The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-07

| fore the morning boar frost has changed into
pearly dew drops; they lunch there Mt noon
| time and quit not their toll until the evening
shadows have crept acros, the landscape. They
need no help OF masculine arms in any part OF
their work. They fling down thick, heavy
bundle OF stalks across their laps; in n thrice
with thumb and forennger part the leathery
husk at its silky tip and tear 1t asunder; then
| with q dexterous movement Of hand and wrist
| snap the ear OFF It's stalk and toss It over the
shoulder into bushel basket. 1t does not take
| them long to husk measure full Of maize, and
when the basket is trimming with grain. lightly
they swing It upon their shoulder, and stumbling
across the furrowed field dump the ears into a
great two-wheeled farm cart that waits all day
there to receive the fruit of their toll Later
they fetch the farm horses aaeld and hustle the
corn house at the homestead. Then their work
is done for the day. and In the dark they stroll
back to their homes In the city's slums. singing
Indeed. the cause Of their merriment is not
rugged and laborious work, but to people used
TO the 5oyless tasks In crime and saualor Of
refroshins 0 isrt rather than a thing akin to
druid gerry, to shuck corn all day In the autumn
Sar and
twelve hours a dayr Why. not blessed cent.
ordinarily, They exact wage OF course. but
Mather is one OF the largest corn growers along
Windsor ayenue-his rich corn fields are the
Roman danes are husking all his maize, prac-
ncsily for nothing az atmse isrn h, argue
IN IN hnsR % S ns
takes the corn and the women the husks. A
decidedly unfair discrimination this, most folks
might argue-a novel aud extraordinary inter-
state, about sfarmin on shares" or halves -
less they know their own minds best
To most old-feshioned Connecticut husband
Of no asret account" except to feed to stock in
the rigors of midwinter; but the Italian women
,ssy to s 81 Do
Mather's husking for the sake OF the husks.
Verify the idea e queer enough in this land 70
seoii intermittentiy at tho :. foolish women's
whim." every time he passes the field in which
Nevertheless, he is not altogether easy on ac-
count Of the Innovation OF "women's work" in
iro s mood, combined with apprehension on
hi Fd R two se e IN New England the hired
man " has been fixture OF every well regulated
farmstead, has deemed himself well nigh indis-
pensable. and Il was ever his lordly way TO de-
mand Jest slS month and found-'and
found mind you-no more n no less." from his
spRpoyer; and he 20, 4. too Without h,6 protest
asks himself mighty sly. How fur is this new
deal with Eyetalians- women at that-goin' ter
With wimmss dswin' the msIn an t the soea
in some towns, an now grabbin' at the help O.
the corn huskin'f'
The fact Is, this brand-new mode Of Italian
women husking in Connections coTnhelds Is a
sort OF q pointer. the hired man notes II.
grimly Indicating n time, not very distant, when
the OCCUPATION OF the hitherto invaluable bu-
collie Othello may be entirely gone. That's the
idea, In the way OF diyinatiOn, already clearly
dawning In the Nutmeg farm hands fancy, that
hnpels him To soon aud smile ironically. and
whistle, too, Ia order 70 keep his courage up. as
he trudges daily, his idle hands In his pockets,
about Windsor avenue. But however the farm
hand may view the new mode, IL Is certain that
the farmer welcomes IL with knowing, thrifty,
and crafty smile. And why shouldn't her The
With grim satisfaction-has long been rather
ried things with high hand, since he
realized that he was about the scarcest
and here Is a beautiful chance. the aRricul-
turist reasons, 70 turn the tables on him with
female help. He reflects, Furthermore, that
with fenais hslSsrs on his rough; sterile; and
bagatelie OF wage, the opportunity is free 10
him again 20 make a little money for himself In
an occupation that during the past quarter Of n
century, at least, has been an but thanklessly
tuAlly impossible much OF the time. for southern
New England farmers To procure competent
farm help AZ any price, and 10 that fact II Il due
that so many Agricnltnrists' especially IN Mass
the West or abandoned their farms 10 under
take a vocation more promising.
MAthers experience with Italian women,
therefore, Is most significant 10 them. His
have done the work OF an equally large force OF
hired men. whoss wages would have been AZ the
rate OF more than $50 . month, and done II
quite A. quickly and as well. In fact, says Mt
corn day. No wonder he Is pleased with his
experiment