The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-06-07
DIR. Willis Lecture.

Church to fair audience upon the sub |
ject of ''The Model Wife," We can give
our readers only an outline of his eloquent
and often amusing description of domes-
tic life, the skeleton of his lecture, with
the flesh and blood, the poetry and the
rhetoric left out.
The modesty of woman and the pri-
vate theater of her activity causes her in
fiuence to be overlooked. Just as in ma
ture we think less of the silent influences
that are so potent; the hidden moisture
1 and the little springs that feed the rivers
than the noisy demonstrations of her more
terrible moods, but even the Ightnings
flash must yield the palm to the light house
that beckons to the storm beaten mariner,
and the taper of home inviting TO shelter
and safety and comfort and joy is more
potent still. So, also compared with mans
ostentatious power is woman's influence,
without friction and without noise. Few
stop to consider the precious worth of the
good wife and the good mother, mans
richest earthly prize, the guiding stars of
his good destiny.
| 1t is significant fact that the most COM
plete and artistic portrait in the Bible is
| in the words of King Lemuel, "the proph-
esy that his mother taught him." in the
S1st chapter of Proverbs, describing the
virtuous woman, and the speaker proceed
ed to analyze its most striking points.
l. Her industry and activity. She was
diligent worker, rose early, took time ''by
the forelock and not by the fetlock." Gave
portions to her household, orders to her
servants and worked willingly with her
| own hands, and did not eat the bread of
idleness. 1t would be about as wise to
try to take time by the fetlock as an army
mule. 1t is false notion that common
people must do all the labor. Air, water,
and sunshine are common, but there is
nothing better; and there is common sense
which is really superior sense. He ridi-
culed the idle, the useless and over
delicate woman who girded her loins with
whalebone, and rounded her form with
cotton. Exercise would exercise in many
cases the demon of illhealth, and activity
would drive away the demon ofilltemper.
He did not see any of those palefaced
bellies here, but it happened to be in the
lecture to fit places where he found them,
} and so we must take it to know how he
gave it to those who deserved it. He re-
, commended the advice in the song Buy q
Broom, make the beds, sweep the rooms,
and make the bread. Woman's neatness
and tidiness goes hand in hand with her
. refinement. "Her husband is known in
the gstes" How do they know himH By
her finishing touches to his toilet, that fol-
lows him to the very door as he goes out,
and by the reflection of his domestic hap
pines in his countenance, by the presenta-
bility of his clothing, the whiteness of his
linen, the felicitous marks in his apparel
the marks of comfort and thrift in her
household, the tidiness of her own person
and tastefully fitting apparel, her foresight
and early provision ofthe family wardrobe
for the changing seasons, sewing and
knitting in readiness for winter. "She
is not afraid of snow for her house" She
has heart to love, and a head TO manage.
Her economy and thrift are a wonder to
her husband Little things relating to the
household comfort make up the joy
of home, and domestic happiness depends
largely upon them. He recited part of
Burns "Cotter's Saturday Night" A
clean hearthstone making the tired man
forget his care, the tidy wife bidding the
bread-winner to its rest and comfort. How
many are driven to the grog shop and TO
the Devil for the lack of these conditions
at home. Young men are attracted TO the
prettily dressed girl. If she utters the
magic ''yes'' and the parson ties with a
few words the silken knot that cannot be
undone with the teeth, and the lover finds
: that he has married slatternly, slovenly,
untidy woman, why, he is like the Irish.
: man who fired at a beautiful bluejay
E and after the smoke had cleared, found only
toad, and surprised that his pretty
3 "Och and ye were a purity bird before
' shot the feathers off ye." He paid high
? compliment TO woman's executive ability
{ drudgery was contrasted with system, the
, head being made to save the heels. The
y model housekeeper plans her work ahead
1 thinks it out beforehand. Ahl the virtue:
a of our grandmothers do not get out o.
? fashion, they are always in demand. The
Gail Hamilton's may sneer at reaching
= mems hearts through their stomachs, bu
good cooking that is daily satisfaction
instead of daily distress has its influence
upon the soul as well as the body. Bless
ed is the woman who can make gooi
a t,-ood 81 c,oa1 y,;a cr1,St paifhar tOo lon
Q or too short A neatly spread table is {
= means of grace. The cooking question il
: a fundamental one in domestic happiness
e He would not, as one did, engrave hi
= wife's skill in this line upon her tomb
s stone, though it was real compliment, ,tha
r line in marble "She was good wife, anC
, a good cook" His own youngest girl
f whose musical ear is so sensitive that she
Is does not think her Pa can sing or whistle
g much, though he can preach, has made
l. him more proud of her bread-making thai
It of her precocious musical dcvelopement
Get the accomplishments If you can, bu
don't neglect the bread. He pictured tn,
contrast between workmen whom h,
saw going in the early morning
l. car to their days labor, the tired
If one who did not seem to have had q com
l. Portable send off, and the hearty joyia
d one whose wife rose between three anC
IS four to prepare him warm breakfast
). But how is woman to do so much anC
3 so wells He does not know, he only won
n ders that thousands of them do max
d model wives and run their domestic estat
a lishments cheerfully, smoothly and wit
10 a success that is marvellous, and the facul
d ty that insures success is best described b
e the word Gumption, and blessed is gun