St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-12-01
.SELE-STrPOETING WIVES.

For N"un. married Wom,ll tn under
take 80 contribute tu he family income.
il III mo>t cases utterly undesirable.
and i a~Liu" III ilcmlScl> e. Il great deal
to" much. And this j. not hecansc
they are 10 he encouraged III ndoltllrt.
hut hrcaIlSc they. in Il normal condition
of things. have their hands full. rs.
on ,l,i, point. may differ from some of
my a>>ncittr>. let me explain precisely
work. in another part of the house. two
PAPER hangers. IL man and his wife. each
l., nl ~ Years of age. Their children
are grown up and some of them mar
iird: they have Il daughter III home.
who is old enough To do the hou>cwolk
and leave the mother free. There i no
possible WAY of organizing the lah"Ia of
this household 81 judiciou> IL !hi> : tn"
married pair work together during the
day ami go home together To their cNrn-
ing rest. \ happier couple ! never SAW ;
it is Il delight Ia see Them chccItullN III
work together. cutting. FASTING. hang
n": their life seems like Il prolonged
industrial picnic. and il | had the i'll
luck tu own a. many PALACES a. an In
.li>lI duke. should keep them prlma-
nentls occupied in putting fresh papers
on the walls. But the merit of this en-
ploN meat for lac woman is. that il in
tcrirrc> with no other duty. Were She
Il Young Wnnlan with little children. and
obliged 10y her paper hanging t" neg
/ lcct them. or To leave them at Il ''daV-
nursery. ur /" oNerwoIh herself by
combining al her duties. then the sight
of her would bc very sad. 30 sacred il
thing does motherhood seem To me. -
paramount and absorbing the duty ni ::
mother /" her child. that i'll Il true stat,
of society think She would lac UTTERLY
free from all other duties. even. if pos
>iblr. from the ordinary cares of hou>...
keeping. |! she has spare health AND
strength /" do these other things a,
plrI>urr>. very we'll: hut she >huul,
he relieved from them. H. duties. Au,
~ t" >cll->lpp"lt. cam hardly conceive
of an instance where il can he Ia iii,
mother of N"un" children auNthin" hu
:, calamity. ~ We all know. This ca.
lamitl often urCm~: | have seen il
among the factory "pclLiiNr, At ia,
! North. and anon" the nc"r" women ii
the cotton fields at the south: in h"tl
eases il Is Il tragedy. and the bodies ann
brains ni mother and children alike ~ui'
t,I. That the mother should bean aI!,
tend and nurture while the father sup
potts and protects this i the trtIc diNi
sion. Does this hear in any Way upon
inform hcI-cli upon public questions i!
The intervals of hrI cares. IL we'll a. tn,
father among hi>: and the baby in ia,
cradle i 4 perpetual appeal /" her. -
to him. that The institutions undrl
which that baby dwcll> MAY he kept
! pulr One OF The most devoted ioIII.
mothers lever knew made il Il rule. III
matter how much her children absorbed
( her. Ia read hooks "l newspapers ion an
h"ul every day ii! order. she said. that
| THEN mother should hc mole than :;
mcI. source Of phN> steal nurture. and
/ that her mind should he kept fresh and
alive tnl them. But Ia demand in adj
| diliun that such :: mntlIcr should earn
mumr, for them l. Ia ask too much. and
! there j. many Il tombstone III New Ing
land. which. if il told the Truth. would
tell vh.t comes at such an effort. W,
are moi dealing. in America. 18th Il la/s
or >cli-iudulgcnt race. hIu with Wumrl
Who ;uc only uoItadN 10 undertake al
their ri.htlui duties. and more too. l;'
li,l ing thoroughly. A. | do. in the dig
nitl of >cll->uppoit. ihimh II" N"un.
"ill should ht married ho l. nor vii
ling. for the best year, "f her life. Il
merge that satisfaction in the hi"hc
dignity "t motherhood. t"i. Hppir."i
IN IIom0n'< .I0nIHnI.