Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-01-10
10 MAN AND HELPER.
THE MEANING OF A FAMILIAR ITEM
WELL KNOWN TO WOMEN.

That too familiar item on our plumb
er's bills, "To man and helper, is ex-
pressive OF so much in our daily domes-
tic relations that one almost forgives the
plumber the gift Of the phrase.
"I'll patch up that paper on the wall
you leave it, says Sam. And then Sam
appears on a day when you are in the
thick of some particularly absorbing
household task and he says: GIVE come
up early to mend that paper, and if
you'll just make some paste for me,
please, I'll go at it," You sigh, but do
lit cheerfully, thinking, if it is early in
your married life, that that will be all.
Presently, however, there is demand
for rags, stepladder, pail and whisk
broom. These also you get out and re-
turn to your work.
"Fan," calls Sam, "where have you
hidden my brush? Itwas in the toolbox
right in the left hand corner, and it is
gone. Some one must have taken it. -
Again you leave your task and go up
stairs or down stairs to the place whence
cometh the plant and behold the brush
little to the northeast perchance, but
quite in the visible neighborhood of that
little left hand corner. Without even a
blush of shame he takes it, and you re-
turn to your own work. You have bare
ly begun again, when Sam appears at
the door: "Where can find a box the
right size to set Oh the stairs, SO that
can put some boards across Oh which to
stand the stepladder"'
You think minute, and you know
that the only box available is one filled
with odds and ends of needful kitchen
things, but you resignedly lay them all
out on the floor and give Sam the box,
catching at the same moment look
which reveals that he is about to ask
YOU for the boards There are only two
long boards on the premises, and those
form walk in the backyard. Still they
can be taken up, and they are-but it
entails vigorous brushing and cleansing,
Then for time Sam vanishes, and all
is serene, but not for long. There are a
clatter of boards and notes Of masculine
trouble, which you ignore, until, find
ing that it is not a day for taking
hints, Sam calls again, "Fan, will you
please come and steady this thing, Or
I'll break my neck. - Of course you go,
and of course you find that he has not
already broken it. You get odds and
ends of things together to even up and
strengthen his rickety scaffolding, and
then you sit Oh step with your head
up between the boards to steady the lad
der, except when you vary it by hand
ing a pasty rag, or brush, Or match
for his pipe. Then is the time you say,
"To man and helper, three hours, " and
get your revenge, for Sam really sees
the point.
Now, it is strange thing that it is
always "man and helper If woman
undertakes anything, as rule she goes
ahead and gets her things together and
does it all by herself. bnt if a man starts
any task not in the line Of his ordinary
business he will manage to draw tC
himself the assistance Of every woman
within call. # it is driving nails, some
one must hand the nails TO him won
al would keep them in her pocket o.
mouth. IT he is n gefjngg 2,,sasastasaing, te
woman must mold the other hammer %
1.-THE under side and get III her arm th'
Jar Of the stroke. # he even mends hi
fishroY Or ties his flies, she must holC
the waxed thread or tugn the rcd Wit
both hands ] do nos 6eo how any mar
rie5l woman eau iCabt the truth % III.
Scriptures. Why, to her, the fifteenth
ana eighteenth verses IF the secODl
chapter Of Genesis set the seal % truth
FITNESS upon the whole. t,nen man was
MADE and pat III the garden Of Eden tt
tend it, he hadn't been there day be
fore woman had to be made to hell
him. He couldn't get along alone at all
Fancy him starting out to sow his rad
ish seed and having nobody to ask how
far she thought he ought to put the rows
apart, SO he could put them some othel
distance. 1t must have been awful!
Poor Eve! For of all conditions O.
"helper'' that Of the gardeners helper
is the worst. 1t is easy to imagine her
her days work over, as she supposes-
planning for a quiet rest upon COO
green bank through the long summe
twilight. Along comes Adam, belatet
| in his work, because he had been cast
ing his line from shady hooks into deep
messy pools, where the speckled trou
are lying, and he says to Eve: I'm.
dear, won't You come along with me in
to the garden? haven't seen anything
Of my darling all day. You can sit on {
nice soft stone in the path while
work" And poor, easily begriled b,
| love Eve gets up and follows right along
I but, alas, the stone has not changed it
| nature any more than Adam has. 1t i
not SOFT and perhaps that is the reasol
| why Adam does not keep her sittin,
there long. Good, kind Adam HI
wants the rake, and it is down at tn
| house, or maybe it was bower, and sh
may as well bring along measuring
line, of which also she may hold one en'
when she gets back. And then as Adam
| gets absorbed he ahsorbs more and NOR
of Eve. She rakes up the weeds whic]
he has hoed out. She holds up the vine
| which he ties to the trellis. She trot
back and forth for the primitive nipple
ments, and she smiles, as if she enjoye'
it, but it is a weary woman who, a
dusk yields to darkness, accompanie
Adam to the house. lugging numerou
odds and ends. 1t is her compensation
as she greets Abel and his wife, who ar
waiting for her, to hear Adam telling
his son, ''I've done lot in the gardel
tonight. think I'll lay off i'll the mid