Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-02-01
THE FARMERS WIFE.

In some things the city lady has greatly
the advantage of the country matron. But
there is a certain dignity belonging to .
country home that is rarely seen elsewhere
This was, perhaps, more strikingly true OF
country life as it existed in the South be
fore the war. But it is, also, true of it
under the changed conditions of to-day
and it always will be true. Something
there must be about the country home, be-
sides the freedom of life, the sunshine, and
pure air, to account for the fact that most
of the worlds warriors, statesmen, anc
financiers, were country bred. These boys
had mothers of the nobler sort. 1t is some
what the fashion among certain class Of
empty pated idiots of this money loving
generation to sEeer at country "folks" as
slow and stupid, while the very cities il
which these Notwithstanding, spindle
shanked dudes, and mincing dudines, afflict
society, are ruled and governed by men
who, with stalwart bodies and sound brain
came from the farm. Nor is it too much
to say that the hope Of American civiliza
ton to-day is the farmers, their families
and their influence.
Under no other circumstance in life are
the influences for developing the qualities
Of true wife and real helpmate to hel
husband, SO strong as the conditions which
surround home life on the farm. Here to
greater extent, perhaps, than would be
possible in any other situation in life, is
shown the mutual dependence of husband
and wife. In the scarcity of house servants
nay the almost impossibility OF getting
them to live in the country at all, the entire
work of the house must be done by the wife.
She it is who must cook the meals for the
family, and in many cases for the hired
men also. Indeed, sometimes the work she
willingly does seems certainly unreasona
bic. and toa city woman it would be consid-
cred too outrageous to be thought of for al
instant; such, for instance, as when the
threshing machines come, often without
notice, and the wife has to cook for ten OIL
twelve extra hands. Fortunately, they
usually stay only one OF two days. Then
the hay press comes with its gang of half
a dozen, for whom she must furnish meals
for week. The housewives Of South River
should feel very kindly to the Fishersvllle
Farmers Club who for the last few years
have required threshers and hay balers to
furnish and board their own hands.
Strangely enough this excellent arrange
ment seems to be very slow getting into
general use, owing doubtless to the indis-
position of threshers and hay press men to
adopt it, to do which would require them
to make special arrangements for boarding
themselves. The plan, however, has been
followed for several years by farmers on
the Long Meadows, and they are much
pleased with it. Like other good things Of
slow growth. it will no doubt become gen
eral. and be permanent. Every right
thinking farmer realizes fully his DEEPEN
dence FOR success upon the sympathy and
cooperation OF his wife, and truly is the
country woman dependent up0n her hus
band. And right here is where many farm
ers, without the intention Of being unjust
and unkind, and, indeed, unconscious OF
being SO, are really mean and ntggardly, in
that the good wife is required to ask her
husband for everything she needs, and I'M
dergo sort of CROSS examination in get
ting it. Often the noble woman has gone
without needed comforts rather than suffer
the humiliation Of almost begging them.
On some farms it is the rule kand a good
one) for the wife to have for her own use
the money received from the butter, eggs
and poultry, so that she need rot be utterly
and altogether dependent upon the Hlords
of creation"