The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-08

IT'S with marriage that most women
begin the real work of life, taking up
burden which may never be relinquished
until we render it back to the Master.
Yet the troubles of married people are
perhaps easier to endure than those
which come to single men and women,
For, after all, can two people who really
and truly love each other, who find each
their greatest happiness in the effort to
make the other happy, be altogether
miserable so long as they have each
other?
Life is for all of US, in great degree,
what we ourselves make it, and especial
ly is this true in welded life. Every
woman's happiness, if her husband be
not brute, is, under God, in her own
hands, and the keepers of it are love and
patience. Few men are SO churllsh as to
be unkind to wives whose chief end IN
life is to be helpsmeet for them.
We have all heard the story of the old
couple who ascribed their welded bliss
to the fact that they kept two bears in the
house-bear and forbedr.
Two parties are needed 10 quarrel,
and if, when sharp word is spoken, the
angry response is withheld, the strife
dieth out. Is it SO hard to hold ones
tongues What good does bitter retort
dos The bond between husband and
wife is for lifetime; will it pay to dis
pute with one another?
The wife is not called upon to relin-
auish all her rights, but the way to secure
these rights is not to contend for them.
Let them be taken quietly-as a matter
| of course-while the husbands comfort
is cared for as well, guarding the claims
of the one from clashing with those of
the other, and the wife will usually re-
ceive all to which she is entitled, if not
more.
Every woman should bring to her work
as wife and mother the same energy OF
| purpose, the same concentration of tai
ent, which she expects he- husband to
devote to his profession in life.
Viewed merely as business partner
ship it is her part of the contract, to the
full as important, oftentimes harder
than his, and needing as much or more
care, thought and, above all, system.
Houseband and housemother-our
language holds no words which express
the relation so well as the old Saxon yer.
| nacular.
No woman can discharge her duty to
her household properly unless her hus-
band takes her into his confidence in re-
spect to money matters. She is ften TO
| blame that he does not. Why will a
woman always run TO John with every
thing in her department as well as his:
| 1t is right and necessary that husband
| and wife should take counsel together
| often and fully, but how can man be
expected to know what material is best
for Johnny's suit: And she is a poor
housekeeper who cannot plan meal
without assistance. And when, the din
ner being planned and cooked, your own
particular John comes home to enjoy it,
let him do so in peace. Do not begin at
once with the recital of all the worries
and misadventures of the day. If the
matter be aught short of sickness or
death it will keep and when his outer
man has received the refreshment it
needs he will have fuller stores of sympa-
thy to bestow upon you.
| Keep a man comfortable and feed
him WE'LL" said a wise old lady to the
writer, and you keep him IN good
humor," which is not complimentary to
the lords of creation, but is none the less
| true.
Happy is the woman whose husband is
truly her better half; who when he comes
always brings the sunshine with him;
whom wife, baby, dog and cat all hurry
to greet. Such man is worth working
| for. But what man can always bring
sunshine if he be sure of encountering
clouds at homer Smallpox is less in.
fictitious than ill-humor. Fight against
crossness as against an evil spirit. 1t is
the little foxes" which destroy the
fruitful vines. There are women who
to-day would unhesitatingly sacrifice life
itself for husband and children, yet who
in spite of this affection mar the happi-
ness of these dear ones by continual fret
fulness and faultfnding. l am not in
sisting upon the traditional "sweet
| smile" under all circumstances. Angels
are rarely found on earth, but is there
no medium between smiling and scowl-
| ing?
Cleanliness is next to godliness.n How
any gentleman can preserve his affection
for slovenly wife passes comprehension,
even if size can retain self-respect.
There is medium in all things and
dress should ever be suited to the cir
| cumstances of the wearer. A toilet for
| the parlor should not be worn in the
kitchen; but neatness of person is no
more incumbent in the one place than
the other A clean collar is as quickly
put on as soiled one, and the few
minutes necessary for brushing ones
hair are never thrown away.
The woman who makes her motto:
"A time and place for everything, and
everything in its time and place." and
sticks to it, has conquered fate; and if
with this jewel of worldly wisdom she
have also the "Pearl of Great Price"
may worthily wear the crown which the
mother of King Lemuel sought for his
wife.
Let it be your chief earthly aim to
please your husband. Never allow your
self to think that it is only John and
don't matter" The husband won must
also be kept, and he who having wooed a
dainty and attractive girl finds himself
welded to dowdy, careless wife, is
suindled! Do not lay aside all the accom-.
plishments which captivated the lover;
they are just as pleasant to the husband.
Fill his needs in so far as you can, yet
do not fancy that you can be everything
to him, nor fret because you are not A
dozen times day he will forget your
very existence, even while working for
you; but do not murmur, his love for
you is none the less earnest because of
this.
Does he stop, think you, in the rush of
his business to count the ihrobbings of
the heart in his bosom? Be content, if
like that you are the center of his life; if
every outgoing tide of feeling finds its
way back TO you. @
Let him keep his friends, if they be not
evil; he may need them some day; and
their claim is so different from yours!
Never blame your husband to other