Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-12-11
A LIFE PARTNERSHIP.

LIFE PARTNEkSHlP.
If the wife works as hard as the husband,
is she not entitled to her fair wage, not as q
favor, but as earnings? BY the conditions
of the equal partnership it is usually the hus-
band who brings the money into the con-
cern He is free to do this because his wife
assumes that care Of house and household
which leaves his time, brain, and hands for
remunerative labor. But his handling of
the money does not vest its ownership in
him. 1t is his in trust for the family needs,
of which her personal wants are a part.
Usually the wife works harder than the
husband, because his business is simple, and
hers complex. The old dictum that mans
work is from sun to sun, but Woman's
work is never done, is as true now as in the
days when she planted the seed, and weed
ed the ground, and spun the flax, and Wove
the linen, and made the garment. Thous-
ands of cultivated women in America do
the work of house servants, regularly, cheer
fully, admirably, because they must, though
their husbands would certainly not consent
to corresponding drudgery for economy's
sake. Are washing and ironing, sweeping
and dustiug, baking, baby-tending, sewing
on the machine, kneading bread, cutting
out night-gowns and knickbockers, hearing
little lessons, enlightening little brains, and
comforting little hearts-are these sucb airy
|
they not worth wages as certainly as stand
ing behind counter, or keeping books, or
following trade? But no Saturday night
or last day of the month brings her stipend
to the woman, as to the man for whom she
labors. He buys his stores and pays for
them with a sense of manly independence;
she receives hers as favor and Kindness
from him.
Wives who have servants do not the less
| hot nd
which make the housekeeping both eco
nomical and elegant, the endless struggles
with ignorance and incompetency below
them, the grace and culture and refinement
which turn mere cook-shop, feeding.place,
and dormitory into Il home, the possibility
of hospitality, the wise nurture OF children,
the beauty Of the daily life, depend on the
wife. But men who are liberal in their
dealings with their fellows, prompt to pay
servants wages, proud to owe no man any
thing, do not recognize the money value
of their wives services, and bestoW as
bounty what is due as a debt.
1t is not good for either man or wife that
one should be the patron, the other the ben.
eficiary. 1t is not good that the treasurer OF
the partnership, the trustee of the funds,
should conduct himself as if he were the
owner. Whatever portion OF the common
income equitably belongs to the wife she
should be paid promptly and regularly as
wages, allowance, or share, but always as a
right, not as favor.
In MANY cases this matter settles itself on
basis of justice. In many others the
whole married life Of the wife is passed in
abasement ofspirit because Of her husbands
substitution of false theory Of ownership
for that stewardship. 1t is true, OF course,
that there is sentiment in marriage which
rates the services of wife above mere
money value. But this is an additional
reason why they should at least be acknoWl-
edged in money. And higher civilization
than ours will be amazed that the right OF
, the wife to her own purse should ever. have
seemed a question to be argued.
DIR. o. w. HoLMEs.-Perhaps after all
it is lust as we'll that DIR. Holmes never al
lowed himself to be as funny as ne could
; since the melancholy fate OF his servant.
AS it is his is the keenest wit and most de-
lightful humor in perhaps all English liter,
ature. What could be more accurate and
reasonable description Of the amount of pie
he took than his Of "nearly forty-tive de-
grees," and why did nobody ever think of
measuring pie that way before! What more
delicious line in the language is there than
that which paints the debilitated condition
of the zone Hoss Shay" when it is said to
have been marked "by general flavor OF
mild decay" or those that describe the
"small residuary, ,leathery squeak, OF tn the
sunlit wave of dimpled smiles. In his hands
the detested pun becomes a thing of beauty
and a ioy forever, as when he tells us of the
Other bunions bound in feecy hose
TO 'Pilgrim's Progress" unrelentlng foes.
Or defines his duties as the Vice-President
of dinner party:
. A vice is something with an edge that $ made 10
hold its jaw
saw.
S To young physician who asked for a
, motto, he suggested: "Small fevers thank
fully received" and he described the min
: ute portion of honey dealt out to him at
t hotel tea-table as "the work of a very young
I bee in an idle half-hour." "But did they
: give YOU no comb?" he was asked and re-
, Piled: "Possibly one TOOTH"
y THETOMB OF RACHEL.-A correspondent
: Of the Salt Lake Tribune from Palestine says
/ of Rachel's tomb: Singularly enough this
e is one of the places in Palestine where the
traditions of Jews, Moselems and Christians
Y agree, and where the veneration OF all is be-
/ slowed Undoubtedly it is the spot where
: Rachel was overtaken by her last illness
e when she and Jacob were journeying south
ward from Bethel, and where Benjamin
? first opened their eyes to look upon this
e great world. The building is modern,
e White square structure, with domed root
# of coarse plaster, and the pillar which JACOB
$ sorrowfully set up to mark the site has long
4 since passed away; but the spot is cheerful
# ly cherished in the hearts of all.
i The tomb lies at the point where the
S Bethlehem and Hebron roads unite. Beth
: lehem is in sight to the left, and only one
5 mile distant. How near Rachel was to a
S good halting place when her life went out
n and that of Israels favorite son, after Joseph,
! was kindled.
S TIE OLDEST DYNASTY IN THE WORLD
!. The present reigning dynasty OF Japan Is Is
= the oldest in the world. 1t dates back 2,64C
n wears, and its records are accurately preserv'
e ed for that time. During this period the
If reigning houses of China have several times
If been changed, and all the nations now calico
a civilized, without exceptions have had thel1
IS beginning 1t is sometimes marvellous tc
1t reflect that any house could preserve its in
O tegrity and occupy the throne for such Pc
g riOd of time. This fact of the persistency Of
d family holds true of others than the relgnlne
e family, though to a less extent. The oldest
n son is necessarily his fathers successor, and
heirlooms are handed down from father t(
$ son with the greatest veneration and rever
e ence. Swords, spears beautiful garments
= helmets, bronze, lacquer, and carved wood
v en- ware, are held sacred in a family fol
Y ages. One young man, the oldest son OF
5, Well-to-do father, told me that ne had tWen
d ty swords, some of the finest workmanship
e and, in answer to my inevitable Yankee
d question, he said, "It is worth about 3Ot
e Won D-CIir10O IfDles