The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-11-15
BY MRS. I. J. THOMAS.

BY MRS. /. j. THOMAS.
know I shall differ in opinion from
many Of our Grangers when I give nv
idea with regard 10 economy in house
hoid labor. There is an economy Of
choice and an economy of necessity, the
one Is praisewOrthy, we deserve no credit
io' PTaotioiug the other. AS society is
constituted, among farmers as class,
wives are dependent upon their husbands
sense of right for the amount of money
they spend. and the number of servants
they hire, had almost written that they
were dependent upon the generosity of
their husbands, but shall crightan the
gentlemen of our Grange when I affirm
that l am an equal-rights woman, in so
far that | claim for the wives of our far
mers an equal share, at least, in the man
alsement of the household economy.
do not go 80 far as Solomon, who alludes
to the wife, "As she considereth field
and buyeth it," A farmers wife who
would go so far as TO "considsr field
and buy it," would be thought 10 have
rather overstepped lady granger's priv
ilege.
A farmer does not consider that he ia
doing generous action when he pays
the blacksmith or mechanic whom he
employs. He does think he is doing q
very generous act when he gives his wife
q sum OF money TO buy clothes for herself
and the children he calls it present to
her, forgetting that she has been work
ing without W.ges, and as he bestows the
small sum, perhaps grudgingly, mutters
something about the extravaganza of wo-
men, and the necessity of economy in
labor. He thinks it utterly impossible
to hire cook. All through the long
summer days his wife cooks, washes her
dishes takes care of the children, her reat
often disturbed by the little ones at
nights if she complains the answer is,
"Oh we must economize, times ere 80
hard" She thinks he knows bes., and
often envies the colored man or woman
she sees him paying wages to, for she
knows she has been working in differ
ent way quite as hard, but then she is his
wife, you know--honor enough in that.
What does she want with money? He
buys her calico dress now and then,
aud occasionally pair of shoes. She
ought to be content She requires an
other tub or an extra iron she says, but
hereplies, "well, you must get on somehow,
Pm obliged to buy another plough and
some more hoes"-we can imagine which
are bought. and she does get on somehow,
and weary work it often Is.
Inc farmer rises early, goes ouS IN tho
morning to prepare tis ground, the green
world and sunny skies above him, sing
ing birds and pure, delicious air around
him. He would probably deny that their
influence caused him to whistle merrily
as he works; he does not deny that he
has an excellent appetite for the good
breakfast his wife has prepared for him !;
he eats it, perhaps, without one thought
for the wife who has cooked it, and again
he leaves for mis- work. If the sun is very
hot he rests under the shade of tree
until the ,ofA blows for dinner; if q
bucket of ro)l water ia not ready for him,
if his dir net is little delayed, he says,
"Well, Jane, it is strange you can't help
q manl' Dinner over, he smokes his
pipe or cigar, i believe pipes are the ap-
proved style for the farmer, he then goes
to sleep; afterwards he goes out to work
again the field, and either works or seeks
the shade of another tree. If tho former,
when nil. 1T comes he is tired; when peo-
pie are tired they are not usually cheer
full companions; supper over he is ready
for bed, and thus time passes.
How has the wife been employed dur
ing the day7 She rises unrefreshed at
an early hour; perhaps che has young
children; they are TO be dressed, break
fast is to be prepared, afterwards, or be-
fore, the cow is to be milked, milk
skinned and butter churned, the dishes
ana kitchen articles are TO be washed,
then the house is to be put in order,
chickens are to be looked after, the pigs
to be fed, occasionally she does little
work in the vegetable garden; her hus-
band is SO busy in the farm he has not
time to spare for the garden perhaps
she does the fine ironing-sewing too,
for the family is her duty. The farmer
hires an extra hand occasionally, but he
would think it an innovation upon an
old established custom to give out any
portion of the sewing. He forgets that a
dress is twice as much trouble to make Us
in his mothers time. expect she has n
sowing machine, perhaps paid for it by
the work she has done on it since. Din
ner is to be prepared, beans to be strung,
peas to be shelled, aud all this consumes
time; dinner over, 1.snes are again to be
washed, sewing to be done. COW to be
MIXED again, supper again to prepare,
tta children are to be put to bed. She
is 80 tired she longs TO go too, but there
is the basket of sewing, and until late
hour, she plies the needle. When the
watermelons and fruit aud fall crop are
sold, the husband takes care of the cash,
pays off the hands he has employed, but
entirely forgets 10 pay the wife who has
been cooking and doing the housework.
He may say he is paid nothing, but all
she wishes is to be paid in proportion to
what he pays himself AS Solomon tells
us, "Give her of the fruit of her hands,
end let her works praise her" She will
very probably spend il in carpet, or
pair of vases. or shade, something he will
enjoy too, although he may not admit
their influence. :
ferhaps this husband and wife may
nave bcen rs.ised ill comfort or niiiuuuu1
they are reduced SO that economy is
absolutely essential. How can VIC econ.
omize labor is the thought of both of
them. In such cases the burden is apt
to fall unequally-aside from her other
cares the duty of maternity deyolves upon
the woman. Let the husband take care
that in regulating the domestic economy
1t does not fall too heavily upon his wife
labor is cheap and there are few men
who are unable to hire one aervant. The
sum of money which he spends for tobac-
CO, or in an occasional drink for himself,
or treats 10 mis- friends, would, If eA pended
in that way, provide him with cook
during the summer months.
How to economic labor is subject
repiete with interest to all housekeepers,
and few have solved the problem to their
satisfae tion. One would naturally imag-