Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-01-19
not thinking their illjudgsd industry is

not thinking their illjudged industry is
to blame, not Providence.
Others lose their good looks and good
nature and become scolds and as sour as
the pickles they are so fond of making.
and all this to be known as the best and
most energetic housekeeper in the
district.
What becomes of the husbands?
What becomes of the children of these
workers? Is it all that is necessary to
see that they are properly fed and
clothed? Are they no better than the
cattle on the farm?
But this is not the type OF every
energetic housekeeper. There are many,
who like Josiah Aliens wife have prac-
teal sympathy for the needy and suffer-
ing and ready interest in the progress
of the community. Domestic work does
not mean domestic drudgery; but to
make it more than drudgery the farm
er's wife must possess an intellect and
soul above ''buttons.
Perhaps few labor saving machines
would help her. The farmers wife
needs, if any wife does, all the conven-
fences procurable to enable her to per-
form her daily duties with ease and save
time. strength and temper
Unfortunately she is neither Goliath
nor Samson, though she has need of
the size of the one and the strength Of
the other.
Neither is it enough for the farmer to
bring his wife home to the four walls,
the cookstove, table and '.six new yell
low chairs of his grandsires days and
expect her to perform miracles with them
as regards, cooking, washing, cleaning and
buttermaking, she to be always cheerful
and accomplishing. If his expectations
are fulfilled, then is his wife creature
far too bright and good for human
natures daily food.
| But should she admit her inability to
work the aforesaid miracles, then should
the farmer take thought, and let thought
result in something practical; for in
stance he might provide sewing and a
washing machine, cistern and we'll
| filled woodhouse conveniently situated
and efficient help whenever necessary.
He need not be millionaire in order to
do this. He need not even mortgage the
farm nor his twenty mich cows to buy
his wife a revolving churn. The proba-
bilitv is that the first tub of butter sold
will bring so good price it will nearly
pay for the churn and bring such salts
| faction to the soul of Mrs. Farmer as
will cause her to forget she is working
for her board and clothes and the blessed
privilege of being supported, for all
farmers support their wives, of course.
Having a home furnished with con-
venient appliances and labor-saving
machinery will enable the wife to sys-
tematize her work and obtain the needed
leisure for self-improvement and to rest
the body and improve the mind, keep
ING heart and face as fresh as possible
as the love of husband and children is
valued.
No women is educated unless she is
equal to the successful management of a
family, and co-equal with the mother s
influence is the influence of the home,
so well understood, so impossible to
analyze, consisting chiefly in the little
things. The bright. sunshiny rooms,
cleanliness, pictures, pretty belongings
and can air of pleasantness and intel
| ligence. No immense sum of money
need be expended, but an effort on the
part of the wife and mother. some labor
and much self-sacritice makes it at
tainable.
"Unless thou work thou shalt not eat
and the best work for farmers wives is
self-culture. Not entirely the polish
acquired by social intercourse, not ed
ucation altogether, but a cultivation of
the virtues and destruction of the
vices. This requires self-forgetfulness
in great degree, but the work of self
| Improvement is aided by an intelligent
study of the social and political prob
lens of the day.. For wife and house
keeper to be we'll read and conversant
with every day topics takes much time
and some of the minor details of house
work must take care of themselves or be
attended to by others.
Second to the duty of self-culture is
| to most wives the training of their chill
dren for lives of usefulness. But the
wife should not take upon herself the
entire responsibility; the father should
assume his share of the burden mother
has borne for ages so meekly and I'M
complainingly. Mother influence, so
talked of. so highly praised does not eX-
tend far beyond the cradle unless it be
seconded by the father example. From
the lips of children we hear constantly,
father thinks, father says, father
does" Children are imitators, learn
ing from example and the farmer, so
constantly with his family, has the best
of opportunities for teaching and place
ing good precepts and examples before
his growing children. He must be HIM
self what he would have his sons. He
should keep only such helpers as are
deserving to be taken into his family
and placed in such close association with
his children. If they commit all the
sins in the calender. how are the chill
dren to escape contamination? Let us
work not only for the present, but also for
the future, not for one person, but for
the young people, who go out from a
pleasant home and always look back
upon it as the most delightful spot upon
earth, for
Homes not merely roof and room,
1t needs something to endear 1t.
Home is where the heart can bloom;
Where there's some kind lip To cheer IL.
What is home with none to meet,
None to welcome. none TO greet usf
Home is sweet-and only sweet,
When there's one we love to meet us.
ISABEL BEETHAM.
SOCIAL TENDENCIES AND RURAL RE-