Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1874-11-12
A WORKING WOMAN.

to the gate, with trim little estab-
lishment in excellent order. had
never set eyes on her before. was
sure of that, though she looked up..at
the window with a bright and CHEEKY
smile, as though she had known me
all her days. Springing out of the
high wagon like girl of sixteen,
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. l found she was
from neighboring town, five miles
distance, where her husband is a
prosperous architect and builder.
After she had obtained the informa-
ton for which she came, we fell into
conversation such as our sex will IN
dulge in.
"Have you much OF u family ! l
inquired.
ELEVEN children she replied. /
opened my eyes in astonishment, ex-
pecting to hear the usual answer in
these DAYS. "Three, two boys and a
GIRL" or rice versa. "Have YOU new
er lost any children - said |. None"
she replied, "and none married; they
are ali living at home" What a
family to look after" exclaimed.
"Oh. | shouldn't mind our own fami-
ly at all" said she, "but we have al
ways boarded three or four carpen-
tiers, necessary in my husbands busl-
ness. Then We have q farm, and u
good many cows to see to and butter
to make, and as my husband is al
ways busy in other ways, the over
sight of the farm devolves mostly on
me-
Il 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 a
decisive reply. Il never keep any"
she said "they never suie me"
Your children must help YOU a good
deal, then ?" "Yes; but they have
their lessons to learn. Their eldest
sister, who has as good an education
as money could give her, teaches
them entirely at home We have a
room in our house fitted up especially
for this purpose. They are more
thoroughly taught by her, with the
deep interest she feels in them, than
if they went to school elsewhere; and
being able TO recite their lessons iii
the early part OF the day, they spend
fewer hours over books, which is bet
ter for their health, anil this enables
them to give me more assistance than
they otherwise could do" What a
sensible woman, thought /, for you
know what tavorite idea home learn
ing is with me, when it is at all prac-
ticable. So | drew nv chair nearer
to her and said. "You don't do your
own sewing, do you?" Never sent
out stitch in my life, dresses or any
thing else, even when We had Tot a
sewirg-machine, and | don't know
what excuse | could have for it now
with good machine" "Do yon
make your husbands and all your
BOYS shirts ?" | asked. Every
one of them. Ny eldest son is some,
thing of a dandy, as Young men will
be, and he bought some shirts awhile
ago. Oh !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 out
side your house ?" | inquired.
"0h, yes" she replied, with asmile;
II am here this morning, you see, to
inquire about the land, and day be-
fore yesterday | went to the State
Fair with some butter, which took a
premium"
"You must sit up very late nights,
| said
ooh no, not very; we always finish
up our work by s o'clock evenings
unless something very special is going
on, for We are quite musical family.
We have 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, considering we have to
be up with the lark in the mornings.
You know" she added. that music
is very fascinating to those who love
1T Are YOU always well,' | asked.
my health is perfect. | have a
good natural constitution, and have
no time to be debilitated and nervous.
Here this paragon arose to 60. fol
lowed her to the gate, saw her un-
hitch her horse and drive off, while !
returned to the house with these re,
} Elections Eleven children, boarders,
a farm, no servants, no sewing put
out, all teaching done in the house,
premium for butter at the State fair,
and the fine arts b! Think of it, O
We daughters who have family OF
three children, three servants, hire
all your sewing done, and have head
ache. dyspepsia and general debility
thrown in.
AS for me, I went upstairs 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. OF course / hate it.
Of course it will tire me to death, but
it is so nice TO be smart like this good