Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-09-07
A WORKING WOMAN.
What Good Health, system aud a
WfIItRg Heart can AceOm mpIish--
A Model for HOusewiV

| l.
gate, with trim little establishment in
excellent order. had never set eyes
upon her before, l was sure Of that
though she looked up at the window with
light and CHEEKY smile, as though she
i had known me all my days. Springng
out of the high wagon like girl of six
teen, though she was evidently three
times that age, she hitched her horse and
blanketed it as if she were used to it, and
was ushered into the parlor. She had
come to inquire about some lots upon
our farm, and assure you she talked
business, it evidently being no new thing
to her. | found she was from neigh
boring town. FIVE miles distant, where
her husband is a prosperous architect
and builder. After she had obtained the
information for which she came, we fell
into conversation such as our sex will
indulge in
Have you much of family2' in
quired. Eleven children, she replied.
| opened my eyes in astonishment, ex-
pe3ting to hear the usual answer in those
days., "Three-two boys and a girl, or
vice versa" Have you never lost any
children2' said l. None" she replied,
and none are married; they are all
living at homep What family to look
after, exclaimed oh, | shouldn't
mind our own family at all, ;" she said,
but we have always boarded three or four
carpenters, necessary in my husbands s
business. Then we have farm, and a
coed many COWS to see to, the butter to
make, and as my husband is always
busy in other ways, the oversight of
the farm devolves mostly on me.
hope you are more fortunate than
the rest of us in having good domestics
to help you with all this work, | said.
The good woman Strengthened herself up
and gave decisive reply. II never
keep any" she said; they never suit
me" Your children must help you a
good deal then" "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
lessons 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 could otherwise do. What sensi-
BILE woman, thought /, for you know what
a favorite idea home education is with
me. SO said, you don't do your own
sewing, do your Never sent out a
stitch in my life, even when we had not
a sewing machine, and what excuse
could now have with new machine2'
do you make your husbands and all
your boys shirts2" / asked. Every
one of them My eldest son is some
! thing of dandy, as young men will ne,
and he bought some shirts while ago.
Oil such fit as they were | spent
more time ripping and fixing them than
would have cut and made a good half
Dozen"
"Do you ever have time to go outside
your house2' | inquired.
"0h, yes she replied, with a smile;
II 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.
ooh, no, not very; we always finish up
our work by eight o clock evenings, un-
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 a 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
lark in the mornings. You know" she
added, that music is very fascinating to
those who love it.
Are you always well2' / asked. my
health is perfect. have good natural
constitution, and have no time to be de-
biitated and nervous. "
Here this paragon arose to GO 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, & farm, no
servants, no sewing put out, all teaching
done in the house, premium for butter
at the State Fair, music, and the fine
arts Think of it, oh, ye daughters, who
have a family of three children, three
servants, hire all your sewing done, and
have headache, dyspepsia and general
debility thrown in.
As for me, | went up stairs after this
interview, unrolled some shirts was just
going to send out to be made, and oiling
up my machine, went to work at them.
Ot course l hate it. OF course it will
tire me to death, but is so nice to be
smart like this good womaA. l have
made some inquiries about her since she
was here, and find her story was not
exaggerated. She is a living example
of what perfect system and industry will
accomplish. She was once a teacher,
we'll educated and sensible. She mar
ried her husband when he vas not worth
a cent, and now they live in a fifteen
thousand dollar house, own a good farm,
and to the good management and thrift
of the wife is attributed much of the
husbands success. They and their
children have the name being one Of the
happiest and most united families any
where about. But my paragon does not
write such long letters l suspect. /
must 90 back to my machinei it acts like
I ~ !