Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-12-11
A Woman Farmer.

Inc ODJectOI tnlS SKetch is no myCn,
but living, busy worker in her
farm home.
This article has two missions. First,
to verify the truth of the old maxim,
"Where there is a will there is
way" Second, to show that by APP
plying this will, woman, who is usu-
ally regardedas weak and dependent,
can accomplish things generally con-
sidered far beyond her power.
A farmer died in oneof the Eastern
States a few years ago, leaving
widow and five little children. Their
sole inheritance was a hundred-acre
farm, on which was mortgage of
$500, a few scrub cattle, some pigs,
poultry, a lot of old machinery, and
the usual household furniture.
Mr.. Brown, as we will call the de-
ceased, had always held the reins in
the farm management, brooking no
suggestions on the part of his wife.
"It amt in the nature of things" he
would say, "for woman to know
anything about farm matters. House
hold work is woman's mission, and it
is just all they are fit for"
If his knowledge of farm matters,
however, is to be judged by the sue
cess he had in farming, then surely
no one ever knew so little of his call
ing as he had known of his; for failure
lay on every hand. And of the $500
mortgage which was due in less than
one month from the time of his acct
dental death, as yet but $50 had been
raised, and that was spent in a man.
ner whollyuncounted on by himself
to defray his funeral expenses.
1t is natural for the woman to lean
upon her husband, to look to him for
support, and to shield her from the
rough blows of life. So it had been
with Mrs. Brown. And when she
found herself face to face with the
responsibility of supporting family
of six, and the entire training and
care of her five children, it seemed
that she had just suddenly awakened
to life.
Every neighbor and relative had
advice for her, and varied were the
suggestions to which she listened.
One proposed clearinghouse in the
village. Another, a support from
the needle. A third suggested giving
away the children, whild she could
find a home with some of her rela-
tives. Her brother offered a home to
her and the children on condition
that their services should be given to
him. The thought of her remaining
on the farm was one that nobody en-
tertained. Her husband had made a
failure oft, and it was not suppose
BILE that she could do more than he.
So the news was met with surprise
when she told her brother one day
that she had decided to keep her
home, and run the farm herself.
"Now, Maria," he said, chats
Just all nonsense. All the running
you'll do will be to run through with
what you have, and then you'll have
to go out without anything. You
had better listen to the opinion OF
Others"
But Mrs. Brown was obdurate.
"a terrible set woman Maria
Brown is" said one Of the neigh
bors. "There amt any use in ar.
GYM with her. But it's my opinion
that she'll be sorry she didn't take
the good advice she has had"
Mrs. Brown did not come to hel
decision until after days and nights
of earnest thought and planning. The
details of her nominations would bt
tedious; an epitome of her deciding
thoughts will be sufficient. 81 shall
keep my farm-sell off the waste lanC
and everything else that isn't profita
bic. Mychildren shall befree and hap
Ply in a home of their own. We shall
have little, but we will be lndepend
ent, and independence is a glorious
thing"
OF the hundred acres seventy wa,
in an old run-out pasture, which lay
in the rear of the farm. This, Mrs
Brown sold for little more than GOV
cred the mortgage. The thirty acre.
adjoining the buildings were retained
for their own use. Fifteen of these
were apportioned for a pasture, while
the remainder was devoted to hay
tillage, orchard, garden, and build
ings. The scrub cattle were sold anC
replaced with two good milch cows
More butter was sold from these eacl