The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-13
VOLUME XIX.---NO. So
4 WOman's Plain Talk.

1t seems to be an accepted fact, write
clear.headed end noble housekeepe
(who signs herself "a Woman') to th
GAINESVILLE (Georgia) c -eHe, that wo
men are becoming more so.:reliant thai
OF yore, aud also that more is expectet
OF them by the men who are respectivel,
most interested in them. The toilint
father cxerts himself to give his daugh
ter all the advantages that are now addet
10 the studies for women, and, when she
has acquired these-many Of which have
formerly been considered the special ad
vocations of the sterner sex-he yer,
naturally and properly expects her tt
make practical application of her &C
quirements.
The husband who is forced to labor fol
the support of the family, of course
expects the cooperation of his wife in
whatever way proves best and wisest fol
their mutual interests. To the honor OF
the sex be it said, that the woman, eithe,
daughter or wife, who fails to give all the
aid within her power, is the exception
and not the rule. 1t is the worker nj
home in whom l, at present, feel most
deeply interested, and, of her, | propose
to say few words Of encouragement and
defense.
We do not all 60 out in the world and
In return, for services given, come back
to our families with wages in hand. 40
many dollars and cents TO be expended
for their bread and raiment few Of rs
are csPsoitatsd for that, and if we were,
| the most of us are so circumstanced that
such qualifications would afford us but
little advantage. Nc; Oh. Tosk for the
mCst part Esiiist necessarily be performed
within the narrow confines of home, but
Is the less important for this7 Nav :;
on the contrary, it is the work that eyery
wife and mother should consider the
most important of her life. and to it she
should give her most faithful attention.
It is work that is above price or the con.
slderation of wages, as every woman
knows who has ever tried to turn 1t over
to the hands Of hirelinge. How strange,
then, that such work should be estimated
as standing with the trifles that make up
the sum of life. How often do we see
men who place this estimate on tho work
Of women. who spend their lives looking
after the everyday comforts Of their hus.
bands and children. :
Such men know their homes are com.
Portable, their meals are regularly served
70 them just TO suit their tastes their
clothing is in good order; their children
are neatly and comfortably clad every.
thing is tidy in the house when they re-.
turn aft the days labor is over; they
know and injoy these comforts, and yet
how few realize or even think how much
care is necessary to keep this state of
things in order in the household. How
suao,s, sum ns them ever think of the amount of
baking, stitching, daHsiIng, aa4ag,I, bed making
ironing, milking, churning, nursing, elss.,,
it requires to keep up even q decent show
of neatness and comfort in household
where there are children aud inefficient
help2
Herein lics tho secret of many wo.
mans weariness of the whole problem of
housekeeping and It's never-liftcd bur.
dens. 1t is because, toll as she may,
after all her work is done, it is accepted
rs matter of course and considered
service that should be rendered as a
mere pastime. The women who perform
the duties Of house. keeping for men of
this stamp (they are numerous) soon
learn to expect nothing in the way Of
| compensation for such service. On the
contrary, one finds that she il expected
| to do the work aud to DC it ia slch an
unobtrusive way that her lord may not
be annoyed with any of the disagreeable
things attending it. He is known as the
bread winner and she as the bread eater.
He earns the money and spends it. II
she asks for money she is greeted with
stare of surprise and he forthwith wants
to know what sho did with the last he
gave her-twenty-f cents perhaps.
She accounts for twenty cents, and he at
once bends all the powers of bis mind to
the task Of finding out what she Cid with
the nickel of which she has not spoken.
She never asks him for money when she
can avoid 1t, and when she does never
gets 1t until she is made to feel meanly
humble as if she had robbed hen roostl
She feels that she has worked as honestly,
and far more laboriously, than the gifted
man who had painted picture and sold
it, but she dare not think of such thing
as spending her money as freely. or
would not if aha could eet, II. Every
woman is nee aesariiy dependent upon her
husband more or less for the money she
spends, and this dependence is either
very pleasant or very bitter.
A right understanding and adjustment
of affairs can enable her to receive money
at the hands of her husband in a spirit
not only of selfret pect, but of rejoicing
in her dependency or, 1t can be given
to her in such way that she will feel
like dog when she asks for it aud when
she receives it. In another article I pro.
pose to suggest some ideas and the better