The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-11-16
Rough Places.

10 8C ali. can't you tie 1t up, so that
it will do to-day! Ishould think you
might"
.'Perhaps' 50: If you will help me.
What can take p
ooh, anything for this time but
really ought not to stop a minute.
Where is your clothes-line !"
1.-THE colored clothes are on it, to
dry"
:'Hang them on the fence, and let's
have it quick
So Mrs. Alden trotted and moved
her clothes, and took the line down,
while Mr.. Alden stood in the door and
whistled impatiently.
"Do mop this water, Jenny, How
can you stand in such a puddle! There,
I forgot to get new mop handle, but
you can make it go to-day, can t you !.
II suppose I shall have to. You
promised to get one three weeks ago,
when you broke this
II know did, but never think OF
it-a man has so many thigs to see to.
There, that will go this week; it
doesn't leak much. ! don't see what
made it break
"The hoop rusted out. The old tub
has done good service it has been in
use fifteen years."
''There, confound t.! what did you
leave the wash-board there for!
have broken it all to pieces.''
''It is worn out and rotten. / wish
you would get me new one. I can
never tinker it up again."
Grub your clothes with your hands !;
my mother always did, and she never
had washboard in her life.''
He was hardly out of sight before a
tin peddler's cart stopped at the door,
containing collection of all articles
used in family, from wash-tubs down
to brooms, mops and pins.
"Anything in the way Of trade, Mrs.
Alden, to-day :" asked the man.
"No, I guess not. My husband does
not like me to buy of peddlers. He
says always get cheated
"Have you not as good a right to
have suitable apparatus to work with
as he has ? He has new horse rake,
and hay tedder, his wife is washing
with tub tied with a rope, ,and wash.
board that looks as if Noah's wife
brought it out Of the ark, and a leaky
water-pail a dipper without a handle;
a broken mop handle bless me Mrs.
Alden. What is the use! You had
more money when you were married
than he had, and would have tools to
work with that were comfortable, to
say tho least. He never stops to think
what a thing costs, if he needs it, or if
it will make his work easier. 1t tires
you more to get along with these things
than it does to do your work.
Mrs. Alden sat down and looked the
property over. The peddler was right;
she had more money than her husband
when they started life. and she had
worked harder than ever he had. She
had managed every way to get along,
and he never thought she needed any
thing new or convenient. Her setting
out was almost wern out, and
nothing was ever replaced. "You
must make it do it costs everything to
live !'-and so she had dragged along
year after year. and things wore out,
and were never replaced. A big lump
rose in her throat as she sat there think
ing.
"What do you ask for your wash.
tubs :" she inquired, at length.
1.-TWO dollars for the large ones a
dollar and quarter for the next size.
Mop.handles for quarter, washboards
aquarter, dippers twenty cents, brooms
thirty"
s'Hand me down two wash-tubs, if
you please-one of each size a zinc
wash -board, too.''
"Yes; and pail and dipper, toos
would have Them
And she did have them, and sundry
other necessary things, amounting in
all to the little sum Of twelve dollars.
fShe paid in barter, such as feathers,
rags, eggs, dried apples, and butter ;
and went to work with renewed cour.
age, but she knew that her husband
would growl at the outlay and expect.
ed regular tempest at dinner.
She was not disappointed. But she
had got the things, and was glad of it,
and couldn't feel very bad. Alden
opened his eyes In astonishment.
"You paid twice what the things
are worth. / could have bought them
cheaper. We could have got along a
while longer.
II suppose have as good a right to
Judge Of what need to do my work as
you have to get things to make your
work easy !; andI made up my mind to-
day that when l needed anything l
should have it hereafter. You know
that every article bought to-day was
actually needed in the house. You
have said time and again you would
get them, but you never remember it
It is rough place for woman to b<
placed in, to have 10 do her work and
nothing convenient to do it with. II
is like the ancient 1sraelites, compelled
to make bricks without straw, and
am not going to do it any longer"
"All owing to the hoop bursting of
the wash.tub today
eyes, that was the last feather tha
broke the camel's back; that and th'
new horse.rake came too near together
| could not avoid contrasting your con
veniences with mine and you can SCI
yourself how it stood. You have ev
cry new machine that is invented t.
make farm work easy, and l have
nothing at ALL"
Mr.. Alden said no more. but ate hi
dinner in silence; and the hired mel
exchanged significant glances at eacl