Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-09-09
The Model Woman.

She ariseth early in the morning
and retireth late at night, and ea%eth
not the bread of idleness; yea, she
maketh her own bread and buyeth
not yeast of the baker. She maketh
also her own cakes and pies, and
soap and candles, and soups and
sauces, and pickles and preserves,
and puddings and doughnuts, and
dumpliugS. She washeth, she mop
eth also, and ironeth.
In the spring she teareth up tho
carpets and pryeth out the windows !;
she whitewasheth and cleaneth from
garret to cellar. Then she tacketh
down new carpets and darneth the
old, and maketh great spreading
mats to cover the darns thereof.
She seweth also and quilteth and
cutteth carpet rags, coloring and
dyeing many times. She maketh
the clothes of her children; and
concerning the garments of big
John, she maketh them over for lit
tie John, for she saith, Shoddy is
dear, and the old will last longer
than the new" Her own dresses
she maketh when at any time she
getteth any, and these she weareth
long and buyeth no more forever,
that Angelina may have many
dresses and go to school and gradu-
ate.
Also she goeth not abroad, except
on Sundays, when she sitteth meekly
in the corner in tho shadow of the
window, lest her old bonnet and
shabby gloves Ishould be discerned
by the children. Neither goeth she
to hear what is her sphere-whether
to go out or to stay at home, and
thereby she saveth quarter.
She stayeth also at all times with
little John, because big John want
eth not little John to assemble on
the street corners. But little John
crieth and saith, why can't | go
out to play high-spy and mumblety.
peg with the other boys"
Then the model woman saith unto
him, "Go not forth my son into the
streets to learn the ways of the sa.
looms, but be thou like thy father,
who smoketh not, neither playeth
billiards like the ungodly, or like the
nice college boys, who are so wise
and we'll behaved" But little John
winketh with his eyes," and saith,
What does woman know? for
does not father smoke all the time
at the Office and play billiards when
he is coming home? And do not
the college boys play pranks when
Il professor is not with them?"
Then little John readeth his
Mother Goose, and when he is sleepy
his mother tucketh him in bed, and
waiteth for big John to come from
"down town" And by and by
Angelina cometh in from party,
and the model woman ariseth and
stirreth the cakes and setteth the
house in order and sleepeth hastily
till the five O'Clock bell rings, when
she stirreth the cakes and goeth
over the work Of the day, yea, the
work of three hundred and sixty
five days, which addeth wrinkles to
her brow and tingeth her hair with
gray.
But Angelina riseth not, for she
hath bad cold, and had beau last
night; by and by she hath another
and then she graduateth and when
she hath earned fourteen dollars and
seventy-five cents teaching school,
marrieth Philetus, and her husband
taketh her home to his folks. But the
mother Of Philetus is not model
woman. She scoldeth much that
Angelina is long at lacing her shoes,
and is tardy at break fast, and is good
for nothing on general principles.
Then Angelina groWeth warmly
and cryeth aloud, and goeth into
Mysteries and teareth the hair of
Philetus and biteth and his mother,
who saith, "You can't skeer me,
I've seen too much of sich actions."
Then Angelina saith if she has got
to live with his folks, she'll go home
to ma, and Philetus stayeth with his
pa.
And the model woman goeth on
rising early and retiring late, till at
last the night cometh when she
stirreth not the cakes and riseth not
in the morning, but turneth her face
to the wall and saith, am sick, l
am so tired" Then she foldeth her
hands meekly and murmureth, "My
children, oh, my children" and
dieth. Oh earth a model woman less,
in heaven an angel more. And the
good husband gOeth and buyeth her
tombstone, and then looketh about
cautiously but industriously, but we
hope unsucessfully, to find another
model woman.
How MANY ANCESTORS HAVE
You ?-Grandfathers and grand
mothers are very proud when they
can boast Of having paltry score of
descendants, but no one seems to be
aware of the grounds he has for
bOasting of the number of his snces-