The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-08-04
A FRONTIER FARMERS WIFE.
Her Burdens Are Many. and Her Pleasures
Are Few.

Are Few.
The ome who live in cities can form
no estimate Of the work done day after
day by the farmers wife on the frontier.
| There are no convenient laundries, baker,
les or stores where she could buy the
ready made articles she is compelled to
make for herself. 1t is unceasing work
with her from early sunrise until long
after the hours have grown small at
night. She lights the fires for breakfast.
Nowhere is a man SO completely lord
and master as OF. the farm His mother
was n farmers wife and lighted the fires;
his wife shall do the same. While the
kettle is boiling she does the milking,
and cases are not rare where a farmers
wife milks as many rs 8 or 10 cows
twice a day. The milk is carried into
the cellar i'll great heavy pals that
would try II mans strength, and she re-
turns to the work Of getting breakfast.
During the progress of the meal she cam
not sit back and eat and rest, as many
do, but is kept jumping up and down
waiting on the men folks and children.
1t is often IL question to strangers who
visit on the frontier if she ever gets a
chance to eat at all. Then the children
are to be started off to school, and
though the credit of their education falls
to the father it is the mother who does
extra work that they may go, and who
pulls them out of bed and starts them
off in time every morning.
The milk is to be strained and put
away, crooks scalded, butter churned,
and the dishes and chamber work still
wait. Dinner and supper and afternoon
work take up her day. Then in their
turns throughout the week there are
washing, ironing. baking every other
day, scrubbing, sweeping, sewing and
mending. In harvest time she will have
as many as II to cook for and does it all
alone. 1t is seldom that Il farmer feels
that he can afford to hire help in the
kitchen. She has the vegetable garden
TO see to. To brighten the dreariiless of
her life she has close to the seldom opened
front door n bed OF half starved looking
fowers-oli fashioned cONcolnb, four
o'clocks, grass pinlis and a few Other
cheerful looking plants that viii thrive
under neglect. She makes everything
that her family wears except hats and
shoes. She has 10 time 10 think OF rest
or self.
Ii is in most cases her lot t. wVlcum" Il
new baby every other year, and the Only
time when help il employed to assist her
is for n period of two or three weeks
when the little stranger arrives. The
births of the babies are about Ill that
vary the monotony of Ter life. Orca-
sionally death calls and takes from her
tired arms Il little life and leaves in its
place III added pain III her heart. Shcis
cid and tired ont at 30.
When her daughters reach the age III
which they could assist her, the dreary
prospect of a frontier lie appall5 them,
and they seek employment III town.
Nothing in her house is of late improve
ment. Her washboard is of the kind her
mother used. and her churn i'll its heavy,
clumsy build shows that it belongs to the
same date. Improvement stalks all over
the farm and leaves 10 trace in the kitch-
en-. Her pleasures are few. The salts
faction that she is doing her best seems
to be all that rewards her. Sheis Il hero
inc in II calico dress, wrillkled and stoop
shOullered-a Omu with II burden
who never complains. Late ut night
when all the members of the family are
in bed, IL light will shine out across the
prairie from the family living room 1t
is by this light the farmers wife is doing
her mending and sewing, and it vii!
shine ont long after the occasional travel
that way has stopped, and no one but
the one who blows it out knows at what
hour the patient burden bearers lahors
cease baltimore Herald.