The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-04-05
Redress for.the Farmers Wife.
"a mans work is from sun to sun,

"a mans work is from sun to sun,
But woman's work is never done,"
is as true as it is hackneyed saying, and
it is fact, and one to be deplored, that
the farmers wife especially is that over
worked creature that Whittier calls
"household drudge" She is mostly a
"willing horse" and pulls readily in har-
ness-so to speak-but the time comes
when if the horse is over.worked it breaks
down from sheer inability to go. No
matter how willingly the shoulders bend
for the burden there are still found ready
hands to pile it on. Indeed, the farmer
himself unconsciously adds to her labors,
for like all men, he loves Widespread
table, and thinks the cooking and house
work, and caring for half 8 dozen children,
is mere trihe and can be done in hur-
ry and we'll done too.
It is said that "love lightens labor"
aud perhaps it does, if it is the kind Of
love that turns in and lends helping
hand; but otherwise, all that kind of talk
is wind, and the man that talks is
wind.bag, unless he shows some consid-
Grafton for the object loved. There are
some men who expect their wives to care
for the babies all night, and yet arise
refreshed and smilingin the morning, and
prepare breakfast in time for the family,
and perform the hundred other duties
that de7olve on the mother of house.
hold. He is very much surprised if she
complains of fatigue-whicb, to do her
Justice, she seldom does-and should she
chance, in the course of time to break
down, he ascribes it to "bile," and pro-
cures for her numberless powders and
pills, and is again surprised that they
seem to do no good. Oh, man! man!
when will you learn that your wife is no
less human than you, and does not pos.
sess the constitution or strength of an
elephant?
Some time since the statistics Of one
of the States showed that of insanity
among women, the greatest number of
cases were those of farmers wives. Does
not this fact prove there is something
extremely "rotten in Denmark? 2" 1t is
not that the farmer does not work him.
self, but he generally has labor-saving
machinery, while his wife has none.
Patiently she plods along, always hoping
for rest land never getting it) she goes to
bed tired and gets up tired, and with the
ever-ready order to "move on" she moves
on until with sorrowful gladness she at
last reaches the final ''great rest" of all.
Is it any wonder that even babies of these
over.worked wives come into the world
looking like little old worn.out men and
wcnen, too tired to even cry, or else by
their continual wailing, giving voice
to the unspoken fatigue of the mother?
Right here let me give bit of "horse-
sense" There will never be a superior
race mentally or physically until men
give as much care to their wives as they
do to their Jerseys and their thorough.
bred horses! Don't be shocked and call
this sweeping untruth. Its, alas only
too true, and oh the pity ofit, the pity
OF it! There are numberless instances of
farmers who, to their honor be it said,
treat their wives "as their own bodies"
with all tenderness and kindness, but the
majority are of the other kind.
During this summers vacation away
from home I met with atopical farmers
wife. She looked like patient, plodding
ox-and did the work of one. With
large family of children, and with what
assistance they rendered, she cooked,
washed, ironed, brought water from a dis
tant down. hill spring, cared for the young
children, did countless other duties, and
aided her husband besides in the farm.
work. He worked hard also, but had
hired labor and was thriving enough to
have afforded the same for her. Itprob-
ably never occurred to him that his
wife was over.worked, because she never
| ,or nlained and vet connaratively yo,1np
in years, Ler face was wrinkled with care
and her head sprinkled with snow. We
all know that
'Too much care will make young man gray,
Too much care will turn an old man to clay"
and the farmers in general without being
such extreme cases, as the one mentioned,
gives too little consideration to the vel.
fare of his wife, while she is spending
health, strength and life for him and his.
atlanta. Ga. Southern CulIivdtor.