Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-02-27
LETTER 10 LADIES.
by MRS, r, GLEASON, NJ. D.
SOCIETY.

q
"Women at Home" by Rev 0. b.
rockingham, in the june number
of The Herald of Healh. He has
very clearly and truthfully shown
that the women of this generation
have not the same work that fill the
hearts, heads, and hands Of those OF
the past, and that very few have
found a substitute for these "lost
arts,,' or rather those which ma,
chincry has monopolized. Never,
the less, "over-work," "worn Out
with care" etc, are the most com
mon complaints which we heal
from chronic invalids, whether in
or out of a "Cure."
What can the matter be? There
must surely be something wrong
somewhere. Now that spinning,
weaving, washing, knittin, sewing
and embroidery, even are all SO
largely done BY machinery, besides
sundry inventions to Tighten domes-
tic labor, and strong foreign hands
for household service, how is ii
that the American women of this
generation are so much more over
burdened than those Of the past I
The query reminds me Of my faith
er's story of an early friend, who,
when he was first married, told his
wife that he meant to be rich; but
she said that she did not want to be
rieh-she only wanted to be com
Portable. The husband got rich,
but the wife never got comfortable
He reioiced in his gain but nei-
ther wealth nor "modern conyen-
fences" could make her comforta-
BILE. Now to "pick up" and "pick
att the familiar faults which invite
feminine infrmities, and prevent
the women from being "comforta-
ble," when it seems as if we ought
to be, is the object Of these letters
We hear much about being wea-
ry with calls, sand worn out with
company. The social element Of
our nature should be a source oi
strength and cheer, not Of eXhaus-
tion and inyalidism. If the latter,
there must be some fault in the way
in which we visit and are visited
If calls and company impose SC
heavy a tax that we cannot meet it
without becoming physically bank
rupt, we had better rebel against
the laws of society, and make an
individual "Declaration Of lnde-
poudeneo" in this direction by so
doing, / fancy we mey not only
emancipate ourselves, but our
friends also, from q burdensome
bondage. When zee are at ease we
are quite sure to make those about
rs so.
Have we company for the day
Show them the house and grounds
a place to rest, what we have in the
way Of books and pictures, and then
visit them when we have the time
and strength that we wish to spare
More than this must necessarily be
dull and uninteresting to our guests
for made talk has no cheer i'll it fol
anybody. Many woman seems tc
think she is conscientiously doing
her Christian duty, when she is
hurried with calls and harrassec
with company which she "don't
care a flo for" She talks of her
great responsibility as a vile anc
mother, and seems to think she
meets it well, if she maintains the
highest social position possible, anc
so well nigh sunders body and spir
it in her effort to keep the family
cup with the style Of the times. >
Look over 1.-The claims of society
upon YOU, and see how much you
can curtqil them, and still be ready
for the reckoning of the Master
| do not mean, by saying this
that YOU must still be in keeping
with the church to which you be
long, or the social circle in whicl
YOU move, but | mean, and still bt
up to the line of life laid out in tha
sermon of our Lord which says'-
eye are the salt of the earth, '"th'
light of the world" Would no
your salt have more savor you
/ light shine brighter ifyou losseneC
vour social cares? "Godlines
with contentmcnt is great gain" il
many ways--in every way.
Within the two lids Of that "bes
of books" are simple rules, which
in spirit, cover every Relationship
in lite-at least all family and SO
cial claims.
For instance: Do you think yo'
ought to show your hospitality b,
making a grand party !? make your
self q world Of work, upset all you
family arrangements so that the,
will not get settled for weeks, tina
YOU may feed some hundreds wit
unwholesome food at unseasonabl
hours, and thus take all thes
friends from their own firesides
where they are needed, and wher
they would be tenfold more CON
Portable, to give them a bad night
rest and several bad days aftei
ward ? Is this Christian hospitali
typ What says the Word? "Whe
thou makes a feast, call the poo
the maimed, the lame, the blind
for they cannot recompense thee
but thou shalt be recompensed 9
the resurrection Of the just"
I a. !.