Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-03-18
What One Woman Did.

eternal and unhealthy sewing and
school-keeping. Teaching is uo-
BILE profession, but all are not call
ed. and few are competent; thanks
to the impractical, shallow educa-
tion that too often bestowed upon
women. Let me tell you a bit of
my experience l am the daughter
OF a lawyer who had a snowy
house, kept Il carriage, and lived
well; but he had no money to be-
stow on his daughters, and be de-
termined they should marry rich.
disappointed him Dy marrying
poor man, and he treated me with
such colduess that | never after
telt welcome at his home. Ny hns-
band was engaged in small busl-
ness, which failed through the
extravagauce Of his partner, ,and we
Were left without Income at a time
when a financial panic was on the
country.
At length, despairing of finding
anything in the city to do, we turn
ed our faces countrywatG, feeling
;hat our slender stock of money
would last longer than in town. AT,
ter many weeks of painful anxiety,
my husband found situation in
small village with just salary
enough to keep the wolf from the
door. How | longed to do some
thing to better our condition--but
alas what could do? | might
have had fine music class in the
village, but while l played and sang
well, [ was not proficient enough
in music to teach it successfully.
0, how | wished | had given the
time to it [ had spent on French
and Latin ;! Many an hour of hard
study had given to these branches,
and of What practical advantage
had they been to me? | never met
any French people with whom l
could converse, and had never been
able to secure a class in eli her Lam
guage. while all the while my knowl-
edge was becoming rusty by nor
use. 1t is painfal to recur to this
period of my life. l was so unhappy.
[ expected every day would be the
last my husband would be able to
attend to business. Finally, driven
to desperation by our misfortune,
| resolved to do something or die
in the attempt. Attached to the
house we occupied Was Il large lot
for gardening purposes,a land | made
up my mind that out of that bit OF
earth | would dig our fortunes, OF
at least living, with my own
hands. [ made horticulture aud
Horticulture a study, and brushed
up my little knowledge of cheLis-
try. 1t was hard work and small
profits the first year but having
once put my hand to the plow |
never turned back. Our table was
bountifully supplied with fresh
vegetables and fruits, and what WIS
better, my step had grown elastic,
my eyes bright, and my cheeks
rounded with health. My husband
too, found many spare nomeEt
from business to assist me, and in
doing so found himself growing
well aud strong again. O, how
,, happy we we're! Surely there is Il
dignity in labor unknown TO ease
How proud [ felt when | received
the returns from my first shipment
of vegetables to the nearest market
: | counted it over and over. |
seemed to possess value that
had never attached to money in tn.
old days, when father had lavisheo
, it so freely upon me. Then | woule
, have thought nothing of spending
such Il paltry sum upon the Trim
mings of a single; now every penn,
; was boarded was misery care, 70
) we had resolved upon having
: home of our own. Well, to be briel
: each year [ attempted something
!, more,-first II poultry-yard, the'
! the culture of bees, and SO on, un
9 til, before we were hardly aware G
= !, it, our home was paid for. | ha
Il carefully concealed every trace O
0 our adversely from my parents.
think would have died rather tLa
= gone home a beggar. Now that th
dawn OF prosperity had Sc. in,
wrote, asking them to come and Sc
! the little siIken haired girl that, lik
n a sunbeam, danced thr' ugh ou
d home They came. Father, ac
II customed to his broad acres, wa
.s astonished at the products Of IN
e small plot of ground. He declare
# that l was the best farmer he kuev
: and should have greater score fe
$: my powers. He bought fine Iare
y tract of land adjoining cur groun,
a that happened to be for sale ju
% then, ard made me deed for j
% This is the origin of the country
Is seat you visited last summer an
1t admired so much. Belle is a fir
ID horticulturist and an accompIishe
er housekeeper. Should she ever
i thrown on her own resources in ii
is country she could make n livin
10 opa r wi, h bnr ~ ha oopaitr, N q i