Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-29
THE DEACON'S WIFE.
dow Mrs. Bradley Helped to End
Her Drudgery.


Her Drudgery.
Mrs. Bradley had come up to Berls-
ssnire with her husband and many others
70 attend the annual convocation of
their church. While she rested in her
room after the morning session she
heard a conversation which interested
her, between two men on the veranda
just under her window.
Through the half-open blinds she
recognized one of them as Deacon
Bates, sturdy farmer delegate who
had shown much good sense in the few
words he had spoken in the business
meeting.
whether farming can be made to pay
or not depends a good deal upon the
sort of a wife a man has," Deacon
Bates was saying, and this was the sem
tence which arrested Mrs Bradley's
attention.
IF he has to run the farm and the
house too and depend upon hired help
he can't lay up anything. One of my
.neighbors is in that fix: his wife don't
know how to work herself; she trusts
every thing to help and she spends her
time gadding about. Things GO at skies
and sevens; their butter and poultry
are the poorest in the market. 1 am
sorry for him. l believe I've got the
best wife in the country. myself" he
went on, tipping back his chair against
the house and clasping his hands over
the back of his head; ''she beats every
thing there is going for work. She
tends to everything herself; is up at
daylight and sometimes before, and
her butter is tip-top; we get the biggest
prices going. She's a splendid cook,
too. / never need go away from home
to get good victuals, now l tell you.
Well, the fact is she is as smart as a
steel trap at anything she takes hold
of. She makes all her own clothes and
most of mine and boards the farm
hands and once in awhile takes some
city boarders. / never would "a been
so forehanded if it hadn't "a been for
her. And she's always at home sum-
1ner and winter; T don't blieve she's
been off the place only to go to church
these twenty years.
Poor drudge" Mrs. Bradley ex
claimed to herself as the dinner bell
put an end to the conversation.
1t so happened that in the course of
that summer Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley,
wishing to find comfortable quarters
for a few weeks in the country, near
enough to the city SO that Mr.. Bradley
could go in and out conveniently, were
directed to Berkshire and to the house
of Deacon Bates.
1t was not until she was seated at
the tea table in the cool dining room of
the Bates family one July evening
that Mrs. Bradley identified the deacon
as the man with an extraordinary wife.
Mrs. Bates did not look in the least
like the busy, bustling worker Mr..
Bates had pictured. She was small,
pale woman with gray hair and visit
full brown eyes. Her low-spoken
words were few, and her manner apa-
thetic, as if life had lost it's flavor if it
ever had any.
During the next few weeks Mrs.
Bradley had opportunity to prove that
Deacon Bates had spoken truly of his
wife. Her house was a model of neat
ness, her ''victuals" were truly deli
~cious, and each day she turned off an
amount of work, assisted only by one
other pair of hands, which was truly
incredible. "a working machine"
Mrs. Bradley thought as she watched
the treadmill round of Swimming milk,
-churning, baking, dressing poultry,
washing, ironing, cooking and wash
ing dishes, beginning at sunrise and
not bv any means concluded at sunset.
Sometimes in the twilight tine tired
woman rested few minutes. then
Mrs. Bradley, plying the narrow life,
20 har- in II,
an article in the newspapers. or a bit
from an amusing book, but the weary
listener usually nodded in the midst
of it.
One evening after tea, as Mrs Brad
lev wandered about the place, she
came upon Mrs. Bates, who was out
under the apple tree engaged in pick
ing chickens
.sYou are at it early and late, aren't
you?' Mrs. Bradley said, as she watched
the swift fingers travel over the plump
chicken. 81 heard that you were per-
fectly remarka BILE, but had not ina
pined that one SO persistently indus
-trious existed"
"You heard that of me?" Mrs. Bates
with more interest than she
had ever before displayed. How could
your"
eft was when the convention was
held at Berkshire. happened to over
hear your husband sounding your
praises"
Mrs. Bradley hoped that at last she
had found key to open this closed
heart, as CLEAN of surprise flashed
for an instant on the worn face of the
farmers wife, SO she exerted all her
powers of pleasing; she praised the
flower garden, remarked on the fine
chicken, and admired the luxuriant
vine which clambered over the wood
house, but Mrs. Bates seemed absent
minded and less inclined to talk than
usual. There was silence for a minute,
while she worked as if her life depend
ed upon getting done at certain m O.
ment Mrs. Bradley was just thinking
how useless it was to try to get any
thing out of such q wooden woman,
when suddenly Mrs. Bates, without
lifting her eyes from her work, jerked
out question:
Mrs Bradley, I should like to know |
-would ron mind telling me-what ]