American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-09-19
A Working Woman.

! morning l saw woman drive to the gate
with Il trim little establishment in excel
! lent order. l had never set eyes upon
her before, l was sure of that, though she
| looked up at the window with Il bright
and CHEEKY smile, as though she had
known me all my days. Springing out OF
the high wagon like a girl of sixteen
though she was evidently three times
that age, she hiched 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 l assure you she talked bust
ness, it evidently being no new thing to
her. l found she was from a neighboring
| town, five miles distant, where her hus-
band Is prosperous architect and
builder. After she had obtained the in
formation for which she came we fell
into conversation such as our sex will
indulge in
Have you much of a family?" l in
quired.
Eleven children" she replied. l
opened my eyes in astonishment, expect
ing to hear the usual answer in these
days Three, two boys and girl or
&c, q, :,, cers@ a, Have You never lost any
living at home" What family to look
after." l exclaimed. "Oh, l shouldn't
mind our own family at ALL said she,
g but we have always boarded three or
four carpenters, necessary in my hus-
bands business. Then we have IA farm
and Il good many cows to see to and
butter to make, and as my husband is
always busy in other ways the oversight
of the farm devolves mostly on me-"
g. hope you are more fortunate than
the rest of us in having good domestics
to help you with all this work" l said.
The good woman Strengthened herself up
and gave a decisive reply. :" l never
keep any," she said; "they never suit
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 AZ
money could give her, teaches them en-
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
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 your"
Never sent out stitch in my life,
dresses or anything else, even when we
had not sewing machine, and l don't
know what excuse l could have for it
now with Il COED machine" . Do you
make your husbands and all your boys
shirts?" l asked. EVERY one of them.
My eldest son is something of dandy,
as young men will be, and he bought
some shirts awhile ago. Oh. such a 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 go outside
your house?" inquired.
oh, yes" she replied, with smile;
Il am here this morning, you see, to in
quire about the land, and day before
yesterday l went to the State Fair with
some butter, which took premium"
You must sit up very late nights" l
said
go no, not very; we always finish up
our work by eight O'Clock evenings, I'M
less something very special is going on,
for we are quite musical family. We
have piano. My 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
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 wells"
l asked. MY health ispeIfect. have
a good natural constitution, and have no
time to be debilitated and nervous"
Here this paragon arose to go. l fol
lowed her to the gate, saw her unhitch
her horse and drive off, while l 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, o we daughters who have Il 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 / 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 woman. ! have
made some inquiries about her since she
was here and find her story was not ex
aggerated. She is living example of
what perfect system and industry will
accomplish. She was once a teacher,
well-educated and sensible. She married
her husband when he was not worth a
cent, and now they live in a $4,000
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. l must go
back to my machine; it acts like Il witch
to-day" Ruth's" Letter to ". Y. JouTnaI
of Commerce.