Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-08-10
WOman's Work.

A lady at Naples Hills, ILL.,, writes to
the Inter Ocean, in reply to query, as
follows:
"Idar asks why | didn't have those
"hired men milk the cows and iced the
horses. | say, because we didn't hire
them to. always did it myself, summer
and winter. We never had the hired
hands to tend the stock; they had to do
the heavy work could not do. We didn't
ALWAYS have help. Father AMI would
do all we could without help. have
done more than that you have seen in the
Home. but don I wish to tell you every
thing have done. l was the only one at
home to do the work without help. had
10 have three meals ready in time. have
worked in the field ami house al. my life
sometimes the men would help in the field
with me, but not very often. l nave
gathered the corn in the field when the
snow was deep. Sometimes | had help
had from twenty TO twenty-five head OF
cattle to tend in the winter time, besides
the hogs liked to tend them. | always
felt better out of roors than in the house.
did all our sewing, have neither sew
ing nor washing machine. l have sown
all kinds of crops, except wheat. | didn't
think it was much to make breakfast.
had always reset the the table in the even
ing for morning. could have breakfast
in a few minutes. did't care how many
hired hands we had. always had to call
them up 10 breakfast. | have been very
tired sometimes. l had better time than
| have now.
We have printed several reports of
great days work. and the writers seem
to boast in some measure, as if it were a
thing of much merit, and an example to be
common ed and followed. 1t has not
seemed to us to he particular merit to do
so large DAYS or weeks or years work
though if the woman or man has The
strength and is able to do it, and not neg
lect other and equally important thlng-,
she or he is fortunate. So a man who is
able to lit five hundred pounds is fortu'
nate, but there is no particular reason fol-
praising him more than the man who car
lift only three hundI ed pounds. if both pu
forth their strength when it is needed t.
the extent of their powers. So will
woman's work" If duty calls WON
an to perform such kinds and amount o
labor she is fortunate in being able to do it
and duty doesn't call for 1t unless she i
able to do it. Duty never demands al
impossibility, nor is there any merit il
doing the work without sewing machln
or washing mschine, provided they ar
L., intalli
gent housekeeping will have the best at
: tainabe helps in its work, in implement
l and conveniences, and the one who neg
lects the,u has in that no grounds 70
e boasing; but it is rather matter 70
J shame and dlsapproval.
ii Many quiet little woman without tn
physical ability to do = 1.-THE of the wor
, some have told of doing, have been
n power for good broader than their ow
| neighborhood; have been light to tn
household, loved and loving guide to tb
;. children; her husbands pride and joy
n whose children shall rise up and call he
n blessed, and whose memory will be chez
II ished where she has lived.
Duty has different shapes and differer
r directions, and what may be duty for on
S is no guide for what may be duty to al
;, other, which each one must decide for ne
- self in the light of health, circumstance
n and surroundings, and it does not Away
= tlke the shape of the most or harde'
u work.