The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1886-01-06
+ 4kMER's DAUGHGTERs.

~, F>7<5 ---- ~
a eestain paper says the best wives
in the world are farmers girls. We
believe II is true. Not but that many
mechanic' 8 and merchants and bank.
er's girls make good wives and excel
lent women. But the rule is that far.
/, mers girls are healthier, fresher,
fairer, more useful and sensible than
any other class of young women.
What Isl girl good for who has nc
vigor Of body. whose waist is like q
wasp's, whose lungs are cramped in !
tvaall their proper size.sw whose spine
lis crooked and diseased, whose nerves
are as weak as a splceny old woman's,
whose physical organization is so
weak and unstrung that every wind
gives her cold, every change In the
weather a neuralgia attack, every &C.
cident hysteric fit and every spider
that sets foot in her pathway fran.
tic terror?
What is a girl good for if she has
no useful information, whose hands
can serve no useful turn, who can Meth.
er make bread nor butter, nor clothes,
nor wash, nor nurse, nor mend ?
Wives live to some purpose, or ought
to. Theirs Is great mission. They
have noble service to preside over
the interests Of the thousands Of
homes that dot our country. The
dress, the comfort, the taste, the
health, the happiness. the intelligence,
the virtues Of our homes, are not a
little in their keeping. All the in.
terests that cluster around the fire.
side are confded to them. Not the
politicians at Washington. not the
professorsin our colleges, not our
men Of commerce in our seaports, not
the bankers in our cities, not the
merchants in our shops, not the
men in our professions, not even our
ministers Of the gospel, have commit
ted to them a grander or holier charge,
o. have in their keeping interests Of
greater Importance than the wives Of
our country. Our civilization, our
intelligence, our virtue, our progress
in all that,is great and good, depends
as much upon our wives as upon any
class Of the community.
They should then, be healthy,
strong and useful. They should
know how to do something that will
be Of service to their families. To
cook, to wash, to make, to mend, to
pickle, to preserve, to cure, to nurse,
to instruct, to please, to bless, to en-.
tertain, to serve, to encourage, TO
cut, TO knit and sew are some of
the offices deyolying upon wife. II
she knows not all of these things,
she must fail in some Of her duties.
If she cannot put her hand to some
Of these services, she cannot fulfill
her mission. To do these things she
must be well stocked with common
sense and useful information. To EN-.
broider, to finger a musical instru
ment, TO paint, to read French, and
nurse flow-pots and lapdogs, is small
part of wife's mission, To 60 into
Mysteries over the last novel, to weep
over newspaper doggerel, to study
the fashion-plate. to feast on the Ladys
Book as though II was solid food, 70
shuttle over love stories and be de.
lighted with ccxcomb literature
are accomplishments Of o very ques
tionable character in q wife. Half
grain Of common sense sprinkled in.
to few honrsof useful occupation is
worth more than all Of them. Because
farmers daughters are freer from
these fooleries, are sounder in health,
are trained to more useful employ.
ments, Is the reason why, as general
rule, they make better wives. AL
true accom- ,l.shments are to DC
priced; but the first and best and
ever 10 be esteemed accomplishment
Is TO be useful. This always makes one
agreeable, always makes one honor
ed. When usefulness In joined will
intelligence, virtue and graceful man
ners, il consummates the character
Of a good wife.-Mobile Register.