Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-06-27

John found it brought one cent
more a pound if Jumped, so l lump
ed it. John paid for shingling the
house and barn Last year out of the
SHUTTER money!" together with the
money we got for three men board
ers. l remember l was washing
milk pans when they paid him, and
hoped he would turn round and
give me n couple of dollars, SO they
could sec how kind he was-for
John IS kind.
almost envy him sometimes his
freedom of hiring help when he gets
in a hurry or is tired; he says it
aint any more trouble in the house
to have two or three hired mcn-all
it is the women has to put on more
plates, and l suppose it isn't any
moro trouble if one only tAoaght SO,
but there's something wrong some
where. | can't help thinking, when
John and his hired men sit of an cv-
ening reading the papers, or crack
ing nuts and eating apples, John
always goes down cellar and gets
the applcs,) while l keep stepping
round doing up my chores; how
nice it would be If I could have
somebody take hold once in while
and give me lift about n,y work,
as he can; but it would make it
harder to be left alone after it, John
says, and / guess 'tis so; but there's
something wrong somewhere.
How l hoped when | had such a
terrible headache last Monday, that
he would say, "now you just lie still
and rest, and I'll get Sarah Jones to
do the washing," and yet | had-n
reason to expect anything of the
kind-for he dislikcs anything that
seems like farmers wife putting
on airs--but he was kind and said
he would get his own victuals, and
| could let the washing 90 over till
next week. l did say l wished Sa-
rah would happen in during the day;
but John is thoughtful and said |
ought not to talk much. o, l
thought if I could only forget to
think of the work there is to be
done; but l couldn't forget it, SO by
eight o'clock l got up and put a
piece Of brown paper wet with vine
gar on my forehead, and kept to
work all day.
1t seemed kinder hard for John to
sell that old chaisc father gave me,
without saying one word to me
about it. l didn't know of it until
two weeks after; but it's foolish in
me to think of it, only 'twould be so
nice to feel he thought | owned
something, If 'twant more'n chick
en-. There's something wrong
somewhere. Sometimes when | get
to thinking of the hard work Pve
done, and Of the nine hundred dol
lars I've put into this farm, besides
letting John have two hundred dol
lars had laid away of my factory
money, (hc wanted it to buy that
handsome five acre lot with. have
felt proud when looking from my
kitchen window, on what / called
nay lot, and there were such hand
some maple trees on it, and 1t was
bought with my hard earned money,
too,-as l was saying, l have some
times wished John would just let
me know beforehand, or would
talk over with me about what he
thought best in selling and making
changes; but | guess it's only in
books that husbands consult their
wives. | never dreamed that pretty
five acre lot was sold, when John
came in with another man and told
me he had sold land and wanted me
to write my name on such line
near the bottom of long sheet Of
paper that was all written over. |
never shall forget how like death |
felt when the next morning rs was
sklmming milk, looked out of the
"buttcry" window and saw some
strangers tearing down one side Of
the fence, and another cutting down
one of the trees that stood in my
lot! ran out like mad, John said,
to tell them it was ny lot, when
John called me back and told me
he had sold it, twas that / signed
ed away yesterday, John? | asked.
eyes," he replied and kept on chop
ping. l went into the house and all
broken down, thought knew how
anybody felt when drowning; 1t
seemed rs if l could not get my
breath.
What a mighty struggle l passed
through that forenoon, and some
how my heart has been kinder
heavy ever since. And what / now
want is to reach the car of some of
you influential woman-speakers and
beg of you to keep quiet. John
says. it makes men feel like drawing
the reins tighter than ever, when
they read and hear of women's
wanting to vote, and talking OF
"woman's rights" He says man
should be tho head, and every Sat
urday night he reads what St. Panl
says about women being subject tc
the man and wives to their hus
bands. Now this may be just as
John says, for it's in the Bible; but
l can't help feeling there is some
thing wrong somewhere.
"A California Story.