Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-10-13

"What do you mean by services
Houseworki ! am sure a home is
as much for your satisfaction as
for mine; and am sure the tailor
does not leave much Of my sewing
for you to do"
/ don't complain of housework
nor of doing your sewing; but !
do think the burden Of little
Johnny has fallen on me-"
sit strikes me-" said he, with a
provoking competency Of tone,
"that if you earned his living You
would have less to say about the
burden falling on you." ) ~
"John' said I, "answer me hon
estly. Do you work any harder or
any longer now than you did be-
fore he was born 2"
~ don't know as l do" said he ;
az always worked hard enough"
swell, and so do /. But now as
to Johnny. presume you will al
low yourself half owner of him, as
the law allows your entire control
over him. How much do you do
for him :"
81 maintain him. i do my part. "
"No, John, you are wrong; you
don't do your part. From the first
you never have. Did not weary
months go by in which you bore
no part whatever of the burden ?"
"Well, that is curious complain
ing; what would you have me do 7"
"You might have got servant,
instead of letting all the house
work fall on me; or you might
have kept a horse, so that could
ride out and enjoy the fine weather !;
but that is all past now"
~ should say that it cost me
enough for the doctor, nurse, DC,
without keeping horse"
"True, it cost enough ; but / am
talking about the division of the
burden. Was the part you bore
in the payment of those bills equal
to my part in the matteri Would
you have taken my place for that
money if it were to have been paid
you instead of those who cared for
you'll ! think not"
didn't / have all his clothes to
buy I"
"No, sir. went without new
clothes of any sort for season and
the money saved from my ward
robe supplied all that was needed,
and might add that all his other
clothes have been got in the same
way"
"Well, really, ! had no idea how
much of martyr you were. Next
you will be clothing me in the
same way. How thankful I ought
to be for so calculating a wife !"
"Now, in these two years." said
/, continuing in the face of his
sneer, call of the care md con-
finement consequent on attending
the child have fallen on me. Ihave
managed some way to accomplish
my homework and sewing as /
used. / can hardly think how it
has been done. Did It ever occur
to you to think how many times
/ have been to church since he
was born 7"
"You wouldn't expect man to
take care of baby would you I!
That isn't q mans work."
"Isn't it ?" said l bitterly /; "then
l wouldn't have a baby. / have
been to church just four times and
then some visitor stayed with
Johnny. How many times did you
ever get up in the night to soothe
him when he has been sick and
fretful r.
"How do you suppose" said he,
81 could work by day if / didn't
get my nights Sleep"
"Just the same way that / do
when my night is broken, exactly"
"Well, Sarah, what is the drift
of all this talk. anyway : for l don't
see apy use in prolonging it."
"Well, then it is my original
statement-that as / did my part
Of the family labor and took all
the care of Johnny, and you are
a man in prosperous circumstances,
/ am entitled to as much money
for that as If were employed and
paid by the month for the same
work, and I have a right to spend
the money for things that don't