Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-05-27
ROUGH PLACES


Mrs. Alden, in tone of desuopa
to her husband, as became IN E
his hands at the sink after oil;r.
new horse rake.
THAT is bad, Jennie. Va.
have to let your washing 90 81
morrow; then you can borrow
| Selden's tub"
"But this will all fall to pieces
stands, and We are expectino
pany tomorrow"
al can't help. it; / can't ste.
work - go off with it nov
must make hay when the sun &
il you do it at all. Can't Won !,
up, so that it will do to-day? Il,
think you might"
Perhaps so, if you will bs.,
What can take?"
ooh, anything for this tina.
really | ought not to stop a MI,
| Where is your -lineg''
| The colored clothes are on !
dry"
Hang them on the fence and
have it quick"
So Mrs. Alden trotted ont
moved her clothes and took II.
down, while Mr.. Alden stood :
door and whistled impatiently,
',Do mop up this water, ~
How can you stand in such a npsa
There, forgot to get you a new y
handle, but you can make it d
day can't your"
Il suppose | shall have to.
promised to get one three weeks u
when you broke this"
Il know | did, but never thin,]
it-a man has so many things h
to. There, that will 60 this wess1I
doesn't leak much. Idon't see {
made it break.
''The hoop rusted out. The Oh y
has done good service; it has bes
use ) years" n
There, confound i'll What did, I
leave the washboard there forl'N
have broken it all to pieces"
'lt il worn out and rotten. Ii.
you would get me a new one,
never tinker it up again."
Rub your clothes with yourbss
| my mother always did, and She -
had a dashboard in her life.p
Alden marched of to the hay i
before he met with another al
trophe to take up his time.
He was hardly out of sight bsioy
tin-peddler's cart stopped at thedos
containing a collection OF all arid
used in family, from washtubsdo5
to brooms, mops and pins.
Anything in the way of trade, N
Alden, today" asked the man.
mo, think not. My husbanddd
not like me to buy of peddlers.
says | always get cheated.
"Have you not as good right
have suitable apparatus to werkFi
as he has? He has a new horse-rsI
and a hay-tedder, and his wife is wo5
ing i'll a tub tied up with a rope, snl
washboard that looks asst Noah'sxl
brought 1T out of the ark, and q les
water pail, a dipper without hand
a broken mop handle--bless mel
A,denl What is the use2 You
more money when you were mani
than he had, and | would have tod
| to work with that were comfortab3
to say the least. He never stops
think what a thing costs, If he needs
or if it will make his work easier.
tires you more to get along with lid
things than it does to do Your work
Mrs. Alden sat down and looked
property over. 1t was ridiculous E
get along in this way. The peddI
was right; she had more money th1
her husband when they started Il
and she had worked harder thsn ed
he had. She had managed every u
to get along and he never thought i
needed any thing new or eonvenies5
Her setting obt was almost werr "a
and nothing was ever replaced ID
must make it do; it costs everytha
to liver'-and so she had dragged siol
year after year, and things wore d
and were not replaced A big luu
rose in her throat as she sat thd
thinking.
what do you ask for your was
tubs?" she inquired at length.
1.-TWO dollars for the large oaes5
dollar and quarter for the next 81
Mop-handles for a quarter, was
boards quarter, dippers twenty cen'
brooms thirty"
Hand me down two washtabs
you please-one of each size; ii.
dashboard, too"
Yes; and a pail and dipper, tool
would have them"
And she did have them, and suadfi
other necessary things, amounting
all to the little sum of Sl2. She pa
in barter, such as feathers, rags, e.
dried apples and butter, and went
work with renewed courage; but q
knew that her husband would gros
at the outlay and expected aresula
tempest at dinner.
She was not disappointed But =
had got the things and was glad ofit
and couldn't feel very bad. Add
opened his eyes in astonishment.
"1ou paid twice what the things a
worth. / could have bought the
cheaper. We could have got along
while longer"
Il suppose | have as good right Z
Judge OF what ! need to do my wo1
as you have to get things to rasfV
your work easy; and | MAJ
up my mind to-day that wha
needed any thing | shous
have it hereafter. You know Tee
every article | bought to-day IS
actually needed in the house. fc
have said time and again you woaa
get them, but you never remember !
1t is a rough place for a woman to ]
placed in: to have to do her work az
nothing convenient to do it with.
Is like the ancient Israelltes, compelN
to make bricks without straw, and
am not going to do it any longer
"Ali owing to the hoop bursting
the washtub to-day"
iSS, biioJ was ltlt itlcG itdCliSA 49,
broke the camel's back: and the me-
horse-rake came too near together.
could not avoid contrasting your COZ
veniences with mine, and you can 9
how it stood. You have every Pc
machine that is invented to mak
teamwork easy, and Ihavenothings
all"
Mr.. Alden said no more, but ate D
dinner in silence, and the hired menei
changed significant glances at sas
other. They had thought and spoks'
OF the patience which the little woIns
had shown in working at such q
advantage and always tryingt to nlsE
the best of what she had, and the
were heartily glad that she had at ~
made a protest against the injusties.
After the days work was dou'
Alden drove his team down to the 2
lage, and when he came back he brousl
a new stove for the kitchen, ne
pump for the cistern and buttd
worker for the dairy, and mis- wife BE-
since that washing, found that p
rough pieces have been smoothed I'M