Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-03-18
The Estimate of a California Wife.

THE following unique card appeared
in the San Jose (Cal.) Patriot:
NOTICE.
All persons are hereby warned not to trust
Mary E. Aborns (my wife), as she has left my
bed and board without lust cause or provo
cation, and will not pay any bill contracted
by her from and after this date.
JOHN ABoRNS.
San Jose, Feb. 6, 1875
Mrs. AbOrns now comes to the front
and makes the following telling state
ment in reply to the above warning"
by her non-crediting liege lord:
"The above notice appears now daily
in the San Jose Daily Patriot. Why am
l thus published to the world? And
what human being on earth has the right
to do it? Let us look at the facts. |
have been the wife of John Aborns about
ten years and lived with him during the
whole of that time-the prime of my
life. That makes $3.50 days. During
that time have cooked about 10000
| meals of viCtuals, set the table as many
times, and cleaned it off and washed the
dishes. During that ten years ] have
spent between 10000 and $4,000 hours
over hot cooking stove, botn in summer
| and winter. Ihave cleaned up and swept
his house for him over 10000 times.
During that ten years | have borne to
him six children, five of them now liv-
ing, the youngest two and half years
old. Besides the pains and anxieties in
cident TO childbirth (which every mother
knOws), what steps, cares and troubles
Ito say nothing of sickness and anxious
thoughts for my children) it has cost me
to bring them up, it is impossible for me
to say; every mother knows 1t better
than she can possibly tell it. In addi-
ton to that / have made all their
clothing (besides my OWN, and during
that time have also made clothing and
done sewing for others for money, which
went into the community funds; that
is, as | understand it, all the property
made by the husband and wife is COM
munity property, but in reality belongs
to the husband, and it is called in law
community property to take off the
sharp edge of injustice. More than that,
during those ten years have MIXED, on
an average, three COWS twice a day,
| which will make about 1000 milkings,
| besides taking care of the milk and max
ing butter from it. [ have, during the
whole of that time, attended to the poul
try, and often assisted Dir. Aborns in
loading hay, sewing sacks and even
cleaning out his stables. Now have
drawn the picture very mildly. l have
made allowances for my sickness, when
/ have had help, something after the way
that farmer would hire horse if his
own was sick and unable to work. had
nothing when | went there, and nothing
at the end of those ten years of servi-
tude. [ have lived, it is true, and was
| very moderately furnished with clothing.
This is all for my labor. What man is
there in the world that would do the
work | have done for the same compen-
sation? / make this statement not out
of any feeling of revenge to Mr.. Aborns,
for he has done only what hundreds of
others have DONE In many respects he
is a good man; Industrious, and, like
hundreds-yea, thousands-of others,
honest with everybody except his own
family. l choose to live with him no
longer; my reasons are my own. And I
say again, what right has he to impair
my credit by publishing me? In the
name of all that is just solemnly pro-
test against it. MARY E. ABoRNs."