The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-14
AN INsUBORDINATE WIFE.
Others"

"some Things Can Be Done as Well as
Others"
Mrs. Giles stood in the front yard, hang
ing up her Mondays wash; the last piece
had found its place upon the line.
"Done at last" said Mrs. Giles, speak
ing to herself, habit which she frequently
INDUCED. "Now, if dinner was out OF the
way, might have time to finish Leonards
suit this afternoon, I've had it around so long.
If only had a sewing machine, how much
l could accomplish;" and picking up her
basket, she went into the house. The
prospect within was not very cheering; the
wash-tub to clear away, and the dinner to
place upon the table. Just as she began
to lay the table. Mr.. Giles appeared at 'he
door, and said
"Put on an extra plate; that man will
take dinner with US"
Dinner was soon ready and as soon dis
patched, for ceremony was one OF the I'M
known things in the Giles family. Mr..
Giles and the stranger retired to the sitting
room to discuss the merits of new reap
er and mower, while Mrs. Giles remained
and cleared away the dinner table. When
she had finished and made herself ready
for the afternoon, she went into the sitting
room. Mr.. Giles was saying: eff you
have anything new and better. anything
that will make work easier and do more Of
it, I'm your man! I'm in favor of all ma
chinery that will tighten work for man.
Why, bless you, just look around my farm;
it's run mostly by machinery.
profitable? certainly" replied he to an
Interrogation from the stranger. "Money
in the bank" he added, never emitting an
occasion of mentioning a small deposit he
had in the city bank.
The stranger was gone at last, and Mrs.
Giles sat down, with weary limbs and ach-
ing shoulder, TO finish suit of clothes she
was making for her Oldest son, lad of fii-
teen. Slowly and WEAKLY the needle went
in and out stitch after stitch was taken, but
to little purpose it did seem as if she would
never come to the last But il stitches
progressed slowly, her thoughts flew fast
enough. The last words of her husband
fingered in her mind, and required to her
again and again.
Eyes, men can have their burdens light
ened, but poor women may drudge. Every
year Giles has added something new to his
farming implements, while / have to plod
along with hardly sufficient utensils to cook
Il decent dinner; an old stove without a
boiler, OF whole grddle and cracked
door. No wouder / can't bake a loaf of
bread decently. Then here / have to sit
and stitch for week on this suit. when
two hours on machine would complete
it."
1t is needless to record all of Mrs. Giles
thoughts and words as she sat stitching the
hours away. A dim consciousness of her
wrongs and faint determination to assert
her rights, was entering her mind. She
had so long given up her opinions, set aside
her needs and fOstered the selfishness of her
husband, that it was hard to break through
the meshes of habit which his stern will
had woven around her. The afternoon
wore away, and Mrs. Giles laid aside the
unfinished garment to prepare the evening
meal.
The next morning at breakfast she re-
marked to her husband that an agent for a
sewing machine had called the day PRE-
vious and wished her to try one of his ma
chimes.
81 told him." she said, she might leave
one when he came next week"
Mr.. Giles laid down his knife and fork,
and sat with utter amazement depicted on
his countenance. "a sewing machine p
he gasped, when he had recovered him
self. "IIe needn't leave any of his new
tangled humbugs here; have no use for
them"
"You!" continued the; "don't sec what
use you have for a machine. You could
never learn to use it; or if you did, wha,
have you to sewf Only my clothes and the
boys Women, nowadays, are getting
mighty independent, wanting machines Ia
do their work too lazy to do it themselves
Suppose they want to CAD about and GOSSIP
about their neighbors."
"Why, Phillip
"Woman's work is nothing" continued
Mr.. Giles, not needing the interruption
my mother had not as many convenience
for doing her work as you have, yet sh,
always had her meals regular and well
cooked, and that is more than l can say o
you. No, / don't want any sewing machine
about my house. God made as good sew
ing machine as want when he made " o
man."
With this ultimatum, he left the table
and taking his hat, mounted his horse AM
rode away to look at the new reaper he con
templated buying.
One by one the members of the famil.
finished their breakfast and passed out
leaving Mrs. Giles alone. She sat wit
her head resting upon her hand; hel
thoughts wandered back to the days when
in the freshness of her youth, she CAV
her hearts deepest and best affections t.
Philip Giles. Blinded by her great Low
for him, she saw not the extreme selfish
ness nor coarseness of his nature. Sh
implicitly believed all his promises, an
needed not the warning of her friends.
1t seemed long time since that SO man,
shadows had darkened their pathway
darker yet seemed to grow lfe's rugge
journey. She saw six sons growing u
around her, amidst rough and evil influ
ences, without the ability to counterac
them. Mrs. Giles remained long tim
bowed over that breakfast table, praying
with sense of helplessness and feeling
OF need, such as sho had never before ex
perienced. loud rap at the door startled
her. On opening it she found Mr.. Harri
had called 20 pay off note which had lonl
been due note which Mr.. Giles had of
ten declared he should never be able I,
collect. "The poor wretch" he insisted
"wili never be able to save enough to pa,
his honest debts, while his wife spends al
his earnings on such foolish things as wash
Ing machines"
Mrs Giles informed Mr.. Harris of he
husbands absence, but said she would at