
s property, that she will faithfully keep it for he
children, and content herself with the widow
9 dover. If there be no property, of course tn
o world will not dispute the mothers right to tn
f custody and the care of her children. She ma
= gather them half-starved, and halEnaked aroun
: the expiring embers of her desolate hearth, au
. they are all her own. They are hers to SUI
port, hers to educate, and society d.
Q mands that she give them to the world, il
e ~telligens men and women. But shout
S there be a little money, they must have a specia
a legally appointed care-taker. If there is an.
: thing to educate them with, then fo%rsOotb, Il
mother is not capable of doing it, without the al
of tie law. + there is any thing to clothe the
with, she needs much help in supplying the
wants.
q Now we ask, and is not our demand a vel
reasonable one? that the mother be net emSaf!as
r ed by these legal restraints. This too, is in a
cordance with the deepest convictions Of our wi
o est and best people, for there is no doubt but
I thorough canvass would enable ia to present
!. your Legislative body the names Of nine-tenths
n the adults of this State, in behalf of this petition
r Such a canvass We have not been able to have, ar
Q in1eed it is wholly unnecessary, for what dife
ence does it make, whether ten or ten times t.
g thousand ask for justice If one woman onl
/ and that the poorest of ell Gods poor, and II
r most obscure of all obscure people in the Sta.
/ shall apply for a redress of legal wrongs, is D
this Body bound to listen to her prayer, and
deal as reasonably and justly with her as if IL
n united voices of all the people endorsed her CLAIM
v Aye, would not such an act reflect far great
honor upon this Body, who for the sake of jusii'
9 alone, needed the family whispered prayer of OIL
d oppressed soul, than to yield to a demand whic
is sustained by immense numbers, and enforce