The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-05-26
FARMERS WIVES.

Perhaps the farmers wife is not an
object of pity; perhaps no more is re-
quired of her than any other woman
might do, but it cannot be denied that
she is expected to do very great deal.
The farmer of today is intelligent. He
likes to attend big Grange meetings
and Farmers Institutes; he likes to
take his wife along with him he likes
to see her dress stylish and her hair as
neatly arranged as the dress and hair
of any other mans wife. Should they
be obliged to take the baby along, she
is expected to take care of it; he
wants to listen TO the speeches, and he
couldn't keep 1t still any way, so there's
no use in trying. Should there be
dinner connected with the meeting, his
wife must furnish her share of light
biscuit, frosted cake, etc; she must
also help to set the table and pour the
coffee. Should she called on for
speech her husband is gratified to hear
her read well written essay, and does
not like it if she cannot at least make
a graceful excuse. If she has the least
musical talent, she is wanted to play
the organ or help sing. 1t is not neces-
sary to add that this same farmer likes
to see his house neatly kept, his food
we'll served, his children clean and in
state of good repair; all that goes
without saying. Should guests visit
their home, he expects his wife to regale
them with savory repast, and also to
entertain them with we'll chosen con-
versation. Should his fingers be stiff
with hard work, he requests his wife to
write his letters for him; and should
she be skilled in arithmetic there is no
reason why she should not keep his
accounts.
Bythe-way, why IS it that our girls
are so much better educated than our
boys? Is it because the father keeps
his sons out of school whenever he
needs their help, while the mother
allows her daughter to go, even though
doing her daily work without her in
wolves working halt the night too?
However that may be, it is certain that
mothers are seldom willing to keep
their children away from even the dis
trict school, no matter how often their
wardrobe must be replenished or re-
paired to keep it in trim, or how hard
it is to do baking enough so that the
dinner pals may always be filled. Of
course, children sometimes needlessly
increase the mothers tasks. Boys will
climb the trees and wade the brooks.
Boys and girls, too, will play 'pull
away" and other rough games, to the
detriment of their clothing. l, let me
whisper it, used to play pull away and
cared nothing for the missing buttons
and torn button-holes over which my
good mother grieyed at night. l have
since heard her say that sometimes she
was obliged to sit up till midnight IN
order to repair the damage that one
days playing had made In the clothes
of her large and lively family, so that
the same garments could be worn again
the next day. When l heard the re-
mark | could only quiet my conscience
by rejecting, 81 was a child then"
We are sometimes expecting too
much when we expect grown people to
be patient and reasonable we must
bear with the thong ghtlessness and selfish
ness of childhood. Charlie does not
know why his mother draws that deep
sigh when he calls her from her IRON
| ing to help him with that troublesome
example in fractions nor Jennie guess
why her mamma looks so discouraged
when the little girl demands a dress
just like her playmate's, "wlth four ruff
fles on the skirt"
1t is probable that the wife and
mother does some unnecessary work for
herself, as well as for her husband and
children but who would deprive her
Of her window full OF plants, of that
singing bird in the cage, or of that little
roll of calico, merino, or siIken scraps
which she will transform into thing of
beauty by and by? Yet, all this takes
time, and we cannot wonder that the
leisure hours, or even moments, Of the
farmers wife are like "angels" visits
few and far between" Grange Bnl-
AetiN.