The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-01-03
Helm Yopr Wife.

In these mOney-lOvlng Ilmes Cne
American nation is in danger of in
iuring their race by over-working their
wives. Let the farmers especially
pause and consider whether they are
not committing this sin. Many a good
man has killed his wife in this way.
He is 50 taken up with his own work
on the farm, that he never thinks
what his wife is doing, so his meals
are ready and the household affairs
run smoothly. When his days work
is done, he sleeps soundly and is rested
for another, little dreaming that his
faithful wife is laying awake because
Her back aches, and her limbs ache
and jerk from the over-strain of the
days work; when morning comes, she
has it all to do over again, whether
rested or tired.
I have seen some families, and they
were good people too, in which I have
thought it would be a blessing if the
husband could break his leg, and be
obliged to sit still in the house, when
he could count the FIVE hundred and
one times his wife walked from her
kitchen to her dining-room, and then
with pencil and paper, calculate the
number of miles of walking he could
save her by putting them closer to-
gether. He might not be able to pick
up the spring and put it at the kitchen
door, but if be were studying the sub
ject very hard, it would occur to him.
that he, or one Of his men, could
bring her a few buckets of water be-
fore se started to his work, thereby
saving her the walking and the hard
strain of carrying water. Ut would
not take many weeks under this ar
rangement to make well at the kitch-
en- door appear a necessity; yet his
poor wife has been carrying it for
years, whether tired or not.) Nor do
+ believe that there are any of our
farmers SO stupid that they could not
study out many ways to help their
wives, with very little trouble to them
selves and at small cost.
When the husband has done his
part faithfully, and the work is made
made easy enough not to weary his
wife, she must have some recreation
along with the work, to rest her mind.
As you, Mr.. Editor, pleasantly re-
marked on this subject: Gone who is
occupied is never dreary, but that oc-
cupation, like well-set table, must
have variety. Beans eighteen times a
week, and three times on Sunday, will,
in time, induce us to wish that beans
were somewhere else except in this
world" So, the man who wishes his
wife to be his counsellor and friend. as
we'll as his cook, must see that she has
time to rest her mind as well as her
body, and indulge her taste for the
beautiful, which is one of woman's
instincts, and cannot be denied her
without dwarfng her capacities.
Let the wife remember. it is the
good her work does, rather than the
amount of it, that measures her use
fulness in this world. The woman
who takes time to say o pleasant, en-
couraging word to the little cEild she
meets, and sends it on its way happy /;
who will listen to and sympathize with
the sorrow that is weighing down her
neighbours heart, and by praying with
her for help from God to enable her
to bear her trials, sends her home to
her husband and little ones with q
happy heart, strengthened and encour-
aged to take up her daily burdens,
which before seemed too much for her
who is always happy and bright when
her husband comes in and has leisure
to wait upon him when he needs it or
to sympathize with and support him if
any trouble weighs him down. This
woman is doing more good in the
world than if she had all her house in
perfect order, the last button sewed on,
and plenty of clothes made ahead to
last for years. do not say she must
not sew or attend to her housework-
not at all /; but let these be laid aside
whenever she can find an opportunity
to do a good deed, which will be q
blessing to her here, and treasure in
Heaven, where thieves do not break
through nor steal.-A Lady aoho Love.
Country Life, IN the Southern Plan
ter and Farmer.
s9- A Louisiana Granger is op'
i :la.l. Hn cauc tuhon he