The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-09
Farmers Wives.


Col L. w. Higginson writes to the
W0asGN's Journal from the mountains:
Walking by a comfortable farm house
the other day, was attracted by re-
Gzzrkzble fine lily, of a species new to
me, which grew in a wooden urn on the
doorstep. On closer inspection it proved
80 beautiful that my companion and |
1zzde bold to ring at the door and ask
Tor further information. We were at
once cordially greeted by a CHEEKY
woman of middle age, who received
with delight our praises Of the lily,
showed us geraneum and fuchsia
which rivaled it in her affections, and
insisted on our going into her old
fashioned parlor, where a magnificent
IVY literally encircled the four sides of
the room from a single root in the cor
1er. She had come to US from the wash
EUb, but she looked perfectly neat and
Wzs as ready to talk as we to listen.
She had lived all her life in the house
where we saw her; it had been occupied
by three generations OF her own family
he f0re her; relics of their old-fashioned
furniture were there, stoutly retained
zgzinst the Establishments OF furniture
curious was a quaint old mirror. with
heavy guilt frame. and an odd little
clock at the top. Here our hostess had
been married, here she had borne six
children. several of whom had died she
had lived for year or two in Boston,
% hub of the universe" but she liked
@he old homestead better. She did all
Ger Own work-the children at home
Being sill young-and she apOlogized
profusely for the untidy appearance of
, room in which we could nowhere de-
tect a s1seck of dust. In her manners
1zd language she would have appeared
20 advantage anywhere.
She lived, to be sure, near the village:
6Ut ! am constantly receiving the same
sort of impression from the women
-uhOm one meets at the doors of lonely
houses far up on the mountain side.
Driving 4 long distance, one day, IN
search of lost spyglass, | was directed
n lass up a by-road leading from a by
Eoad and ending at length in a solitary
mountain gorge. where there was but 4
single house. 1 could not imagine what
had brought a settler there, until noted
u fine sugar orchard - Of maple trees,
Ebe finest to be seen in that whole re-
ZION. On my knocking at the farm
house door it was opened by an old
LADY, use the term advisedly-so neat,
81 kind, so agreeable in expression and
r2AuDers that city visitor would have
felt justified in engaging a months
board at once. on the face Of appear
Huces alone. For twenty-five years she
had lived up that lonely glen, going out
OF it only to attend injecting" on sun
day, or to make rare purchases ut the
Iifile village stare; she did not seem TO
have thought OF it rs distant or solitary
until all Of her children had left the
farm to seek their fortune elsewhere;
but now she confessed To a wish to
leave IL, not because it was in itself
lonely, but because it was lar from
them Consequently she now hoped
that % he" would buy farm nearer to
other folks.
IL is possible that both these types
may represent something above the
average of farmers wives, in this mount
ain region. But the summer visitor
who in his walks and drives so often
notices this class in passing seen
through the windows at work or seen at
the door with the little groups of chill
dren, so rarely absent-cannot help
feeling encouraged, and yet sometimes
saddened, by the thought of these pa
tent and silent lives. HOW much
@'home" means to them! How every
thing is concentrated on the home!
There is scarcely distraction or a holt
day in their whole experience; they live
almost whollSon the resources within
their own doors. If peace and love
prevail there, the women's lives, though
laborious and restricted, are simple,
healthful and protected. If on the other
hand there is any tragedy within those
walls, how infinitely more wearing II
must be than in cities, where there are
at least neighbors and other interests
to rclieve the terrible mOnOtOnY of en-