Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-20
For the VERMONT FARMER.
Now Grandmother Speaks.

Will you allow an old woman to add one
stick Of kindlings to the fire and as
you must know We don't always have one
kind Of wood to kindle with yoa oaa call
uine hemlock, IT that suits bost. have been
so interested, and amused, too, in reading
your paper, that | really wanted 10 keep
the pot boiling. Not that l agree wholly
with all the opinions given.
l was heartily glad when those everlast-
ing cOrsets were dropped, aud the old
saying that stools amt all dead" is Just as
true now as il was when III was a GAL" If
there are women foolish enough to wear them
to their own hurt, why. the sooner the world
is rid of them, the better for the world if
they die suddenly be sure and not have it
said mysterious are :he ways of providence"
Chapter Of Odds aud Ends just suits me
for a title to my piece, or call it all odds
that | think would be more appropriate for
an old woman, Now Am not like some of the
old women, for l never expected my daugh.
tiers or sons wives to do Just as had to do
| am just as interested 10 all the improve
ments for making woman's work lighter if
possible) as any one; know Of some that
cannot possibly or will not be reconciled to
these "new-faDged notions" as they call
them; the old way is plenty good enough
for them, say they. Now find majority
OF the elderly people think they used to
work harder when they were young, than
the women of these days do; l never did
agree with them there. There was work in
il, 10 be sure, when we carded, spun and
wove all our own clothing, but then how il
would wear clothed wholly in woolens in
winter and linen in summer, it wasn't half the
work to keep family in rig that it is now.
IL does seem certainly that most kinds OF
cloth made now were made expressly to come
to pieces as soon as possible but then, trade
must live, you know.
Now If any one thinks there was no pride
nor style in your grandmother's day, they
are much mistaken. Why, bless you, we
were just as proud and stylish as we knew
how to be. Another, and by no means
small item, is the difference 10 the cooking,
or rather in the abundance thereof; it does
seem to me to be the universal practice of
loading the table with everything one has
got land I've often thought more) and es-
peciAlly if we have company to tea so many
kinds Of cake or you won't be in style, is the
stimulating motto that seems to prompt all
to action. Here certainly reform is needed,
for the tired, hard-workiBg farmers wives
at least.
Where is Advance and where is "a
Farmers Daughter 2"has she retired from the
field mot hay held)2 l could tell her how 1
have worked, not only in the hay Geld, but
everywhere else on the farm think /
wont say much, however, about that piece of
ground, where held Tor undertook to
hold) the pillow for my husband to break
it up for my flower garden well if did
not succeed in blowing did with the spade.
"Never TO old to learn" is another old
adage but have yet to learn that there is
anything degrading for woman TO help
her husband out Of doors. if she can get
time, aud has the strength to do so. But
it is not as necessary now, for them to do it.,
as it used 10 be, with all these modern i'm
provements that the farmer has at hand.
Still another addition TO the work now,
for farmers wives at least, is 80 much milk
to be taken care Of, butter aud cheese TO be
made aud taken care Of no putting that of
for some more leisure moment, or rainy day
now is the time, or it will all be lost. Now
comes another just once think of the differ
once in the houses we live in now then We
Of course had one room, and some only one,
but then, generally speaking, we put up
some kind Of partition to separate the
kitchen from the sleeping room, which chief
ly consisted Of one bedstead set up, bunk
that would stow away four or Eve Of the chill.
dren for the night (made of boards), 80 fixed
that It could be folded up for seat during
the day, and then sometimes a trundle bed
was brought into use for the wee small ones,