The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-04-06
WOMEN OF THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY.

A paper read at the meeting of the Stat,
Board agriculture, at Woodstock
by Mrs. III. N. Thomas: of bridge.
water.
The Centennial is past, its echo is fas
dying away, and its wonderful cxhibi
tions are among the things that are past
but l wish TO go back some fifty or sew
enty-tive years and briefly consider the
subject of woman; what she was, ant
what she is, and what she NAV become
1t seems very evident that our Amcri
can women are not what they were il
many respects. In those early DAYS OF
hardship and toll and deprivation. wo.
men held very important position il
the great drama of life. She was strong
courageous, and conciliating: equal tc
any emergency in war or peace. pros
perity or adversely. We have many
noble examples in history of the wis.
dom, prudence and skill of those time
honored women, during the early struo-
giles of our nation, and we have reason
to vcneratc them. They were noble
girls, and made noble wives and moth
crs, ''full of good works and aims
deeds" like Dorcas of old, scattering
sunshine and roses in their pathway.
To become farmers wife in those
days ''meam business" and there was
no possible nor anticipated escape from
labor. They never married to be sup
ported in idlcncss and pleasure and all
sorts of fashionable amusement: but
were willing to clasp hands with the
man of their choice, and stand shoulder
to shoulder against the often recurring
revcrses and disappointmcnts of life.
and while the husband went forth with
a strong arm, and brave and cheerful
heart to fell the mastery forests, and
delve in the unbroken soil, and in faith
sowed his seed, expecting in due time
to reap golden harvest: the wife at
the same time piled her skillful hand at
the wheel and the loom, and manufac-
tured durable fabric from flax and
wool, each in their season, TO clothe her
sometimes numerous family besides
carefully attending to all the various de-
partments of well conducted house
hold, such as cooking, washing. ironing.
making butter and cheese, with an eve
TO the garden-for she must have some
howers-and in the absence of her hus-
band did not think il beneath her digni-
ty to drive home the cows and do the
milking.
A man in the possession of such a
wife is truly blessed, and can say in the
language of the Psalmist, that "his wife
is fruitful vine by the sides of his
house, and his children like olive-plants
round about his table"
Large families were the rule and not
the exception; and every little pair of
hands were eager to help, and were duly
brought into requisition and carefully
trained to usefulness. The girls were
stout and ruddy and were not afraid to
put their hand to the wheel and the
'distaf," or help "mamma" anywhere,
in the house, dairy or garden: or 90
out in the bayfield, and measure
strength with their Boosting brothers.
1t is perfectly astonishing to the pres
ent generation TO think how much la
Dor women used to accomplish, and that
too, without any labor saving machines.
or conyeniences as we now have; nor
the facilities for making butter and
cheese; but did all their work by hand,
and by the hardest.
The success of farmers depends large
ly upon the frugal and judicious man
agement of their wives, and the fact
seems TO be very well understood, else
there would not be so many wary
bachelors" standing trembling on the |
brink of matrimony, signing "ior the
good old days of Adam and Eve" And
well they may. II is about as much as
any woman wants to do now, to do the
work for two, and perhaps hire her
done besides, poor, weak, deli
cate creatures that we are. Josh Bill
lings very significantly calls women the
glassware" of creation; but that
idea never would have been conceived
fifty years ago. The next generation
will doubtless be weaker than the pres
ehi; for our young women are almost
an universal failure. Nearly all of them
are suffering from some disease, and
they are pampered and petted, and kept
nom the air and sun, till they have be-
come as weak and nerveless as a wiltod
cabbage leaf. And the few who are
able to labor, spend much of their pre-
clous time and strength and Ingenuity
upon the indispensable, all-absorbin6
topic of fashion. There are, | will nj
low, some exceptions; and NAV the
Lord save us from voluptuousness and
peradventure lie NAV find
a few perfect specimens. II is very dif-
llcult TO find a girl who is able and will
ling TO do homework, even in case of
sickness, and in some places people
have suffered for the want of help. Now
please tell us what is the natter Who
Is responsible for these things?
Is not public sentiment answerable i'm
great measure? Just as long as peo-
pie look down upon the laborer, labor
Will he under par. Parents nerbans