Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-08-06


statistics show that more farmers wives so
insane than any other class of women. Per-
haps the following sketch sent us by a con-
tlibutor will throw some light on the reason
of it, 1t was a farmer who said on buryin,~
his fourth wife that he never did have any
luck with wives anyhow. He and the ono in
tho accompanying sketch were the old-fash-
toned kind, however. The farmers of the
new time have more consideration
The first thing to be done in the morning
she must have the breakfast ready early, so
that the men can get i'll the field in time to
do days work. Some time there is dinner
to put up for those who work at distance.
The next work to be done is the milking and
the milk to put away
Now says the wife, II have the churning
to do before it gets warm and the calves and
chickens must be fed, and the bread must be
baked before it sours. and there is not any
wood ready to heat the stove. | do wish we
could heat the stove with coal as they do in
town"
While she is gathering wood she hears her
sick baby cry and runs in before she gets
wood enough to bake the bread Poor baby,
he is getting his teeth. He won't be sick this
way another summer. The husband comes
in with u lot of mill sacks and says:
"Wife, want these mended before noon.
| want to 90 to mill this afternoon" And
looking around he says: Here are the break
fast dishes on the table Wife, you are ter
rblv slow
yes husband, am slow, but the cows got
in the garden, and it took me some time to
get them out and put up the fence: but l can
wash the dishes while the dinner is cooking"
The hired men come to the house before
f,,i.. : b., in Int
After the men rested a little, the wife says to
her husband, privately; Il wish you would
tell the men to cut some stove wood, and
carry a tub of water to the milk cellar, 50 |
can scrub it,"
The husband says: Cant you let the men
rest IA minute:"
The wife gets the dinner ready by noon,
and comes to the kitchen door with the baby
in her arms and says: Dinner is ready"
The first thing the wife hears is: "This
bread is not baked done"
Il can't help it," she says; ait is the best
could do with the wood | could find when my
sick baby was crying"
The husband says: "What is the matter
with this butter"
The wife answers: "The milk cellar needs
cleaning, and ! will do it as soon as can get
time"
The husband remarks: Cline, indeed
l could do what you have to do and play
half the time.
Dinner over, and dishes washed, the
up stairs work and sweeping and busting
done, the wife must wash a few things for
baby, and dig some potatoes and gather some
apples while the baby is asleep, and must iror
babys clothes while supper is cooking
Supper over, dishes must be washed, milk
skinned, crooks washed milking done and
put away. The husband goes to bed, the wife
sits down with her back to her husband tC
keep the light from shining on him. He get:
his first nap and says: Wife what are you
doing up SO late every night" She says 81
have mended some clothes for the children
and am now trying to get Marys dress done
for the last day of school. | had to hir,
fifty cents worth of work on it so | could get
it done in time" Fifty cents, indeed l won
pay any such bills as that for such nonsense,
replies he. And another thing did not tel
| you. brought home some goods to make m,
and the hired men pantaloonS | told then
you would make theirs for them. 1t vii
save something. And | also told them you
would do their washing, it will save 81 ;
month from each of them. And the bill
for the sewing and washing you did for Ben
| net WAS Hl'' ana ulr nay SoJ VI MN wa
| $40, that makes him and me even. The wifi
SAYS to herself: This won't do | must 20 t
bed, for have the weeks washing to do to
morrow, or to-day, for it is after II o'clock.
After She had lain down a short time sh,
heard a noise in the children's room. Sh,
hurried in and found little John with chill
| She lit the lamp and started fire and wa
trying to yet the boy warm, when the hus
band awokc again and said Wife, what is al
this racket about! | won't be able to do mucl
work ii am bothered this way The wifi
answers: Il am afraid John will die, for
can't get him warm The husband said: 4"
will risk that. You are always getting cX
cited about nothing"
Mrs. j. w. ARCHARD