Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-03-02

i In my opinion, lie declared af-
ter descanting at some length npon
the subject. -the farmer has the
best Of it eveFytime: it's healthy.
independent SORT Of life, and he
doesn't have to work like 4 slave
the year around. In the winter he
can get time to tinker 1t odd Jobs
and do sight of reading besides If
he's so disposed.
Then Mrs. Bradley could not re-
sist saying:
| And the farmers wiyes. They.
too. haye gooa.rrstfs &c wintsr
fairly earned, aren't they 2
oh, no, there's plenty Of work,
but it isn't hard. In the fall. af-
ter the berries are picked and put
up, comes the drying Of apples and
pumpkins. Then there's sausage
to make, and lard and tallow to fry
ont. When all that's done. there's
lot of sewing end knitting and
carpet rags. My wife makes her
own carpets, and my clothes and
the boys, all but our Sunday coats.
Then it takes lot Of cooking to
keep three or four healthy appetites
going, and We don't have any help
in winter
His listener could scarcely keep
indignation from her tones as she
replied
is it possible that al this is ad-
ded to the work of the summer? |
don't wonder that according to sta
tistics large portion of the women
confined to lunatic asylums are far
mers' wives. 1t is a dreary life,
making u woman into perfect
drudge
We'll, l don't know, the farmer
answered musingly. we must earn
our bread by the sweat Of our brows.
The Bible says that works good for
US. | guess it is, and wise pro-
vision of Providence. l don't know
if it is any worse for women than it
is for men,
But it seems to me that the lot
OF che farmers wife is less desirable
than that of her husband. Accord
ing to your own account she has
less leisure, and then he seems to
have more variety in his work, and
it is relieved by small pleasures. In
summer his WORK is mostly out Of
doors; then he jumps into bis wagon
and is Off to town two or three times
o week on errands, aud his neigh
Dor often happens along and leans
on the fence and talks. At noon
he takes a nap in his chair or reads
his paper few minutes: but accord
ing to my observation n farmers
wife is drudge. She seems to
have no time for thrs, little rest
places, and the consequence is, all
is dreary and monolouous. IL is
no wonder she loses her mind and
has paralysis, for her work is never
done
Deacon Bates sat silent e minute
while he thoughtful s.-okcd the
gray stubble on his chin; then he
said slowly:
Il don't know, maybe it's so.
never thought about it in iust that
way Mrs. Bates came around the
corner of the house just then and
took down some clothes from the
line in the side yard. Her husband
watched her mechanically as she
folded and placed tbcm in the bask-
ct.
Your wife is a marvel TO me, ac-
complishing all she does Mrs.
Bradley said as she watched her,
but she looks worn; she will break
some day suddenly, ] fear. 1t
would make wonderful difference
in this house to have her busy hands
and feet still forever, wouldn't it:'
The deacon turned and looked at
Mrs. Bradley half wildly, as if such
q thing had never before crossed his
mind. Then he got up, strobe ever
to the line just as his wife was about
to lift the heavy basket Of clothes,
and taking it from her carried it
into the house. She followed,
amazed.
Not since the FIRST year Of their
married life had Dan'P offered to
do any Of her work. What had
come over him.
When Deacon Bates had anything
special on his mind he was wont to
betake himself to the orchard. He
went there nov and sat down on a
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