Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-05
Gaoies' department.
For the VERMONT FARuER.
Her End Of the Yoke.

Farmers wives, as q class. are willing and
anxious to bear up their end of the yoke, but
1t is rather necessary, in order to do IL well,
that we and my lord" understand where
our end Is. Circumstances alter cases of
course, and what may be right and noble in
some circumstances is not only ridiculous,
but wrong in others.
do protest against woman's end of the
yoke being all along, anywhere that Il seems
most irksome, and occasionally both ends.
We wear ourselves out, and fail of accom-.
plishing what we hoped in trying to do too
much; we accomplish really less than we
would to have worked within reasonable
bounds.
Woman's endurance is wonderful | ac-
knowledge; but there is IN end to all things.
The duties of housewife and mother are
not light, even il she doesn't bring wood and
water Eve will say nothing of feeding pigs
and calves and raking hay,) aud mothers
duties should precode u housewives, vet
have seen many u mother so engrossed In
her cares rs housewife that she was too tired
TO tell the children II story at bedtime, too
hurried to know what they were doing, or
care much, so that they did not get hurt
bodily, and were not in the way to hinder
her work. Too hurried to think they might
DO receiving hurts hardly to be cured in q
lifetime in lessons of profanity and vulgarity.
evil is wrought by want of thought
As we'll as by want ofheart,"
but it is rs surely evil since the effect will be
as lasting. Purity of heart and thought, once
lost, cannot he found again though we seek ii
carefully, with tears.
1t is a question with many how to make
our various duties work together and help
each other One tired mother says, 81
would be so glad to know at all times what
my children are doing but what can I doP
Daily bread and butter must be provided
and | know too | must do my own sewing.
wonder where the next payment on the farm
would come from If John had to hire only
half do for the family" To be sure, daily
bread and butter must be provided. but not
necessarily daily pies, cookies, and dough-
nuts. And II is also astonishing how many
stitches must be taken for wIde-awnke,
healthy children, but | am sure they would
he better Off with fewer ruflles and more
mother.
Tram the little ones to help you in little
things; this will perhaps be "more plague
than profit lat first, and will require great
patience on our part, but let it be part OF
their training.
1t is useless to expect the awkward boy
OF dozen or fifteen years old will be any
thing hut awkward or much help to his
mother, if up to that time he has seen her
bring her own wood and water, and do
great many other things which polite. low
ing, well-trained son would, anticipating her
wishes, do for her without being asked.
Let the little boy begin TO fill the wood box
when he can bring only one stick ut time;
if you ask him politely and bestow on HIM
the praise which his efforts deserve he will
be proud and happy in helping.
Combine pleasure with work; the notion
is injurious that u waste of time is happiness,
and its profitable employment IN unpleasant
necessity.
Their amusements too will need your
watchful eye; il is unwise to forbid some
things and provide nothing to take their
place. There are some amusements which
in themselves may not be sin, yet are so sure
q preparation for sin that every Christian pa
rent ought to discountenance them. Games
Of chance from the least to the greatest come
under this head, and if the children are in
terested in something that will be of use to
them in later years, before they acquire II
taste for such questionable amusements, 1t
will not be very difficult TO steer clear OF
them altogether.
Strengthen your own mind, in order to
strengthen theirs. Do not let your awkward
boy, grown to be an awkward man, have
occasion to say, "Had my mother been less
ignorant or less negligent, might have been
spared the modification of learning now
things which | ought 10 have known long
ago" RUTH Dixon.
Jan. 10, 1875.