Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-02-19
ried Mrs. Buttles just after I settled in


ton of youth!-now shall l have my
Mary Jane all to myself; but 1 soon
found that about seven-eighths of her
was claimed by my church.
The evening after our arrival at the
Corners, in stalked the widow Bates.
81 hope, Sister Buttles, you realize
your position she began. 1t is a
very solemn and responsible one. We
expect you will be power in Zion, and
not block the wheels of the Lords
chariot
Mary Jane bIushed and stammered,
and hoped she would not, and the old
lady went on
"The Sewing Society, for the relief
of the inhabitants of Niggerderwigger,
will meet tomorrow at Sister Two
goods, and we expect you to be pres
ent. Our minister's wife is always
present. 1t is her duty to cut out the
work, and to take home and finish the
work left at each meeting. There are
ten pairs of pants and six waistcoats
waiting to be cut"
ssI can't cut out such work, and l
always did hate sewing!" cried Mary
Jane.
I saw the widows eyes open wide
and her mouth shut up tight as re-
served clam, so 1 said soothingly, 81
am delighted at your proposal, Sister
Bates. III fetch Mary Jane to Mrs.
Twogood's myself, and you shall teach
her to cut out breaches for the Niger
derwiggers without delay
The next caller was Mrs. Biddlecome,
wife of the Sunday-school Superintend-
ent. "Sister Bates,'' said she, in a
very grum voice-she had bronchitis
&C the minister's wife always has charge
of the infant class. We expect you to
take Mrs. Plunkett's class next Sunday.
She was our late pastors wife, you
know. We expect you to enter into
this work with all your heart and soul.
Sister Bates and myself will always be
at hand to advise and correct you.''
Before Mrs. Biddlecome left, Mrs.
Professor Bangs, wife of Professor
Philetus Bangs, once missionary to the
Pottiwotimies, appeared. ''Now that
our minister has a help-meet," said she,
"there is some one to take the place of
poor Mrs. Plunkett in our circle. do
hope you, Mrs. Buttles, will do better
than she did. There's no reason why
| our circle should not succeed if our
minister's wife has any energy"
Then came Mrs. Deacon Bullhead,
who was always full of feeling.
81 hope, Sister Buttles, you are spir-
itually minded" said she, in thick
voice. 81 feel there's great deal de-
pending on you. The old ladies have a
prayer-meeting, and we feel we must
have you to lead it,
Mrs Belinda 81 Ger Secretary of the
Grand United Water-workers Mrs.
Tulula Tittlepaw: President of the So
ciety for Culture of the Brain; Mrs.
Bushwhack, President of the Society for
Providing Canal-men with Scripture
Mot;oes, and many other ladies, all Off
GERS of something, called, and invited
Mrs. Buttles to join.
Mary Jane was about IS when we
were married, and had been brought up
by indulgent and rather worldly parents.
Of self-denial, resignation and humility
she knew very little, and she met the
demands of the parish with so much
spirit and independence she incurred
the displeasure of nearly every person
of any consequence in it; and, though
she yielded to my commands and their
demands, and attended about half the
meetings at which the minister's wife
alOays presided, and spent three-fourths
of her time at church work, she could
not please the people of the Corners,
and had to find new charge.
When was installed in Griggsville
Jonathan Edwards was about Is months,
and Isaac Watts, our second son, was,
think, month old. Nature and theol-
ogy give women back seat. The great
work of the world is performed by men
but there yet remains much that must be
done, and this labor, which is of an anx-
ious and obscure sort, distasteful to men,
is very naturally performed by women.
So in church work the parsons wife
supplements the parson; but when
Mary Jane had poor health, and had to
take care of two babies and do all of
our homework and sewing, l really did
not see how she could supplement me,
and did not insist upon it. The Griggs-
vile church, however, made the usual
demands upon her, and I should no
doubt, have been compelled to leave
Griggsville long ere this if she had not
caught a timely cold by going out in a
furious snow-storm to attend meeting
to promote the spread of the gospel in
Abyssinia. That cold resulted in a
three months siege ofrheumatism which
has proved in its way blessing; for the
parish no longer expects her to attend
every meeting, and the ladies content
themselves. by petting me as much as
possible and saying spitefully, "What