Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-01-08
WHAY CAN WOMEN DO.
BY MRS. A. NJ. FREEMAN.

Solomon Brown had five daughters. The
oldest of these was twenty the Youngest
seventeen. In some of the heather countries
II is considered misfortune when a girl is
born. Solomon Browns mind may have been
colored with this heathenism-though he own
ed pew in the church, and contributed con-
scientiously to the donatons-for he shook his
head in solemn disapproval as his family in
creased, declaring that girls WERE and had been
sine. the world began, failure,
Dear little Mrs. Brown emphatically declar-
ed her skepicisM at this broad assertion, say
ing with some spirit, "that the girls could NOT
be dispensed with, and as the great Father had
seen Mt to create them, it must have been with
the consciousness thac they might be pronoun-
ced good. Of comse they icere good" She
would just ask hIr. Brown, what there was,
that might be said trlthfully, in Disagreement
of their own children?
"lf they wcrc boys. Lucy" says Brown, foot
ing up a dry goods bill, "they would he self
supporting. If, for instance, Matilda had been
named Solomon and. you know, that name
has fallen to the eldest in our family for genera
tions-she, or he rather, might have learned a
trade, and would now be able not only TO care
Tor himself but 10 render needfI assistance to
the family l am sure, never blamed BeiSey
Trotwood, though didn't understand her, that
she couldn't forgive David for not being girl.
| have never forgiven one fmy girls that they
disappointed me-
"Dear me, Solomon, I'm sure the girls are
doing the best they can. Matilda is a very
good dress maker"
"Bosh.' cries Solomon, impalently, "the
country ls over run with dress makers. | tell
you all this feathers, fuss and fummery il ruin
ing us-lhat is the people. Don't Won under
stand every additional girl is an additional bur
den to some one? How much do you suppose,
Lucy, paid out for ribbons last year? Only
one hundred doars?'
"But, my husband, there were five of The
Sifl' you know not counting myself, AMI that
makes twenty dollars only. for each, | am sure
fha.isu I eytrava-lat i, all. There's deacon
Smarts Stllie paid that much lUr one lndiauan
sash Our girls are very handy about turning
lhelr things, aud fixing them up rs good as
new.
Therelwere only tweuty-four yards in the
dears' dresses this spring-that is in the dress
OF each-while Mrs, Million used THU ty-fiye
and must say that orr girls were much the
prettiest.r
Sand would have been prettier still if they
had been made out of eight" growled Solo
mon, desperately footing mp the accounts
again.
Figures are obstinate facts. Solomon, in fac
ing the sum total of united columns, became an
obstinate man.
VI tell you, Lucy, we can't go on in this way i,
tlial certain Something must be done. Why
don't they get married."
But that was a useless question for this WA a
New England State, aud there were several
thousand more women than men, and as one
man was allowed ouly one wife, it was quite
Impossible that all could be provided with a
husband
"Dear me Solomon" SAID the little wife,
smiling lumorolsly. "Tou forget that this
is,t lah-that there is actually no one to
"hOm we may seal the darlings; that Won,
yourself, would quite disapproYe Of their going
Observation-Disclosures "e
NOW, while Solomon had been talking thus
eomplainingly and coniidentially, to his wife.
MS hYe unappiecia,ed daughters bad been lis
teninS from the mex. room.
"ihe Old bear cried Matilda, the Oldest, I'M
der her breath.
Poor papa, SAIL Lucy, h9 youngest, her
eyes filed With tears.
"Pcorpapa, indeed, snapped out the second
SISTER. 81 do believe lie begrudyes us the birds
allowance which we eat.
"Btsc.s allowance, Josephine, I'm sure there
,sh a heartler family OF gus in this COUNTRY
man o,tS' 20 OdharN portion would do for
that i've great girls, able 10 work as we are
should depend upon one llli', old broken down
man Tor their support. Come now. 'Tilda
isn't 1t ridiculous? Don't you think that We
might do something
I'm sure Matilda said "tl.at I've been
lying just tiAe btst li!dl Knew how Nau
know boupht the machine. ana ,h.n1N
then"
"Well, Lucy said. laughing. ..noor nan, b,j
to make the payments gu il.
"Im sure | couldn't help that hscauso
had expected 10 get l,eniy Of sewin, IN A. ana
sewing you see-''
as a drug in the market. No ,ril,a 3
Josephine, and Sarah. and Flora ali va ,,' ana
pretty Traditional ways of a woman ,rrnin9
an honest penny arr. nnt - 49, tN' nls
thinking this over, aud I've mai. nm nv n,i,'i
Come girls will you stand by lne9 Have yo,i
Tie courage to lay aside your dainty SINNERS
10 encase Your feet in heavy Shoes. 10 III liz
sun kiss brown lecllas ON vonr az. in f,o,
10 wear a bloomeI?"
"a bloomer,n the four ciial terethar
Eyes, my dears, for Of course 7he ,.n,L no,
have laid out for ils TO do, couldn,t hn tnna
intrains. / have been thirking The, y.o LaI
better take jacob Sloan's farm III n vo,r raad
Miss Lucy, as she smoke. one,,ed bsr c ~
knife and commenced whiting n lii RI s,in.
in true Yankee siyle. ' VI '''eN
"Jacob Sloam's farm; they crias ,gbas,
eyes, dears | was over i,ikin,' - i'''
Yesterday, and he's uuite daliah,o " oa'oo
should have thought of ,nalinr, tha 'i''' w
lie is sure, he saws. that IN ha a,,i','
Only think Girls hos Mo- !, -, success
could help The old father NOV, ~ ~ ~ We
trouble he has had viii, l,s hna 81, al u tiie
umph, too, if We c,llj nrove ~ l,f'' A'S ~
are blessing, ut loasi. if ,o, ,xa,i, LA snis