Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-11-15
The Homo Lift. al II sVDm1f,


Mrs. Brown, as she brought chair
from the rank and file against the wall =,
and offered it to her neighbor, MIR.
Jones. In performing this hospitable
action, Mrs. Brown called the ghost of
q smile to her face, and in tie care
worn features could be seen signs of
beauty and sweetness that time and
roablc were stealing from her. She
resumed her seat, and while rocking the
cradle, YEARLY proceeded topare, guar
ter and core the apples in the pan be-
side her, while she discourscd in this
wise to the strong, hearty looking
farmer who sat opposite:
"No, John isn't in, Mr.. Jones. -
He's gore to the village to hear aboa,
cess-somethina Or other. I can't
keep track of 1t, Pm SO hurried and
tried. Rugged with fortune and wear
led with di-aster,' as my mother used
TO say"
"You mean to say you amt any pa
triot:sm; don't care what those rascal
ly fire. eaters do, ally how, | suppose;
little odds to you whether Major An
derson holds OUT or not" MIR. Jones
said this in wondering, good nasured
way.
Snow, lock hero, neighbour" and
into Airs. Browns pale cheek faint
crimson crept and waverei uncertainty,
then stationed itself in the accus,ome,i
place. "Look here, neighbor, you
know that men of ours tho speckled
one, hats 80 famous for raising chick
ems? You know how she worries over
'em, and g:ts poor and frette like, SO
she's nothing at last but bundle Of
bones ana feathers but the chickens
come through all right - fat and plump
AMI blight eyed. You know old Fuss
that's the name John gave her
er minds what she eats, or how heavy
the rain pelts down upon her, and i:n't
afraid Of anything, f.: the chickens
sake. Well, somehow | think Pm like
the poor old hen"
Mrs Brown dropped her knife and
bent over the cradle moment. Farm
er Jones didn't notice the tear that fell
on the baby's cheek. You see,
neighbour" the woman went on, "whe'i
my heart and hand are full of thoughts
and work for John and the children
Of how | Can manage to save here, aud
get along withou: this, and mako that
last beyond all reason-l don't have
much time left to think about these
politics, or anything beyond this room
we 1--we in. Blu; used t. have thoughts
outside OF this, about the countries
away over the sea'-aud the woman's
eyes had a far off, mournful look in
them. ''In geography, / remember
how liked to learn about 'em, and
then | thought may be I'd see all those
beautiful things some day; you know
girls nave their famous. Bat I've
gwen all that up. 'risn't easy 10 60
wool gathering when l see bulbs toes
coming out Of his stockings, ard
Johns mlttens needing 3 paton. In,
afraid yoa H.eE don'S make hardly al
lowance enough fer US, always. -
We're not so strong as you, and then
our work is different. You are out in
the fresh air and sunsalps, but We
stay in the house and don't have mucn
change. You 60 to market. and haul
wood and straw, and meet your neigh
bors and have q pleasant word with
them, but We see the same things day
after day. ana gct lonesome some
times, and wonder Why We were put
into such kind Of Ives as these.
Then it's trying to woman's nerves
the kind of work she has to co.
'Tisn't like plowiag and sowing and
driving horses, that's heavy work, to
be sure, but then you're strong to do
it. But We have such + articular, care
full work. Now, there is bread max
ing-you don't know how much worry
there is abe ut it. You must take so
much into tie account, the kind Of
flour, the kind Of wood you have to
make your FIRE, the yeast; all these
are changing, and YOU must make al
lowance for this. You must let the
bread rise just SO much, and fix the
hampers just right, and handle it SO
careful. Why, pr. D. told me that
it's like managing chemicals and he
said men that had to work with chemi-
Gals were tbs most nervous kind, be-
cause they we're always full Of thoughts
and caro-. Then there's preserves and
pickles, and cakes and coffee. You
don't know any hing about the care
and trouble it is to get them up so nice,
when yuu sit down to the light. crisp,
pastry and drink the coffee, creamed
to the color that suits you. You don't
know how tiresome it is to feel SO
much care always on you, nor how
much patience and watching it takes
before o turAey or roast is 'donc to a