The Charlotte Democrat., 1888-09-28
The Country Housewife.

One of the darkest features of farm life
is the hard lot imposed on the wife and
mother. Country customs have made the
farmers wife slave to work, and it will
be blessed era in country homes when
this hard working martyr will throw off
the bondage entailed upon hsr by her fe-
male ancestry, and through the privileges
thus secured rise to higher place among
women. There is prevailing idea that
has descended from generation to genera
tion that the farmers wife, in order to be
true help-meet, must bear far heavier
responsibility than is expected of any
other women. In almost all other avoca-
tions of men the wives are relieved of any
financial obligation. But the average
| farmers wife not only performs the work
of the house, endures all the sufferings and
| anxieties of maternity, but also assists
largely in the family's support. For the
body and mind to be under such constant
pressure from work and care must inevita-
bly, work degeneracy to both. Some time
! since friend of mine had been visiting
one of his aunt's, farmers wife. When
speaking to me of her, he said: eff my
aunt were made of cast iron and every
bone in her body steel, l should think she
i "oNAO AofS WIN Out 1O4R oSOs AuN
| when he told of her rising before day
break, and of her constant labors that
| never ceased until at q late hour of tie
night, why it fairly made my own body
| ache. As facts are more powerful than
fancy, am going to relate an instance of
one farmers wife's work; aud I want to
preface it by saying that as highly col.
cred as it may seem it is not In the least
overdrawn. / chanced to become acquaiut.
ed with the family few years ago, and
the memory of that woman's life, the hu-
m an machine that she was, will ever lin
ger in my mind. Her husbands name
was good for fifty thousand dollars. His
property consisted of many rich, valuable
acres, herds of fine cattle, spans of beau
tiful horses, and heavy bank account.
Two men were constantly employed on
the farm, and extra hands in the busy sea-
Sous. There were four children 10 the
family, the eldest girl OF twelve. All
the domestic labor on this farm home,
even to the knitting and sewing for the
family, and washing for the hired men.
was done by this farmers wife, her only
help being what her little daughter gave
her when out of school. Dairying was a
prominent feature of the farm, and every
year hundreds OF pounds OF butter was
made by her. 1t is needless to say that
this woman was a slave-worse, even
for had she possessed nothing there would
| have seemed more reason in such hard
work. do not believe she ever spent
one moment in rest and recreation, for
when the housework was over she always
had knitting or sewing on hand. She
gave no time to reading, no time to home
or social pleasures.
| Who was to blame? No more the hus
baud than the wife. There was fast
rooted idea in the community that extrs
help in the farm house was unnecessary
that, excepting in sickness, the woman
was unthrifty who could not carry on her
house work without paying wages fol
hire. Now, right here I shall mention
one plain subject which does not receive
the attention that it should when the du
ties of the husband and wife are spoken O
comparatively. A great deal of allow
ance should be made for the physical de
bility that maternity produces ON the sys
tenn. For the woman who is bearing
children, who spends anxious sleeplesl
nights in caring for crying babies, to car
ry on the work that many farmers wife
does, is simply barbarious.-ITuth.