News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-07-30
THE POWER OF PATIENCE,
BY T. s. ARTHUR.


I have a very excellent friend who
married some ten years ago, and now has
her own cares and troubles in domestic
establishment consisting of her husband
and herself, five children, and two ser
wants. Like large majority of those
similarly situated, Mrs. Martinez finds
her natural stock of patience altogether
inadequate to the demand therefor; and
that there is an extensive demand there
for will be at once inferred when men
tion that four of her five children are
boys.
do not think Mrs. Martinet's family
government by any means perfect, though
she has certainly very much improved it
and gets along with far more comfort to
herself and all around than she did. For
the improvement at which I have hinted
1 take some credit to myself, though
am by no means certain that, were
situated as my friend is, 1 should govern
my family as well as she governs hers. /
am aware that a maiden lady, like my
self, young or old, it matters not to tell
the reader which, can look down from
the quiet regions where she lives and see
AAO " easy II WOAAA nc 4uE N4AG WIG ana
mother to reduce all to order in her tur-
bulent household. But l am, at the
same time, conscious of the difficulties
that beset the wife and mother in the in
cessant, exhausting, and health-destroy.
ing nature of her duties, and how her
mind, from these causes, must naturally
lose its clear-seeing qualities when
most they are needed, and its calm
and even temper when its exercise
is one of the most consequence. Too
little allowance, am satisfied, is made
for the mother, who, with shattered
nervous system and suffering, too often,
from physical prostration, is ever in the
midst of her little family of reckless
spirits and compelled to administer to
their thousand wants, to guide, guard,
protect, govern, and restrain their evil
passions, when of all things, repose and
quite of body and mind for even brief
season would be the greatest blessing
she could ask.
Ihave seen a wife and mother thus
situated betrayed into a hasty express
sion or lose her self-command SO far as to
speak with fretful impatience to a child
who rather needed to be soothed by
calmly spoken word; and I have seen
her even-minded husband, who knew
not what is was to feel pain or to suffer
from nervous prostration, reprove that
wife with look that brought the tears
to her eyes. She was wrong but he was
wrong in greater degree. The over
tried wife needed her husbands sub
tanning patience and gently spoken coun-
Gil, not his cold reproof.
Husbands as far as my observation
gives me the ability to judge, have far
less consideration for, and patience with,
their wives then they are entitled to re-
receive. If any should know best the
wife's trials, sufferings, and incessant
exhausting duties, it is the husband, and
he, of all others should be the last to
censure, If, from very prostration of
body and mind, she is sometimes be-
trayed into hasty words that generally
do more harm among children and do
mestics than total silence in regard to
what is wrong. But this is digres-
sion.
One day / called to see Mrs. Martinez
and found her in very disturbed state
of mind.
81 am almost worried to death, Kater'
she said, soon after 1 came in.
'IYou look unhappy" 1 returned.
''What has happenedf"
"What is always happening" she re-
piled. Scarcely day passes over my
head that my patience is not tried to the
utmost. l must let everybody in the
house do just as he or she likes or else
there is disturbance. 1 am not allowed
to speak out my own mind without some
ones being offended"
'It is great trial, as well as response
bility, to have the charge of a family"
remarked.
Indeed, and you may well say that.
No one knows what it is but she who
has the trial. The greatest trouble is
with your domestics. As class, they
are with few exceptions, dirty, careless,
and impudent. / sometimes think it
gives them pleasure to interfere with
your household arrangements and throw
all into disorder This seems especially
to be the spirit of my present cook. My
is particular about having his
meals at the hour, and is never pleased
when Irregularities occur, although he
does not often say anything; this told
'colded her about her being behind hand
4 dozen times since, and yet we do not |
have a meal at the hour oftener than two
Dr. three times week.
'"This morning Mr.. Martinez asked me |
Z wouldn't be particular in seeing that |
iinner was on the table exactly at two |
o'clock. As soon as he was gone I went |
1own into the kitchen and said, DO, for
nercys sake, Hannah, have dinner
ready at the hour to-day. Mr.. Martinez
desires it. Hannah made
40 answer. 1t is one of her disagreeable
habits when you speak to her. Did you
hear meP l asked quite out of patience
with her. The creature looked up at me
With an impudent face and said, pertly,
Pm not deaf Then why didn't you
answer me when spoke2 It's a very
lgly habit that you have of not replying
when any one addresses you. How is It
o be known that you hear what is saidp
The spirit in which Hannah met INV