Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-24

me-" Your children must help you a
good deal, them" " Yes; but they have
their lessons to learn. Their eldest sis
ter, who has as good an education as
money could give her. teaches them en-
/ tirely at home We have room in our
house fitted up especially for this pur-
] pose. They are more thoroughly taught
/ by her, with the deep interest she feels
in them, than if they went to school else
where; and being able to recite their les
sons in the early part Of the day they
spend fewer hours over books, which is
better for their health, and this enables
them to give me more assistance than they
/ otherwise could do" What a sensible
woman, thought |, for you know what a
fayorite idea home education is with me,
when it is at all practicable. So I drew
my chair up nearer to her and said
" You don't do your own sewing, do yOu?"
" Never sent out a stitch in nv life,
+ dresses or anything else, even when we
had not a sewing-machine, and I don't
know what excuse | could have for it
now with a coed machine" Do YOU
make your husbands and all your boys
shirts?" / asked Every one of them.
My eldest son is something of a dandy,
! as young men viii be, and he bought
some shirts awhile ago. Oh! such fit
/ as they were! l spent more time ripping
/ and fixing them than would have cut and
made a good half-dozen."
Do you ever have time to 60 outside
your house?" I inquired.
Oh, yes she replied, with smile
| am here this morning, you see, to in
quire about the land, and day before
yesterday went to the State Fair with
some butter, which took premium"
You must sit up very late nights" |
said.
50 no, not very; we always finish UP
our work by eight o'clock evenings, IN
less something very special is going on,
! for we are quite musical family. We
have a piano. Ny daughters are good
PLAYERS, and father and mother boys and
girls. all count upon good sing, often,
before going to bed, and this causes us
to sit up rather later, | have sometimes
thought, than was good for us, consider
ing we have to be up with the lark in
the morning You know" she added,
" that music is very fascinating to those
who love it." Are you always well?'
l asked My health is perfect. have
a good natural constitution, and have no
.
Here this paragon arose to go. l fol-
lowed her to the gate, SAW her unhitch
her horse and drive off, while | returned
to the house with these reflections ::
Eleven children, boarders, a farm, no
servants, no sewing sent out, all teaching
done in the house, premium for butter at
the State Fair, and the fine arts! Think
of it, 0 We daughters who have family
of three children, three servants, hire all
your sewing done, and have headache,
dyspepsia and general debility thrown in.
AS for me, went upstairs after this
interview, unrOlled some shirts Twas just
going to send out to be made, and. Oiling
up my machine, went to work at them
Of course | hate it. Of course it Will
tire me to death, but it is so nice to be
smart like this good woman. have
made some inquiries about her since she
was here and find her story was not eX-
aggerated. She is a living example of
what perfect system and industry will
accomplish. She was once Il teacher,
well-educated and sensible. She married
her husband when he was not worth Il
cent, and now they live in a $15, 900
house, own a good farm, and to the good
management and thrift of the wife is at.
tributed much of the husbands success.
They and their children have the name
of being one of the happiest and most
united families anywhere about. But
my paragon does not write any such
long letters as this, suspect. | must 90
back to my machine; it acts like witch
to-day" Rlltb'S" Letter to N. Y. journal
of Commerce.