The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-11
A WORD TO THE eMEN-FOLKs."

means sir. Poor human nature Graves
something sweet. The trouble lies in
making palate king. In many families
this is done at terrible cost on the part of
the woman. 1 say terrible, because hui
man sacrifice, in whatever shape is terrible.
And when woman uses herself up in
cooking, and, as a consequence, dies, or
half dies, what is that but human sacri-
flee ?
1t was certain remark made by Mrs.
Melendy which first called my attention to
this subject. had been saying something
complimentary of her very interesting little
family.
"Ah! yes, Mr.. McKimber," she an
swered, eff only knew how to bring them
up as they ought to be brought up ~
l suggested that what children most
needed was a mothers time and atten-
ton. :.
"But that's just what they can't haye,"
said she ''for to tell the truth, the three
meals take about all day, and so have to
turn 'em off,"
Mrs. Melendy is the woman whose hus-
band always wants his piece o. pie to top
off with"
Iyhad frequently heard that remark in
regard to the "three meals"-heard it I'M
concernedly, as relating to a subject in
which had no interest. But when it was
repeated that day by Mrs. Melendy, and in
that connection, was suddenly awakened
to its full meaning, and the question at once
arose whether women were created mainly
for the purpose of getting three meals a
day. If so, there really does seem to be a
waste of material. What mean is, that a
meal-getter might have been fashioned out
of cheaper stuff.
am curious person for following up
any subject to which my attention has been
particularly directed, and in following up
this subject / have observed closely what
goes on daily under the name of house,
work, and l find it to be never-ending
succession of steps. Why, such an ever
lasting treadmill would wear out strong
man! Not only head-mill, but hand
mill and hedd-mill. For hands and arms
must keep time with the feet, and as to the
head, I have often heard Mrs. Fennel
tell Martha she must keep her mind on her
work.
And, truly, the calculating and contrIv-
ing which 60 to each days operations re-
quired some mind.
Now, had the idea, previous to being
awakened by Mrs. Melendy's remark,
that woman's work was not of much ac-
count--just simple matter of 'putter-
ing" about the house. The tempting food
which Mrs. Fennel serves up daily stood
for very small part of the labor which it
actually represented. And, but for that
remark, ] might have gone on eating the
delicacies spread before me with no more
sense of their cost than if they grew on
trees and were shaken down at meal-times.
Since my eyes have been opened, however,
those delicacies taste too strong of the toll to
be relishable. For l see that the rows of
pies on the buttery shelves, the mounds of
cake, the stacks of doughnuts, do not
come there by any magical ''sleight o.
hand" but arc wrought out of the very
life of poor Mrs. Fennel. Literally,
of her very life! This is not an overstate-
ment, since it is plain to be seen that each
days labor makes demands which her
strength is unable to meet. | have OBJ
served the languid way in which she drags
herself about the house, now and then
dropping upon chair; have noted at
times" at hurried" times-the worn,
weary, "all-gone 4" expression of her face,
and have heard her take, oh very often,
those "long breaths," which are sure signs
of wearing out.
Yes, the poor woman is killing herself
with oyerwork. And when she rests at
last, beneath the turf, people will speak Of
the mysterious Providence which removed a
wife and mother in the midst of her USE
fullness
1t is aboutstime, one would think, to put
a stop to this woman-killing. Harsh
phrase ? Not more harsh than the truth.
For, if tightening labor will prolong life,
insisting upon unnecessary labor is not far
removed from such q crime. And this un-
necessary labor is insisted upon in one way
or another.
For instance, have Mrs. Fennel's own
word for it. that pies are "the heft of
cooking" have heard her speak of rolling
out pies until she was ''ready to Drop" Of
beating cake until her arms hadn't zone
mite Of strength left in Them" Yet to
any suggestion that these and other super
fuities be omitted, the answer has invari-
ably been that men-folks would not be sat
isfed without them.
Mr.. Fennel is very good man, and the
boys-young men of eighteen anc twenty
are very good boys. If the direct question
were asked Mr.. Fennel, which he mos
valued, his wife's life or his wife's cookery,
he would answer with horror, if he an
swered at all, the former. In reality, how
ever, he answers the latter. And the same
of the boys. The men folks can't eat colo
bread therefore biscuits, rolled out, Gu
out, and baked, morning and night. Thu
men-folks make dependence on their cake
the men-folks must have their ''piece o. phi
to top off with the men-folks like to hav'
pot of doughnuts to 60 to.
Ill kcok H. .o1