Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-08-10
30 Farmers E'ises. .Pay +

iome deman1.-Turf, Field & Farm
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DO Farmers Wires. Pay s,
A ladseorrespopdent Of the te6as-
ny Gentlentan discusses This Question
as follows: I'VE arenotin she habit
of writing for the papers, j and have
some fears lest you should tm1k, this
once toomanx times for'us toaspire
70 SO much honor as your notice, but
there has been considerable discus
sion of late ss.to,sNhether { farming
pays, and the question occurs to US,
Do Farmers Wives Pay?' A man
can estimate with some degree Of ac-
curacy, the cost and value of his
lands, stock, crop, labor, &C., but who
can estimate the worth of his wife I?
Now we wish to leave out of sight
Ill sentimental reference sto the
little comforts and felicities that go
to make up the sum of domestic hap
plness, and come right to the practi--
cal question-Does a young woman.
who comes to her husband with little
or no dowry, but with willing heart
and hands, and fair share of intel
hgence, who takes care of him, of his
house, and Of his family as it increas-
es. without hired help-realty searn
anythino more than her food and.
clothing?
No man will say but that "a good
wife is treasure. Certainly, her
care and labor secure him many COM
forts, but how much would he con-
sider them worth in dollars and cents?
It is great comfort to him to have
his thfeezmeals a day, properly cook
Cd and prepared at hours that suit
rs convenience. ~ ..s.t
He can swallow dinner in in twenty
r thirty minutes that she has baen
III the forenoon in preparing. He
nay think it very good dinner, but
how high an estimate, think you, he
would put upon it if required to state
-ls worth in money? With what as
tonishment and disgust would he look
lpon his table setout withSdishes that
.ad not beenswashed since they were
.isr used, but how high a money
>.4!ue would he put upon this one un-
r5nantic item of washing dishes.
which, nevertheless, takes so large
share Of a womaus time?
With what satisfaction he puts on
the clean. smoothly-ironed shirt, and
he socks nicely darnedl They do
look much like the ones he pulled
i last week and threw down with
ne wash? Some one had to rub
pretty smartly to get Che dirt all out
--some one spent an hour or so in
l.rning h unsightlyholesin the heels
those stockings. And this is not one
-eek only, but every week as surely
), it comes round. Now, he does ap-
'eriate cleanliness, notwithstanding
sprotestat ons against washing-days
nd house-cleaning. But is it really
,'orth anything in money?
Ten there is the care of the milk
and the butter-maliing. Every day
.ust the milk be taken care Of, TIL
cam must be churned at the proper
me, and the butter properly worked
and salted. He is proud TO have her
lake good butter-is quite happy.
yhen his neighbor says, i want to
-ngage my butter Of you this season.
.)r think your wife makes the bes
utter of any one around But,
5hen, are not the cows bis !? Does be
not furnish the feed and do the milk:
ns q Is not her work slight, CON z
pared with his? Is it really worth
:nything in dollars and cents to do
her part :? 1 {
Then there is thescare of the chill
dren; early and late are her energies
taxed to take care of them She is
interested there, of course; but then
she don't pretend to own but half,
though some men would fain make it
the larger half. Is it really worth
nothing to soothe, amuse, teach, feed.
iand spank his half; to make and
make over, and mend the clothes for
his half? This is real brain work.l
Where is. the man who will say, it
does not.require all a woman's wit,
this care for their. children, but if
asked to place money estimate upon
it, to what figure think you it would
fall?
A.farmer's wife, that really. does.
her own work, has no easy. task, as !
can be proved by thousands Of our
country women ;but' we would not
ask for her more than is justlydue.
If there; is. any standard by which
the value of her services can sbe
rightly estimated, we would like to
kno w it. We .wishsto know whether
there may be any surplus in her
iiavorIl Whether, when she asks for
i few dollars for the purpose of Z soness24 alas2 4
thing, not strictly necessary-A.a; book: !: Il |
ought ito feel chat ;shest
: asking for hie hardly earned #ssas, al ADS