St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-04-25
"a Handy Thing"

Happening to call at the house of a
neighbor whose better half 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 emphasis that led me to
think lie had made some great and i'm
portant discovery, second to the tele-
graph or telephone, he said:
81 have found out one thing"
"Well," said l, with not little curl
osity, "and what is it 2"
81 have found that wife is a very
handy thing to have about the house,
L 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 doubt
that he had but just then he found it
out anew, and it came to him with all
the freshness of Il recent discovery.
And yet it is too true that we hus-
bands who have long been favored
with what has been called "Heaven's
best gift to man." do not always ap-
preciate it as we should. We are not
wont to realize its value till touched
by sickness or death.
ga handy thing" indeed, is worthy
wife. But | recall the word. l will
not characterize so great boon as a
''thing." Solomon does not so charac-
terize it, though he is so represented in
our version of the Scriptures. What
he does say is this: .'Whoso findeth a
wife, findeth good" The word ''thiug''
is not in the original. And ''good" a
good wife indeed is. Solomon says
that Cher price is above rubies." And
he furthermore says of her, "The heart
of her husband doeth safely trust in
her. She will do him good and not
evil all the days of her life. She open
eth her mouth with wisdom, and on
her tongue is the law of kindness. She
leoketh well to the ways of her house
hold, and eateth not the bread of idle
ness"
Such n wife is indeed blessing in
the house. How much do we depend
on her for our comfort? How many are
the things she does for usq 1t would
take a long time to specify them all
1t would take long time to speak OF
all the things, the lesser and the greater
that she does for us even in a single
day. They are numberless, 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, l have
now reached n stopping place where
can rest"
Rest There is no rest for her til
she finds it in the grave. The moment
that one thing is done, another claims
her attention, and she is hurried OF
and on, till at length, worn out will
her tolls and cares, she rests in pre-
mature grave. She is ever working
and work is ever making for her.
Before the washing of one Monday il
completed, clothes are being soiled fo
the next Mondays washing. No sooner
is a room swept and put in order fo
the day, than its dust and dirt hav,
begun to accumulate for tomorrow
sweeping. No sooner are the husband'
and the childrens's clothes mended ant
put to rights than they begin to be ou
of sorts again. And thus it ever is
And wonder it is that the worn ant
weary woman does not get all out @
patience and give up in despair. Blu
she ever girds herself anew for he
work and tolls on hopefully and cheer
fnlly to the end. Surely, whether i