Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-01-12
Religion, to tighten the hard duties of their

consumed by the family. Their husbands of
ten cannot be prevailed on to plough the gar
den. The poor wife has to spade it, break tn,
clods, make the beds, and SOW and plant tn,
seeds; her husband never assisting in hoeins
or wedding these vegetables THIS womani
husband is as fond of vegetables as his wife
have heard Farmers state that they would
rather plow day, than work one hour in the
garden. Yet these delicately organized WON
en- are allowed to wear themselves out in per-
forming their husbands work.
After days round of duties, the farmers
wife, tired and worn, retires to rest. No! Not
to rest, for she is not long in her couch until
the acute ear of mother hears the wheeling
and hard breathing of her babe Instinctively
she knows her babe is taking the Group She
calls her husband Joseph, to wake up and get
the bottle of Lobelia syrup. Joseph is wrapi
tightly in the arms of Morpheus. She becomes
desperate, as most mothers do, when Group is
about. To wake her sleepy husband, she
drives her elbow in his ribs, which awakens
him quickly and the Lobelia is procured and
administered. The babe is relieved at once,
as Lobelia is very relaxing. 1t is better
medicine for Group, than Ipecac, that DR.. Up
degraff administers. The babe goes to sleep,
but does the mother? Mol She is thinking over
what she will have for breakfast. She arrives
at the conclusion that buckwheat cakes and
sausage would .e proper accompaniment.
She jumps out OF bed, mixes the flour in a
crock and adds leaven. This woman, when
she gets up in the morning, is light headed,
and reels; the cause of this is she has not rest
cd. She has not had sleep enough Her brain
is in whirl. She finds 10 her sorrow, that
the batter she mixed the night before in a
crock, has run over on the hearth. She exam
ines and judges there is enough of the mixture
left fer breakfast. She commences baking,
and is kept very busy baking the cakes, as
buckwheat cakes are not palatable if not eaten
hot. The family have eaten until satisfied
She takes some for herself, but is obliged to
eat them cold. Thus it is that the mother of
a family is compelled to take. meals that are
not nOurishing, having to serve and wait on
the rest of the family.
After another day Of tread-mill duties,
milking, feeding calves, sweeping, making
beds, sewing and cooking, she .retires, jaded
and worn. In an hour she hears the moaning
of her little boy Fred. She repairs quickly to
his little bed, and finds he is suffering with
the ear ache. She soOthes aud pats him and
saturates little cotton with sweet oil, which
she puts in his ear. She strokes his head with
her hands, and thus mesmerizes him to sleep.
Returning to- her bed, without disturbing or
waking Sampson, her husband.
There are other grievances Farmers Wives
complain of. They take great pride and are
ambitious to have good feather beds, and to
keep up her supply of feathers, she is anxious
to keep flock of geese. The husband re-
as he claims that geese are very
destructive on pastures, and he could keePa
sheep as cheaply as goose. He promises his
wife if she will Danish the goose, he will buy
her what feathers she may want. His wife,
we will call her Mrs Barton, has daughter
named Rebecca who has bloomed into wom-
anhOod. She is the pride of the family, and
the belle of the neighborhOod. She is an in
dependent girl, spirited and attractive, who
has great many suitors, but is too proud to
give up her liberty to any man. At length
there came young shepherd, who cast sleeps
eyes at her. There is great sympathy in the
furtive glanres of the sleeps eye. They pos
sess an innocent and confding expression.-I
These effective sleeps eyes glances relaxed
and mellowed this proud girls spirit. In
short, Mr.. Isaac Hancock wooed and won Re-
becca, who promised him to be his wife. Re-
becca sought her mother, and in bashful
manner stated that Mr.. Hancock had asked
her to marry him. Her mother inquired
she had accepted his proposal. She
replied that she could not get clear of his
pressing solicitations, with a proviso that it
meet her fathers and mothers appreciation -
The poor mother had feelings of mingled
gladness and dsorrow-gladness that her daugh-
Ter hao the prospect of making happy union,
sorrow that she was about losing her pet
laughter, her stay and comfort in her declin-
ing years; but her mother is not selfish. She |
will make any sacrifice for the happiness of |
ler children. She remembers too, that many
years ago she had left her fathers and moth |
f1rfa Nln md TO
,unes with Mr.. Barton. Had she regretted |
he step2 Mol she found Mr.. Barton kind |
md affectionate husband.
Mrs. Barton communicates the situation of |
lffairs to her husband. He appears to be Ella |
ed with his daughter making so desirable al |
lance, as Mr.. Hancock is a lineal descendent |
)f John Hancock of revolutionary fame II |
s true that Rebecca is the steady light of the |
ather's home. She is the morning sun and /
he evening star of their home. In short |
ime the father and mother repair to town to |
procure suitable outfit for the wedding
Among the articles wanted was feathers for |
,ed for Rebecca. 1t was ascertained that it |
25 or 80 lbs. to make he'd. II
When the quantity and price was made known /
o the husband, the price of feathers surprised |
lin, and claimed he could not buy 25 lbs. He
;oaxed his wife to only take Is pounds, and !
chicken feathers for the balance. II
This mortified the good wife, for she knew
hat coarse chicken feathers were not suitable
o mix with good goose feathers. The coarse |
Gathers of chickens would penetrate through /
he tick, and run into the flesh like porcupine
Iuills. No thin-skinned woman could rest
II sleep on such a bed. Women have thinner
kins than men; they are very sensitive. They
an not stand even a flea to light on their per-
ons. have known them at midnight to
ump out of bed to hunt flea that was annov-
ng them; nothing short Of the sting of wasp
viii arouse man.
Farmers Wives are famous for raising large
ocks of turkeys. Their lords are generous
nough to say to their wives that they may
ave the proceeds of these turkeys. These
ocks roam over the farm, and the farmer is
elighted to behold them gobbling up grass
oppers, that if left alone would destroy every
reen herb. 1t Is fun to observe turkeys COB
ling up hoppers. You can't fill turkeys with
The time however comes when
he grasshoppers die and disappear. This be-
1g the case, the good wife is obliged to go to
be corn crib to feed her turkeys. Her hus-
and takes notice that his corn is disappear
lg. He insists on his wife disposing of them
once. He claims that the corn is his, and
be turkeys hers; she is therefore forced to sell
hem off at once, and in gluttcd market she
oes not realize half their value. BY this
romans patrimony, this man was enabled to
urchase the farm they live on. Probably
nth the proceeds of these turkeys she would
uy this ungenerous husband pair Of pants
a shirt.
1 have known shepherds to have 30 much
I'VE for their sheep, that they have left their
comfortable homes and devoted wives, to stay
nd sleep in the sheep cotes all night The
1ives of such men wear a sad countenance;
hey never smile. There is no sunshine around .
heir houses. These wives do not live, they
rag out a miserable existence. The treatment
some men to their wives is barbarous. am
{ the opinion that there will be more women
, heaven than men, because they are more
and more devoted 10 duty and 10y
to their God. l fancy great many Farm
rs Wives will be among the harpers around
be throne of God. II
would say to husbands, praise your wives;