The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-06-13

she can have an opportunity to show
me how handy she is, and as her house
work don't occupy much of her time,
she always has plenty of leisure"
az should Judge that it is no aisy
matther TO keep the house tidy from top
to botthom, your meals ready to q min
ute, and your clothes in such perfect
ordher. It's the same thing over and
over livery day, and I should think any
woman would tire of it, and l suppose
she manages to have time for leisure
when ye como in if she is iver so busy,
and as for the water, I've seen her go
three times across the lots to the spring
in the woods this blissed morning, and
it would cost but thrihe to put down
a well close by the door. Ye could get
living water by digging twelve or tif-
teen feet, and its meself twould be glad
to take the job"
Let us take peep at the little woman
who has been the subject of CONVERSE
ton, and at the cosy home of which she
is the gentle mistress. How trim and
tidy every thing looks about the door.
The yard in front is gay with bright
colored flowers, and the pretty bouquet
in the open window Is filing the room
with o soft fragrance. A rustic stand of
house plants, half hidden by Il climbing
honey8uckle occupies one side OF the
little porch, and above it silver-voiced
canary hangs, trilling his song ftfully-
now pausirg and peeping out at the
beautiful landscape, then throwing out
floods of clear, sweet melody, until it
seemed as though he would pour out his
little life in song.
Within everything is as neat as a
fairys hand could make it. The furni-
turc is plain and Inexpensive, but well
kept and neatly arranged. The bed III
the recess is covered with n white coun-
terpnne, on which the snowy pillows
are resting, and there is an easy, careless
grace about the folds OF the muslin cur
tains You could almost see your face
III the surface OF the stove, and in the
bright tinwaro which peeps out upon
you from the open door of the pantry,
and little Mrs. Graham herself, how tidy
she looks in her fresh pink wrapper and
linen collar, her sleeves tucked up, re-
vealing snowy pair of arms, and her
slight girlish form almost covered up
with a clean checked apron, as she fits
hither and thither, doing SO many things
with her one pair of busy hands.
Now the mornings work is all done
up, the vegetables for dinner are soak
ing in cold water, the mutton steaks are
nicely sliced, laid in the frying-pan,
sprinllled with salt and pepper, and
closely covered till time for use, the
pudding is. ready for the oven, and
Louisa with weary sigh takes a pail
from the shelf, and after standing hesi-
tatingly for a moment says: L must
take two pals, for one will not hold
enough, and l cannot go twice. dear !
it tires me so. l do wish we had a we'll
Robert says that I use SO much water,
but | cannot do with less. 1t is half
past ten" she said, as she set her pals OF
water upon the shelf, al shall have
lust fifteen minutes to rest before I build
a fire. O dear! what if there should be
no wood? l asked Robert to cut some,
but now I think of it [ don't believe he
did. lie must have forgotten it. Yes,
he has, and there isn't even stick at
the door to cut from, and | must go
clear to the woods to pick up some. 1
do wish he would get the wood when
we have work folks, if he don't any
other time" and off she went to gather
wood in her slender arms
She was tired, and not feeling quite
well that morning, and the heat was 50
oppressive, and, ere she was aware of it,
she found herself, for the first time since
her marriage, feeling almost bitter
toward her husband. She remembered
that six months after her marriage an
aunt of hers had spent week with her,
and had lectured her upon this very
thing.
"You have begun wrong, my child, :"
she said, "you are not strong enough to
carry water as far as you do, nor to
chop wood, milk COWS, or any such
thing"
She had resented it then and answer
ed Indignantly Robert doesn't mean
me to carry water, aunt, and J. only DO
so sometimes when he is very busy. 1t
isn't his fault at all that | do, but l
like to help him, and save him all the
steps that / can, he works so hard"
"He oughtn't to work so hard as to
be obliged ever to throw such burdens
upon you. You are too slender, my
child"
"But he don't mean nc to do it,
aunt"
"I suppose not now, my dear, but if
you voluntarily take such things upon
yourself, he may come to think that 1t
is all right, and your future life may be
more burdened than you think. 1t is
all right, and praiseworthy, for woman
to do all she can to tighten her hus-
bands cares, and make life pleasant
and easy for him, and all true women
will do so, but you oughtn't to take up
on your shoulders his work. 1t IS no
kindness to him, but great wrong to
yourself. Men are not nearly so apt to
over-task their powers as women. Ii
they need help they hire, while weary
woman goes plodding on her tiresome
round of labor, more tiresome because
of its monotony, and no one seems to
think that it is anything worth men,
tioning. My heart has often ached fol-
overburdened women, whose unceasing
labor and cares had driven every spark
of brightness out of their lives, and
they SO little appreciated. l have seen
them hurry and toll for hours that they
might have little time to bestow upon
their husbands, and when those hus-
bands came in l have watched with al
most breathless interest to see If there
was one encouraging look or word, fol
the eager, expectant face, upturned SC
pleadingly, but they would only say as
they glanced listlessly around, How
delightfully."- cool and comfortable it is
here; you must have an easy time
wife. l wish was woman.