Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-03-27
A Yankee Farmers Wife.

She has received a certain amount
Of instruction at public school, says
a writer in CasseU's FIRMLY Magazine,
then marries young, and begins her,
to me, herculean labors. 1t is her
part to perform all the daily house.
hold tasks with but seldom any out
side aid. She must make butter,
milk the cows, feed the chickens, and
attend to the kitchen garden, as we'll
as to her special pet flower-beds
and vines. Chen she harnesses her
horse and drives to a neighboring town
to barter no one else CAM with her
butter, eggs, and garden produce. If
anything is broken or out of order in
the house or farm she menls it, and,
being woman Of infinite resources,
she may even construct some Of her
own furniture or paint her fence. Her
''parlor" is adorned with all the latest
absurdities in the way Of worsted work
or pressed bouquets, while her store
closet is we'll stocked with preserves,
and her garnet hung with dried fruits.
1t is probable that she has children.
and none are more tholghtfully tend
ed in all their needs. be they physical,
moral, or mental. The clothing of
the family, even to their stockings and
mittens. is her handiwork, while &C.
casiona'ly a garment is made for one
Of the village poor.
But where is her self-culturep say
you An! there is The mystcry-how
and when is it accomplished? And
there is no denying the fact, a narrow,
provincial education it may be, but
that is owing solely to her circum-
scribed lite.
If you were to enter q small COM
monplace, whitewashed farm house IN
any Of the struggling New England
villages, which appear little else
than cluster of huts in a wilderness
to English eyes--if you were 80 bold
as to enter in, and SO fortunate as to
have an uninterrupted conversation
with the mistress Of the house, you
would find her q plain, probably fad
ed, woman, clad in neat calico, sharp
voiced, and sharp-visaged, perhaps,
but gentle in manners, and displaying
as she talks a well-cultivated intclli-
gence, and more or less familiarity
with literature in all it's branches OF
history, philosophy, science and bellies
leitres. You would find her mem Der
of the nearest library, and subscrIb-
er to all the leading periodicals. But
in order to make this strictly truth
ful account, ] must add that she sell
dom reads the newspapers, and il
utterly devoid Of that knowledge OF
current afairs that distinguishes par
ticularly the women of New York and
Chicago. But then, consider how
precious to her is each moment oj
time. and bow far is she removed from,
the ccnters of life and civilization
She has no am easements, no diversions,
: no trips away; nothing but the dull,
everlasting grind. And yet is she
patient, and never resisting from he,
round of necessary duties, and that tc
her, no less necessary one of self.cul
ture. Someone has beautifully said
that sthe hand that rocks the cradle
is the hand that rocks the world. The
children of Priscilla--or, more cor
| rectly, "Sairey Ann will doubles
| be rich, and some Will call them par
uenus, perhaps; but as for her grand
children and great-grandchiidrent
what may they not become!
Afraid Of His Own Son.
4.