Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-09
How Much is q Wife Worth Z
By MRS. II. w. BEECHER.

A few weeks since, party sitting near
us in the cars were speaking Of a young
man, wealthy farmer, who had just dis
turbed his friends by venturing to marry
poor girl We judged by the converse
ton, that he had been well educated, and
for wealth and intelligence was quite
looked up to among his townsmen. But
he married for love, not money or posi-
ton, and these friends were literally using
friendships privilege to make rather Sc
we're remarks about him, in his absence.
First. it was so foolish, after his fine ed
ucation, instead of entering into one of
the professions" to return to the home
stead, the quaint old farm house, and, TAX
ing the care Of his aged parents upon
himself, settle down to a farmers life. So
foolish.
But that was a trivial offense, compared
| to tax ing poor girl for wife, with moth
ing but a common practical education,
good health, loving heart, and willing
hands, to recommend her! With his cul
tivated and refined taste, what happiness
could lie hope for in such companionship
But then he would be a farmer, and per
| haps she would be all that a farmers wife
need be.
We have often thought of the tone of
this conversation. For what do men gen
orally marry, and what estimate do they
put on their wives? How many really
good husbands never realize how large a
share of the prosperity Of their home, its
comfort and success, they owe to their
wives. The husband earns the money, it
may be, but does he ever make an esti-
mate, a fair business estimate, of what it
would cost, in dollars and cents, to buy
! the cares and comforts that he receives
through his wife's labors, whatever may
be their standing in the community? Par
ticularly is this pertinent question, as 1t
regards farmers wife.
While this subject and the conversation
just alluded to were fresh in mind, we
CHANGED to pick up some stray paper
which spoke quite clearly on some points
of this subject. We subjoin few
sentences. They may not come ex-
actly under the head of Talks with
Young House keepers" but they certainly
belong to The Household. Besides, while
on such intimate terms with the wife, com
mon courtesy demands that some little
attention should be paid to the husband
We will, for the present, leave out Of
sight all sentiment. all references to the
little comforts and felicities that go to
make up the sum Of domestic happiness,
and come right to the practical question :
Does young woman, who comes to her
husband with little or no dowry, but with
willing heart and hands, and a fair share Of
intelligence, who takes care Of his house,
without any hired help, really earn more
than her board and clothing?
No man will deny that good wife is a
Ten vlnv narn nd n mi
secure him many comforts but how much
would he consider them worth In dollars
and cents? tits great comfort to hus-
band to have his three meals properly
cooked and prepared at hours that suit his
convenience He can swallow q dinner in
twenty or thirty minutes that it has taken
most of the wife's forenoon TO prepare
He thinks it q good dinner but how high
an estimate, think you, would he put upon
the labor of preparing 1t if required to
state the worth in money.
With what establishment and disgust
would he look upon his table il set with
dishes that had not been washed since last
used but how high money value would
he be willing TO put upon the one unro-
mantle item Of washing dishes, which,
nevertheless, takes so large share of
woman's time;
With what satisfaction he puts on the
clean smoothly ironed shirt, and the nicely
darned socks! They do not look much
like the ones he pulls off to throw into
the wash. Some one had to rub pretty
smartly to get the dirt all out; some one
strained over the hot fiat irons to make
this shirt SO glossy some one spent an
hour, perhaps while he slept, to darn those
unsightly holes in the heels Of these
stockings And If farmer, it was his
wife most probably that did it all; and
not this one only, but every week, as sure
as the week comes round. Now, he does
appreciate cleanliness, notwI thstanding his
protestations against washing days and
house cleaning is he willing TO own that