The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-04-24
Something Exasperating.

Something Exasperatlng.
elf there is anything particularly exas-
peratlng to woman who is the head of
a family, it is for her husband to insinu-
ste that she has nothing to do. Some
men are continually making that remark,
and it ever their wives regret having
married them, it is very likely to be on
just such an occasion as that. The fact
IS, men OF that class don't know ANYTHING
about it. If they could be changed into
women and mothers, and kept at it for a
fortnight, they would sing a different
tune. ...--
They come into the house generally
after the most of the work is done. They
see their wives in the parlor, mendipg
stockings, and the baby is asleep, and
the other children, tired out with mis-
chief, have subsidized into patterns of pro-
priety. The busy housewife has got the
breakfast, and washed the dishes, and
swept the floors, and BACKED the stove,
and scalded over the preserves. and bak
ed pies and pudding for dinner, and
set the bread, for tea, TO rise, and got
dinner out of the way, and done up a
6askettul of shirts and collars for this
man who thinks she has nothing to do.
and hushed the frettul baby for two
hours before she went to sleep, and wash
ed and dressed the three other children;
and now, just as she has changed her
dress, and thrown herself, weary and dis.
pirited, into the sewisg- chair, in comes
her husband and filings his hat on the
sofa, and his coat on a chair and snaps
out:
II wish 1 we're woman. Nothing to
do but sit in cool room and sew. or
some other light work. Women have
nothing to doP'
The man does not mean it unkindIy,
perhaps, but he is thoughtless, and per.
haps he has been bred in the belief that
women have an easy time of it. And he
is tired and out Of sorts, and he fairly
aches to find fault with somebody. Ard
what should man have wife tor if he
cannot have the privilege of finding fault
with her? If he should adopt the fault
finding course with Bridget, or the cook,
she would give warning at once and de-
mand her months wages, but unless be
lives in Indiana his wife cannot conven-
iently follow Bridget's example.
It is, of course, true that some women
have but very little to do, and very little
of what we call care falls to them, But
they are the exception, and not the rule.
Fully two-thirds of the women of this
country work for living, and do it faith
fully-all honor to them for it-and the
husband who does not sypathize with
the wife who, day by day, to keep the
house orderly, to care for the chri. dren,
to make his home tidy, and sweet, and
clean, works quite up to the limit of her
slender strength, oftimes beyond, ought
to be transmorgificd into a woman him
self, and be compelled to do the work
for eight in family, and take care of
pair OF teething twins in the bargin.
There are noble examples of what hus-
bands should be among the somewhat
extensive circle of our acquaintance.
Men who are worthy of the name--who
do honor to their sex, and many of them
are hard toilers for their daily bread, and I
few of them sport the white hands of
genteel do nothings. Uncultured and ig-
norant, we suppose they might be de-
scribed, but they have the souls of noble
men-if noblemen's souls are any better
than the the average--and they are not
above splitting the kindling-wood and
pumping the water, or holding the baby
while the wife gets breakfast or clears
away the supper dishes.
It is, no doubt, beautiful to paint pic
lures, and write essays on true nobility,
and entrance listening multitudes with
the voice of eloquenc; ami we have
Profound admiration tor the men who
can do any of those things, and do them
we'll; but if we were looking tor hus-
band to set up housekeeping With, we
would give more for man who would
"chore round" washing days, and be
willing to get up now and then with that
baby when it had the collie, than we
would for all the artists and orators in
the world.
We know we are not heightened, and
we ask the pardon of high-toned people
for it, but in this practical, hard working,
everyday world, we want men and not
dreamers.
And so we say to husbands, do not tell
your wives they have nothing to do, when
you see them sitting down after hard
days work, but give them word of
praise for what they have done instead,
and our word for it your breakfast will
be better cooked and your shirt-bosoms
glossier; for there is nothing wife likes
better than the appreciation of her hus-
band.-Kate Thorn, IN N. Y. Weekly.
StuDsng for Fish.-Chop small onion