Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-07-09
1ERMONT FARMER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER


For the vERMoNr FARMER.
Another Spoke" in the Wheel.
Il was amusing TO me to see how nicely
the fair authorcss Of "How shall / Get
through 2" In a late Number Of the FARMTR.
extricated her "heroine,p Mrs. Brown. from
all the crushing hardships Of her situation.
II will do nicely as a story, for, as a general
thing, they are bound 10 COM out all right.
But l imagine there are many MRS.
Browns" in real life who will have TO wait
nearly the whole Of their natural lives before
such a relief will come to them. Farmers
usually have numberless ways for all availa-
BILE funds, without paying a hundred or two
per aunum for help indoors. That, to many,
would be ruinous TO all schemes for indepen.
dence, aud interfere sadly with the paying
Of "those notes" when they fall due. Then,
again, l notice that many Of the wives Of
farmers who are abundantly able to hire
prefer, If they can possibly accomplish it
themselves, to do their own work rather than
have the care of blocking after" a girl, pre-
ferring, rather, to put out some Of the sew
ing, IT necessary. Another difficulty with
us is the scarcity Of girls willing to do house,
work, they mostly preferring to teach or
work In the factories. This makes it not an
unusual thing that people 10 need Of help
have to travel a day or two in search of it,
SO that wages are good while farm produce
is very low. This trouble. it seems to me,
should be remedied let some one With a
will, and the means, start a reform. We are
told by the papers that there arc thousands
of women in the cities working for a mere
pittance who, if they could, would leave the
sultry brick and mortar, with its suffocating
heat, aud breathe the life-giving air from our
verdaut bills and valleys. They might soon
acquire the art Of housekeeping, and, if hon.
est and reliable, might iud homes, with some
leisure homes, and receive benefit them.
selves, while comforting it. A servant is not
necessarily a drudge, but is respected &C.
cording to her several abilities. How one
can prefer the distracting ciashing of scores
of looms TO homework, l am at a loss to un-
derstand. 1t must be in the remuneration.
l believe all mothers among farmers wives
have had just such "dark days. as did poor
Mrs. Brown. Some days when "work goes
wrong"-when the babies are worrisome and
turn day into night, aud almost forget to
sleep at all, when all the work combines to
worry and pursue the "victim' relentlessly-
then you remember it don't you, sisters 2
That was the very time when that long.dor-
mant nerve, so dreaded, took occasion to
demonstrate" and drove you nearly frantic
with teeth ache, or the sick headache came
on for the final touch to strength and pa
thence. 1t is at Just such a "cry sis" that
some good fairy in almost any guise should
lend a helping hand. We cannot bear to
call on our already overworked husbands,
for they, too, are carrying too large a load,
working early and late, SO as not to be be-
hindhand with the work. o, how willingly
would we help them But, alb me there is
some truth in the saying, "Woman's work is
never done" And then, when it is, we have
some pet plan for fancy work to carry out, a
bright rug, q "what not" or picture frame,
or the hair work that was left off months
ago till some more convenient season, aud
which we've been longing to begin again ever
since for whatever is beautiful aud costs
nothing but the making, we can afford to
have. l think it is rest to do such work
when quite wearied with ordinary house.
work. There are people who will sneer aud
ask, "well, after all, what does it amount to
anyway Why, just this, it gives a lively,
homelike air, to even an old house, otherwise
almost cherries. When | cross the thresh-
old Of my skeptical friend, l see bare walls,
not q vestige Of a picture or any article OF
taste visible, unless it be a pile of old story
papers (which some would call bad taste).
There's where some of their spare time goes.
And | am tempted to inquire, "What have
you to show for your leisure moments more
than IT" We have all heard that "Cleanli-
ness is next to Goodness" Very well but,
sisters OF the farm, We all know just how far
we can afford to follow in that direction.
We each know how much strength we are
accustomed to have, aud it will not do to use
it all in the kitchen routine, which must all
be done again, day after day, the year
round.
l might devote all my time to my house.
work, and not have q moment to spare for
the garden, or any pleasure. But that /
call folly that is being q drudge. If we
CO nnot find time to ride out, or go to any
place Of amusement, and have to do our rest.
ing and recreating at home mostly, why not
then find the easiest and best way of enjoy.
ing ourselvesf For, after all, we are willing
to admit" there's no place like home" l
triU find time to read the newspaper, with
now and then 4 good book from the library
and if can dress my children tastefully,
and something as other children are dressed,
why. that too l shall claim as a privilege,
A woman that is "distressingly" neat about
the house wrongs herself. in my opinion
But then "every one for their taste :" there
are some that can't help it, and l admire
them, to look at. But If q chair be dis.
placed, suppose they are in a state Of
chronic uneasiness until it is set at right
angles again. They're not to blame, dear
souls they we're made 80 and as l said
before, [ admire them. ANNIE.