The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-01-21

hboeo NUlIo sne WIS eatlnk, anu u
would whine and cry, and half The
time she had to leave the dining
room altogether while her great,
hearty husband would sit still, and
compIaeentIy bolt his meal with
the utmost cOmposure, never
thinking Of her.
Tho boy was teething; and at
breakfast she often told Us that she
had been up and down all night
long walking tho floor to sootbc
| it.
She was as pale as q ghost, and
had black rings around her eyes
that were enough to startle one.
But they were 80 newly mar
ried, and evidently loved each 9th &.
or SO dearly, this couple, that l
thought she was as happy u wo-
man as there was 10 be found in
New York And shc was q wo-
man occupying what is facetiousIy
denominated the true woman's
sphere" receiving every morsel of
food from her husband, every stitch
Of clothing, never having a penny
she could call her own, and in re.
turn nursing her baby every min
ute from the day it was born,
through the successive stages OF
limp. backodness until now, when
it secmed-except that it could not
waIk--stronger than its mother.
"Ah," thought !, joyfulIy, here
is a rcfutation. Here is woman
perfectly happy, and who is living
in servitude and baby tending"
One day, after l had done a
hard days work at writing | sat
down at the dinner table opposite
the couple, and said: ..t
"Oh, Mrs. Y, how fortunate you
are to have a good husband, who
provides for you, and pays every.
thing for you, relieving you Of
this horrid toll OF working for
bre money" -
"That's what I tell her." said
tho husband. hastily, and with an
unplcasantly triumphant tone-"it
she had to 90 out and work for
her living she'd find out what it
is"
Y" l earn my living now" said
the wife, with quiet dignity. Il
do servants work, and get no
pay--only my board. A servant
gets board and wages too" .
The next day she spoke TO me
again, with tears in her eyes
II envy you," she said to me.
who considered myself SO hard
worked as to be in very unenvi.
able position-"I envy your being
able to 90 out in the air, and work
like an intelligent being for live
lihood, instead of being slut up,
day after day, night after night,
nursing baby. And look how
foolish it is too," continued she,
unwittingly using my own argu-
ments;"I am fine dressmaker,
and earned my living easily by
that work before | was married.
And SO l could now, ifmy husband
would only lot me work at my
trade" i9 I.rr.- .-H ..r
why don't hep .
I'm the first place, he is too
proud; in the second. he says if l
were to work Id have to hire a
girl to nurse the baby, and that
1 would be an expense. 90
How much would girls wages
be?"
"About two dollars week. |
used to earn eighteen AT dressmak-
ing in my native town in Massa-
chusetts. | could earn more in
| New York. I'm a beautiful filter.
And yet this couple grubbed on in
mutual dissatisfaction, at the very
outset of their married life, when
all should have been brightness
loving each other too, but grumb,
ling, discontcnted-she rcproach.
ing him for making q servant OF
her, and he upbraiding her for moi
being helpmeet to him.
If it be necessary, in order that
a woman may be heIpmeet to
her husband, that she should be
able to earn her own living, then
she has but one thing to do to
qualify herself for that Office
namely, to educate herself Just as
men do in the habits of labor.
Skill in mechanism, finances
art, literature, or any industrial
calling, is nothing more nor less
than habits of labor.
When men will consent to dc