Wilmington daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1872-1874, 1874-08-13
"sUCH A WIFE |"
Wor.h More Than her VVeiehe in
Gold ~

Worth More Than her weiehr in
Gold.
f(Corre i. ondence of tho Journal of Commerce) 4
SwEETBRIAR FARM, July, 1874
Looking out of the window the other MORN
ing saw woman drive to the gate. with q
trim little establishment in excellent order.
had never set eyes on her before Il was sure
with bright and CHEEKY smile as though she
had known me all my 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 par
lor. She had come to inquire about some lots
upon our farm, and L assure you she talked
business. it evidently sAeing mo- new thing Ia
hen. i soon learned she was from a ncighbors
ing town, five miles distant, where her hus-
band is Il 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 a familyp" inquired.
Eleven children" she replied.
l opened my eyes in astonishment, expect
ing to hear the usual answer in these days,
'"fhree. two boys and a girl or vice versa.
Have you never lost any childrenP" said 1.
Nome" she replied, "and none are mar
ried they are all living at home"
What family to look after" said.
"Oh, L shouldn't mind our own family at
ALL, she said, but We have always boarded
three or four carpenters, necessary in my hus-
bands business. Then we have farm, and a
good many cows to see to and butter to make
and us my husband is always busy in other
ways, the entire oversight of the farm de-
wolves mostly on me-
81 hope you are more fortunate thar the
rest OF us, in having good domestics to help
you with all this work" said.
The good woman Strengthened herself UP
and made q decisive reply:
II never keep any," she said; "they never
suit me-
"Yonr children must help you a good deal
thenp"
Yes; but they have their lessons to learn
Their eldest sister, who has as good an educa-
tion 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 in the early part Of the
day, they spend fewer hours over the books,
which Is better for their health, and this ena-
bles them to give me more assistance than
they otherwise could do'
What II sensible woman thought I, for you
know what favorite idea home education is
with me, when it is at all practicable. So
drew my chair up nearer to her and said
You don't do your own sewing, do youP"
Never sent out n stitch in my life, dresses
or anything. else, even when we had not u
sewing machine, and | don't know what ex-
ing machine"
DO you make your husbands and all your
boys shirts 7" | asked.
Every one of them. My eldest son is quite
dandy. as young men will be, and he. bought
some shirts while ago. Oh! such q fit as
they were! l spent more time IN ripping and
fixing them than would have cut and made
good half dozen.''
DO yon ever have time to go outside your
house p' / inquired.
sf0b oha
here this morn 1g, you see, to in, uire about
the land, and cay before yesterday went to
see the State Fair with some butter, which
took a premium"
You must sit up very late at nights
said.
"Oh no, not very; we always finish up or
work by eight o'clock in the evening unless
something very special is going on, for we are
quite musical family. We have u piano
My, daughters are good players, and father
good sing, often, before going to bed, and this
causes me to sit up rather later, have some
times thought, than was good for us, consid-
ering that we haye to be up. with the lark in
the mornings. You know she said, that
music is very fascinating to those who love
it,"
Are you always well % 1 asked.
MY health is perfect. l have good natu-
raj constitution, and have no time to be de-
biitated and nervous.
Here this paragon arose to go. ] followed
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 but
ter at the State Fair, music and the fine arts !!
Think of it, oh ye daughters who have fam,
lily of three children, three servants, hire all
your sewing done, and have headache, dys-
pepsia, and general debility thrown in.
As for me, l went up stairs after this inter
view, unrolled some shirts that was Just 60
ing to send out to be made, and oiling up my
machine went to work at them. OF course I
hate it. OF course it will tire me to death,
but it i5 SO nice to be smart like this good
her since she was here, and find her story was
not exaggerated. She 10 living example of
what perfect system and industry will ac-
complish. She was once q teacher, well edu-
when he was not worth a cent, and now they
live in a fifteen thousand dollar house, own O
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 of being one Of the happiest
and most united families anywhere about.
But my paragon does-not write such long let
ters as this, l suspect. l must go back to my
machine; it acts like witch to-day. RUTH.
They propose to pack their lnks for Flor
ida IL this weather holds on.
Blood tranfusOn, as q crre, is becoming COM
mon in illinois.
A scheme Is afoot to combine c. orge' col
leges into university. .'"#t'
Tambelik. the extinct tenor, "a In Paris. He
sti'l thinks he sings.
An Otis, Mass, man with vely little to do Is
cu,tivat'ng huck'eberries.
A picnic party dIned near Lyndon, Me-,
snow bank the other day.
A hundred families from Iceland ave on