Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-06-16
IRASBURGH, VERMONT, FRIDAY.
What now?' he asked.
%. Bridget has farrd up
whats the matter 2


whats the matterY
She complains of her work
Il don't much wonder. She's at il
every morning at five o'clock and leave
her hard at it when 90 to bed. and yet
| don't believe its ever done.
We'll, whose fault is it, ! should like
to know I? asked Mrs. Smpkins.
1T aint mine | know 'and it don't
seem to be Bridget's.'
Then l s'pose you'll have it that its
mine, responded the wife.
Il didn't say So
You might as WELL
DO you think so? Now whose fault
is it? All our girls complain Of being
overworked, and scoided, pnd underfed,
and underpaid and You have the whole
management of things here. / leave ali
house matters to you
and this is what get for manage
ment,' interrupted Mrs. Smpkins.
But not ALL responded her husband.
You get a great reputation for piety; a
great deal of time to 60 to meetings.
preachings, prayer meetings, male and
female, sewing societies, maternal associ.
ations, anniversaries, and every other re
ligious meeting, far and near, that you
can hear of. And you get money for
Guides to Holiness and liIe-member-
ships, and great expensive frames to hang
their certificates in, thereby obeying the
Divine command mot to let your lef,
hand know what your right hand doeth,
all your good work done secretly that you
may be rewarded openly
What has all this to do with Bridget 2
interrupted Mrs. Simpkins, little touch
ed by the cutting irony.
1t has a great deal to do with her,
answered her husband, if it puts a part
of your work on her, or tires you out so
as to make you cross and unreasonable
with her, or if it makes you pinch her in
wages, or deny her in food, or wrong her
in any way you'll allow that won't
you?'
Yes, if it does
We'll, don't it? l ask the question
What would you have me DO more
than | do now should like to know
Perhaps not more. but | would have
you do somewhat differently. You can
make some equalization. Be as sweet
and angelic with Bridget as you are with
your dcacons, as mild in the nursery,
where only God and the chIllrpn hear
you, as you would oe if the whole mater>
nal association were there. Show lit
tie Of your deafness to the world and
heavenly mindedness when the new fash
ions come. Stop taking the Guide to
Holiness and give the money it costs to
Bridget. as her rghtfuI due. DON'T fur
nsh up the parlor with any more religi-
Gus show till you have given her as good
wages as you'd think yourself deserving
of, if you were in her place. Don't 60
to a single meeting when she will lose
more by your going than you will gain.
Don't say anything more to the church
about sanctificaton here below till you've
made your own family think such thing
is possible. Learn to be just before you
even aim at perfection; learn TO be pa
tient before you think you have reached
it: and be sure and take the opinion of
those who know yoL best before you come
to a settled opinion on the subject. Don't
think I'm prosecuting you, wife, nor any
thing of the sort. Tn glad you are a
pious woman, and that's one reason why
| married you. Every man likes to have
good wife. But | want little of your
piety for myself; and the children
wouldn't be the worse off for some, nor
Bridget, neither. We aint deacons, nor
ministers, nor saints, but we should like
to be treated in a sweet, heavenly way
sometimes, and perhaps 'twould make US
better I'm sure 'twoud make US hap>
pier, and you too. Suppose you try to
give US little more family pety. This
is my first sermon, and hop, it will be
productive of good. There's no company
here, so | won't pretend that it has been
preached from sense of duty, but be-
cause | feel out of patience and just like
speaking my whole mind
Well, what did Mrs. Simpkins say in
answer This only that she was glad
there was no one but her family to hear
him; that she was glad there were some
people who bad a good opinion of her
that the Rev. DR.. Smooihtongue had told
some of the church that very week, he
wished there were a few more women
Just like her.