Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-05-07
al HANDY THING"

Happening to call at the house of a
neighbor whose better halt was i'll, a
few mornings ago, | found him busted
about domestic affairs, doing his
best to get breakfast for himself
and family. | had been there but
a few moments, when, with an en-
phasls that led me to think that he
had made some great and important
discovery, second only to the telegraph
or telephone, he said 'l have found
out one thingp "Well," said !, with
not little curiosity, "and what is it !"
al have found" said he, "that wife
is very handy thing to have about
the house"
thought that man who had been
blessed with as good wife as he had
for forty years, ought to have found
out this little sooner. Nor do l
doubt but that he had but just
then he had found out anew, and it
came TO him with all the freshness of a
recent discovery. And yet it is too
true that we husbands who have loug
been favored with what has been called
'Heaven's best gift to man." do not
always appreciate it as we should. We
are not wont to realize its value till
touched by sickness or death. "a
handy thing" indeed is worthy wife.
But / recall the word, | will not
characterize SO great boon as a"thing,'
Solomon does not SO characterize it,
though he is so represented in our
version of the Scriptures. What he
does say is this "Whoso ffndeth q
wife, findeth good" The word "thing"
is not in the original. And good"
wife indeed is. Solomon says that
cher price is above rubies. And he
furthermore says of her, "The heart
of her husband doth safely trust in
her She will do him good and not
evil all the days of her life. She
openeth her mouth with wisdom, and
on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her
household, and eateth not the bread
of idleness."
Such wife is needed blessing in
the house. How much do we depend
on her for our confort2 How many
are the things that she does for us
1t would take long time TO specify
them all. 1t would take long time
to speak of all the things, the lesser
and the greater, that she docs for us
even in a single day. They are num-
berless, almost and then these are to
be repeated, day after day, all the year
round. There is no end to her work
no place where she can sit down and
say 81 have now done up my work, ]
have now reached a stopping place
where | can rest" Rest There il
no rest tor her till she finds it in The
grave. The moment that one thing i
done, another claims her attention, anC
she is hurried on and on, till at length
worn out with her tolls and cares, sh'
rests in a premature grave. She i
ever working, and work is ever max
ing for her. Before the washing o
one Monday is completed, clothes ar
being soiIed for the next Monday
washing. No sooner is room swep
and put in order for the day, than it
dust and dirt have begun to accumu
! late for to morrow's sweeping. N,
sooner are the husbands and the chill
dren's clothes mended and put I
rights than they begin to put out
sorts again. And thus itever is. An
: q wonder it is that the worn and wear.
!. ! woman does not get all out Of patienc
and give it up in despair. But she eve
girds herself anew for her work, an
,, tolls on hopefully and cheerfully to th
: : end. Surely, whether il be SO or no
her children ought to rise up and ca
her blessed, and her husband, he ongh
!. to praise her Greenfield Gazette.