The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-01-08
why Am 1 a Farmers Wife.
Paper Read at the Hooking County
Farmers Institute held at Logan,
o., jan. 4 and 5, 1897.

BY MRS. BLANCHE G. L0NGSTRETII
We deem it but just to our selves
TO say, that this subject Is not o
our own choosing; so, If our re
marks be little personal, we ye
hope, we may escape the charge o
egotism. We are not sure, that W.
catch the committees idea in tht
subject, since, so far as we can see
there is no more reason for thu
question, with regard to a farmers
wife, than to the wife Of a man en-
gagged in any other pursuit; as
the becoming the wife OF "Lawyer
doctor, merchant, chief" does no
imply upon the part Of a woman
II choice, ofavocations, but choice
of men. Tis not impossible, that
a woman might refuse IL man on
account. Of his occupation, but We
don't believe she ever marries him
Just because he Is q doctor, a mer'
chant, or, even farmer.
1t may be, the committee have
thought they noticed palpable
unfltness on our part, for the posi-
tion indicated, nnd have wondered
why on earth we took such position,
and so,have embodied that wonder,
in this question. Well, II this be
the origin OF the subject, we will
not try to plead our fitness, since
we are sure we can keep the posi-
sion any how; and we can only say,
that there was a strange and my
sterious power, induced us to enter
upon this calling. Now don't think
some gypsy saw an"H.""F.", stand
Ing for Hooking Farmer, in the
palm of our hand, for we never had
our fortune told, by any other than
Dog-fennel blossom, whose petals
we pulled off, to the words--"Rich-
man, poor-maD, beggar.man, thief
lawyer, doctor, merchant, Chief"
and you will perceive, that even in
this rather complete list, as in the
case of our beneficial legislation the
farmer class is left out. But you
see, we had, either to be farmers
wife, or, to give up The farmer; and
we didn't like the alternative.
Since this question has appeared in
print, our friends have kindly sug-
gested various answers. One OF
them seemed to think he had struck
the keynote Of the whole matter,
and frankly suggested-just listen
nOw!-that twas because we
couldn't get any body else" Now,
we are not going to tell you any
love stories, (Of course we could
tell "lots" 0i'em) hut this ISL farm
er'S Institute, and we must vindi-
cate the farmer, not our farmer but
the farmer in general; and think
Of it ye farmers! What does this
suggestion imply, II not, that, II a
woman could get any body else, OF
course, she wouldn't marry farm
er. ?-Hut Tut! this will never do,
no, no, that was not the reason, at
all. at all. But, Why am 1 farm
er's wife? Because 1 married
farmer; and he likes to live in the
country, and like to live where
he does. Now we've reached the
end OF the line, and IL our train OF
thought be allowed to run farther,
it must be permitted to switch.
This has been q kind of narrow
gage train with only one passeng-
er, any how, and we shall be glad
to get on broad gage track awhile
Seriously speaking, the raising
Of this question at all, does seem to
suggest, that there might be some
objections to being farmers wife.
So, / might attempt an answer to
a sli shtIy different question, name
ly-why some women might not
want to be farmers wives, and
then to the question, how may the
objections be removed, at least In
part. The first objecti on, we naiur-
ally think Of, Is the isolation. Many
of US can feel Il lively sympathy for
the Irish girl who went to the
country to do house-wOrk, and sur
prised her friends by returning
next day, when she was thus ques.
toned. "Wasn't the folks good to
you ?" eyes, they was good to me."|
swell, didn't you like 'em, then ?"
"Yes, l liked 'em well enough"
"Well why didn't you stay then ?"
81 lst because paple's more COM
pany than stumps." Now, it is only
a few women who would pine for,
or even care for, the society that
hve-o'clock tea, formal din
ner parties, evening receptions,and
such; hut no woman wants to be a
female Robinson Crusoe especially,
when she must lack one very
important Robinsonian element,