Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-04
WHOSE FAULT, I WONDER.

Did you ever observe how careful young
men are to assist girls over fences? And
did you ever notice that after marriage the
wives may get over fences if they can, 20
through creep-holes, jump from the top rail
uuassisted, alighting on their heads or feet,
or any way so they get over at ALT This
all means something-there is q reason for
it, and who's to blame?
1 never thought much about this till
lately, and then it was brought about BY n
little incident. Mr. and Mrs Grimes and
baby Grimes were going through our back yard
and out across the meadow. The girls and
l were sitting by the south window sewing,
and Lizzie said, snow let US watch and see
how they do when they come to the rail
fence. say Lanky This names Melancthon)
will 90 over with one stride aud leave his
spouse to scratch over like an old coon climb
ing a gum tree"
/ said, ooh. he's kind and you'll see if
he don't swing her over superbly, and with
more ease and grace than he ever did when
he was her gay cavalier-beau." We watched
eagerly. They came to the fence. Lank
sprang himself and went over like q huge
pair of tongs, hardly brushing the nap of his
jeans trowsers, and then with one muscular
arm he swung baby Grimes after him, to the
noisy delight of the very young man. Hold
ing the baby by the hand he went on uncon-
cernedly, while the little wife walked up and
down the fence from one corner TO another,
feeling of the fitting top rails, and trying
her foot on the slanting, suspicious places,
until at last she found a corner that she
thought she could get over. Just as she
drew her bulky little body up, the rail rolled
enough to scare her, aud she sought another
place, and clutched hold nervously, aud,
as Lizzie said, she really did climb like a
coon.
There was nothing graceful in the opera
tion at all, for her skirts got under her feet,
and the more she fought for freedom, the
more tenacious were the Troublesome skirts 4;
and when she did get over, she pumped down
with a thud like a mammoth pumpkin that
had been frozen and thrown out.
A strong man, or a robust girl whose
muscles are like springs Of steel, can get
over a fence easily and gracefully, but a
woman Of middle age loses her elasticity,
and she does not do such things with a grace
that is very attractive.
Then the girh and l talked, and because
none of us we're married, and knew, We
wondered why husbands who were so polite
to the girls, always neglected to show them
any very marked attention after they became
husbands, and the pretty maidens were trans
formed into wives. Has not the poor crea-
ture any claim on their polite attentions after
she promises to love, honor and obey, to take
him for better or for worse, to patch, darn,
make, mend, cook, wash, bear and fOrobear,
to put up with his moods, endure his COM
plainiDgs, soothe his sorrows, and be all in
all to him 81
We thought it was not fair, and we said
so, very decidedly, too. L told them if l
were married, and John neglected me, be
would do it at his peril that l would be
kind, and polite, and attentive, and hold
him right on the very line on which he had
walked when a lover, no matter if it was
strung as full Of bows aud smiles aud pretty
mannerisms as the beads on a rosary.
While we were talking, a neighbor cams
40, and we told her what we were saying,