The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-10-14
THE FARMERS WIFE.

Seulldl. NO sooner was AudIn CTedteu'
than the Creator said, at is not good
that man should be alone; | will
make helpmeet for him." Who
ever, since Adams day, has attempt
ed to get along without wife has
found it mot good" A woman
rounds out the life of man, supple
ments his defects, shares his troubles,
doubles his joys, sweetens his toll
as we'll as his tea, is his truest friend
and adVis0r-in short, is his "help'
meet" The Shakers maintain that
the idea of quality extends to the
Godhead, and that it runs through
all animal and vegetable life there
can be no doubt. Science conforc1s
the scripture principal, "male and
female created He them" and ex.
tends it to everything that has life,
Whoever, therefore, attempts to live
in contra vention of this universal
law will find that he has a hard row
to hoe, and if1 farmer attempts it,
he may be considered, without
further proof, as an odd half of pair
of shears.
In the circle of our acquaintance,
which is not limited, we can call to
mind only two farmerS-One an old
bachelor and the other an old maid
who are making this venture, and
awkward work they make. In a
pecuniary view, both are doing well;
from the standpoint OfcOmfOrt, man
hood and WOmanhoOd both are do
ing miserabIy. Think Of the old
bachelor making his own bread and
butter, and eating in silence; work
ing all day and coming home at
night to his bed and board Of single
blessedness. There is no comfort,
no manliness in snch a life, unless
it is the miserly happiness Of hoard
ing wealth for heirs he knows not
whom.
The farm life of the old maid must
be still miserable. Woman Ctn do
a great many things, and do them
better than man, but she never was
made to run farm. She has various
and increasing rights. but following
the plow, driving oxen, managing
bulls, and breaking colts are not
among them. She is an indispensa-
bic helpmeet to farmer, but her.
sphere is a domestic one, lfteraIly
domestic, that is, belonging to the
house. When she takes upon her
self the prerOgative of mingling with
the men in the field, loading hay
and moving it away, directing about
the breeding of stock, and displaying
her equestrian skill ON the road or
race course, she unsexes herself and
becomes a man in petticoats.
Solomon says: "Whoso finds a
wife, finds good thing" But some
men who have married shrews and
slovens have been inclined to dis
pute the wisdom of Solomon in this
proverb, but the trouble is, they mar
ried WOHen not wives. A wife, in
Guiding all that is signified in the
name, is a good thing always and to
every one, and to the farmer, is es4
peciaIly good, as she is such an i'm
portant factor in his business. She
does not, as in the days of Solomon,
seek wool and flax, nor lay her hands
to the spindle and hold the Gistaff,
hut she Iooketh well to the ways of
her household and eateth not the
bread of idIeness.
The farmers wife is emphatically
partner in his business. On her de-
wolves the care of the dairy, in addi-
ton to the ordinary routine of house
hold duties. Her sphere of action,
though strictly domestic, is wider
one than that of the ordinary house
wife. AS her husband, in virtue of
his ownership of land, which he sub
dues, and tiIls, is entitled to the name
of landlord, with all the cares ana
honors which the name implies, so
she is entitled to the name OF land
lady, and must assume the response
bilities as we'll as the respect that go
with this position and title. That
there are unusual duties connected
with the station is manifest from the
fact that there are many women de-
string to find husbands, but unwill-
ing to marry husbandmen, because
they dislike to do the work-drudg-
cry they call it-peculiar to farmers
wives. All such have yet to. learn
that she only is a true wife "who
dceth her husband good all the days
of her life. who girdeth her lions with
strength and strengtheneth her arms,
who stretcheth out her hands to the
poor, who is not afraid of the snow
for her household, for all her house,
hold are clothed; who openeth her
mouth with wisdom, and in her ton
que is the law of kindness, whose
children rise up and call her blessed,