The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-01-25
VOL. IX.-NEw SERIES
For tho Times.
FARMERS WIVES.

HOW THEY CAN HELP THEIR HUSBANDS.
There are many Ways in which wife can
help her husband SO very many that I feel
quite at loss from which to select of tho many
that comes thronging to my mind. Some think
it necessary to 60 with him to his daily labors
and there, side by side, keep her row up with
his. Not so, think, even of tho day laborer.
The wife is the home keeper. To her is intrus-
ted the care of tho whole house-the children
and the family expenses-and, If she be true
wife-one who feels the responsibility of her po-
si,ion-she will SEQ to it that the house is al
,wuysyrtgns ursSh
behaved and respectful, and the family expenses
no more than can be got along with ,cithout
stint; or, in other words, she will that every
E'edge is made to CUT by giving everything per-
tlining to household affairs her personal super
vision, and often doing the lighter work herself,
Tor there arc some things hired help never will
do so well as the wife and mother, because she
knows so well the wants and tastes of her house
hold and there arc many things it is absolute
ly Essential she should do with her own hands,
be her husband rich or poor Let q husband
plan never so wisely, or work never 50 hard
unless the wife enters into his work with her
whole soul and assists him by her loving coun-
sells, and unite her efforts with his, for the
tual good of oil, his work will go for naught,
and they will doubtless live along from year 10
ytur Tn = siifiless scrambling sort of why,
never seeming to realize just Where the trouble
lies, and perhaps 10y tho fault of their lack of
prosperity to "bad luck" which consider only
another name for bad management.
But sometimes the fault Of the whole thing
lies with the husband. Some there are-and
I have one just such in my mind now-who
seems really born to "bad luck" and 1 would
often say to myself, when would hear of this
hard working mans i'll fortune: well, surely, he
must have been born under On evil star, for
nothing he lays hold of seems to prosper. His
hogs always take the cholera and die, his wheat
and oats ,ciu have the smut and rust, the river
overfows his corn, and then hc is sure never
to hit the market ut the right time, so his small
crop of cotton is sold declining market
But after awhile looked dceper-I looked for
: the cause Of all this--and found that this man,
mssS|s ,hSSSh Fss|1, s sssss! EsIk I'll
and was trying with oil his might to DO that
which by nature, habits and education, he was
wholly untitled for.
This article was begun with view Of treat
ing only the feminine side of the question: but
find that the interest Of each are 40 closly in
terwoven, SO nearly allied, that to speak of one
must necessarily say something of the du-
ties and obligations Of the other so, if / should
happen to tread on the cOrns of some sensitive
Benedict, trust he may not lay it up against
me, but rather give me credit for much zeal in
his behalf
In my last article on Farmers Homes"
give the outside picture Of country home and
promised to tell the wife how she might embel-
lish, adorn and render that home pleasant and
attractive to her husband and little ones
We will imagine it is the close of long hot
summer day, the tired husband coming from his
day Of hard work, and met at the door by his
pleasant smiling wife, not WiM a kiss-thcy have
been too long married for that, and each is too
sure Of the others affection to need these daily
little props to their love-but rather is he met
at the door with glass of icy cold crystal water,
just from the bottom Of the we'll, or from the
cool spring which gushes forth from the roots
of the big hickory at the foot of the hill, which
is infinitely mora refreshing to tired husband
than kiss from the lips of her he loves more
then all the world besides. Life is hard strug-
gle. they are fighting side by side, and have
learned TO appreciate these more substantial to-
kens Of each others affection. Her work at the
hot steaming stove is all done, she saw to it
that all that steam, noise and smell of half done
meats, should all be over before he came, so
that no unsightly sounds or nauseating odo, Q
should greet him at the theshhold. The meal
is awaiting him on the nicely spread table, and
bright eyed, rosy checked children, with faces
nicely washed, hair smoothly brushed and each
with its clean white bib, awaits to he seated
After seating themselves around the dainty and
appealing board, how quiet and orderly every
everything seems. Not hurriedly gone through
with-reminding one of what Napolean once
said of eating. i. o., that it was "disagrecable
necessity" The supper table is enlivened with
pleasant conversation; q ripple of sweet childish
laughter occasionally catches the ear, and
Mamas voice, heard now and then in low child
ing is as the bnbe she holds to her bosom is star
tied from its peaceful slumbers by the too noisy
giee Of the little ones. And SO the supper is be-
guiled by pleasant little chats and little snatches
of fun and frolic from the little fry. which acts