The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-07-18
SOMERSET PA, WEDNESDAY JULY / s. 1894.

den, and admired the IuXuriant vine
which clambered over the woOd-house /;
but Mrs Bates seemed abscnt-minded
and less inclined 10 talk than usual
There was silence for minute while
she worked a if her life depended upon
getting done at certain moment. Mrs.
Bradley was just thinking how useless
it was totry to get anything out ofsuch
wooden woman, when suddenly Mrs.
Bates without lifting her eyes, jerked
out a question.
"Mrs. Bradley, Ishould like to know
would you mind telling me-what it
was Daniel said that day up To BerlS-
shiree"
"Who? Mr. Bates? Oh, he said he
had the hest wife in the whole coun-
tryp'
And then, searching her memory,
Mrs. Bradley gave faithful report Of
what she had heard.
IL was curious to note the effect Of
her words in the light which came into
the sad eyes, and the faint flush which
stole over the faded cheeks.
"Did Daniel say that?''
The wistful tone and the starting tear
were pitiful to the other woman, who
affected not to see or hear anything.
She broke of spray Of towering cur
rant, and said, as she tucked in her
belt and moved away:
"Yes, he did, aud quite agree with
him. And then remarked to herself
Poor creature, she has a heart after
allr'
1t was an hour later when Mrs. Brad
ley sat alone on the front piazza, that
Deacon Bates, his chores all done, came
and sat on the upper steps. He was a
man of much shrewd intelligence, who
read his weekly religious paper from
end to end, and liked to discuss an ar
ticle or a doctrine with bright woman
like Mrs. Bradley. His wife was still
busy in the kitchen, as the rattle Of
milk cans occasionally testified.
Mrs. Bradlcy's thoughts followed the
tired worker; her kind heart longcd to
make the weary life of this woman diff
ferent. If only somebody would speak
a few plain words to her husband, she
reflected, and get his eyes opened.
'Why not do that yourself" said her
inner voice.
She shrank from that, though telling
her conscience that perhaps she would
sometime, ifshe got good opportunity.
The deacon, taking of his hat, ran
his fingers meditatively through his
gray locks, and opened up on an article
lac had read that afternoon on the COM
parative merits of trade or profession
compared with farming.
ain my opinion" he declared, after
descanting at some length upon the
subject, ''the farmer has the best of il
every time it's IA healthy, Independent
sort of life, and he doesn't have to work
like a slave the year round. In the
winter he can get time TO tinker at odd
jobs and do sight of reading besides,
if hes 50 disposed"
Then Mrs. Bradley could not resist
saying:
'.And the farmers wives? They, too,
have a good rest in the winter-fairly
idle, aren't they"
"Oh, no, there's plenty of work, but
it isn't hard In the fall, after the ber
ries are put up, comes the drying of ap-
Piles and pumpkins. Then there's sau-
sages 10 make, and lard and tallow to
fry out-When all that's done, there's
a lot of sewing and knitting and carpet
rags. NV wife makes her own carpets,
and my clothes, and the boys, all but
our Sunday coats. Then il takes lot
OF cooking TO keep three or four appe-
tites going, and we don't have any help
in the winter, usually"
His listneer could scarcely keep indig-
nation from her tones as she replied
as it possible that all this is added to
the work of the summer? | do not
wonder that according 10 the statistics
a large proportion of the women con-
fined in lunatic asylums are farmers
wives. 1t is dreary life, making
woman into perfect drudge"
''Well, / don't know" the farmer an
swerod, musingly, ''we must earn our
bread by the sweatof our brow. The
Bible says that works good for Us. |
guess it is, and wise provision of Prov
idence. l don't knows its any worse
for women than it is for men,
'But it seems to me that the lot Of
the farmers wife is less desirable than
that Of her husband. According to
your own account she has less leisure,
and then he seems to have more varie-
ty in his work, and it Is relieved hy
small pleasures. In summer it is most
ly out of doors; then he jumps into his
wagon and is off to town two or three
times IA week on errands ;and his neigh
b1r often happens along and leans on
the fence and talks. At noon he takes
nap i'm his chair or reads his paper
few minutes, but according TO my OBJ
servation a farmers wife Is drudge.
She seems to have no time for these lit
tie rest places, and the consequence is,
all is dreary and monotonous- 1t is no
wonder she loses her mind and has
paralysis ; for her work Is never done"
Deacon Bates sat silent minute
while he stroked the gray stubble on
his chin, then he said slowly:
II dno; may be it's 80. | never
thought about it just that way"
Mrs. Bates come around the corner of
the house just then, and took down
some clothes from the line in the side
yard. Her husband watched her me
chanicaIly as she folded and placed
them in the basket.
''Your wife is a marvel to me, accom-
pIishing all she does" Mrs. Bradley
: said n she watched her; 'but she looks
worn she will break down some day
: suddenly, / fear. Ii would make Won
derful difference in this house 10 have
her busy hands and feet still forever,
wouldn't it,"
. The deacon turned and looked at
Mrs. Bradley half wildly, a. if such a
thing had never crossed his mind.
Then he got up, strobe over to the line