The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-05-17
Wholesome Advice.

troughs, they are so sunken, boy with
his front teeth all knocked out and his
upper lip disfigured, and girl limping
around on two crutches, and bent over
like rheumatic old woman yes, a pretty
looking family, Mrs. Hooker!"
"Mr. Bowles," replied Mrs. Hooker,
emphatically, 81 always have considered
you good neighbor. and do not wish to
say anything disrespeotful to you; but as
you have opened the subject for discus
sion, feel it my duty to tell you few
plain truths, which, though they offend.
| cannot refrain from uttering. In the first
place, why have you allowed your wife
to work ms she has? The idea of wo-
man making all the butter and cheese
from the milk of eighteen or twenty
cows, besides all the rest of the
work for the family, especially with
the lack of conveniences in your house,
is simply appalling. Think of her hav-
ing to go up and down those two steps
leading from your kitchen to the sitting
room at least hundred times day. and
then to so clear through the sitting
room every time she goes from the kitch.
you have of getting water out of that
old we'll. Why it is great wonder that
she is alive, and not the least wonder
that her eyes and cheeks are sunken?"
Mr.. Bowles WINGED but the speaker
went on,
"And as for your boy, if you had only
listened to your wife and forbidden his
going near that fractions horse. he would
not have been hurt. used to wonder
when l saw you put Stephie on the
horses back, how you could do it, and I
have often heard my husband say he was
not safe horse to have on farm where
children were. Then Maggie, that ten
year-old child, should never have been
allowed to go into the barn yard where
there were so many unruly cattle. And
the COW she had to milk was very un.
safe animal. have often remarked that
she would be trodden under foot by the
beast, and have her bones broken, as she
finally did. And her mother had the
same fears. But you insisted upon her
learning to milk, lest she might grow up
lazy and coward. As if there was not
plenty of work for her to do inside
doors! And as if courage consisted in
placing ones self in an attitude to com.
pete with the fighting propensities of
every bovine in yard or sail! Besides,
you should have observed that compare.
lively few farmers girls learn to milk
nowadays; it is not as it was when you
and were young; they were not then off
to school fitting themselves for teachers,
as they are now, nor too much dressed
up of an afternoon to admit of their en-
tering coward or stable. Times have
changed, Mr.. Bowles, wonderfully
oh Co. :,,1r
nv part, I do not want either of my girls
to act in the capacity of milk maid"
Here Mrs. Hooker paused, and almost
for the first time since she commenced,
looked her auditor in the face.
Mr.. Bowles, though wilful man ami
slow of understanding, was by no means
hasty tempered, hence did not fly into
passion at his neighbor. Indeed, he
made no reply, but soon after she had
done speaking, arose from his chair
quietly, yawned a little and slowly left
the house. After he reached home and
again joined his family circle, he sat
looking first at one and then another of
the trio until he finally made up his
mind as to the course he would pursue.
His boy evidently was disfgured for
life, though not disabled; in his case
medical skill was of no avail. But was
there not hope that his wife and daugh-
ter might be benefited by proper treat
ment? At all events, resolved then and
there to send them away to sanitarium,
Of which he had heard many encomlums,
hoping the former might recruit and the
latter be cured Of her lameness. He and
his son would remain at home, we'll
cared for by the Competent housekeerer
now in his employ; and while they were
away his house should be reModeled in
such a way that even the critical Mrs.
Hooker should have no reason to find
the least fault.
They went, OF course, for when Farmer
Bowles once made up his mind to any.
thing he always put it into execution.
And the result was that his wife and
daughther we're, in the course OF few
weeks, on the broad road to health. In
Mrs. Bowles' case lite was wanted but
perfect rest from toll and care, while the
daughter needed the treatment of skill
full, experienced surgeon, which, since
her injury, it had not baen possible to
procure in the little town where she
lived.
In the course of four months the two
returned home greatly improved, if not
entirely we'll; and so surprised and de-
lighted were they at the changes wrought
in their old house that they could hardly
realize it was their home. The conven-
fences for doing work now were such
that Mrs. Bowles was inclined to think
she and her daughter could do it without
the aid of a servant girl, which they did