The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-12-22
AGRICULTURAL
The Farmer and His Wife,

A multitude of men are made or un-
made by their wives. Thousands of
men know in their hearts that they
W. their success to their wives, know
that the comfort, the encouragement,
the counsel their wives have given
them has made them what they are.
And sad 10 say there are not a few
other men who know that their wives
have pulled them down, held them
back, squandered their money, and
some men know that their wives have
ruined them. But there is no class of
men whose success or failure depends
The business man goes to bis business,
the laborer goes to his work, the pro-
f%essional man goes to his office, and
the wives of these men have only the
household to look after, But the farm
er's work is at home. He has no long
ride TO the city to be gone all day, only
seeing his wife a little while in the
morning and a little longer time at
night. The farmes lives and works at
home, and the wife can see his work.
take an interest in it, give counsel, and
often she has to help about the butter,
the milk, the care of the poultry, and
in some places she does the milking.
Hence a very great deal depends upon
the kind of woman a farmer gets for a
wife. The right kind of a woman will
be a real help meet for him. She will
take an interest in his work which no
workman's wife can take. She can see
his work, talk with him in~telligently
about it. Many a farm has been paid
for just because the owner got a good
wife. Many a farmer has fine buildings,
a good farm, nice cows, horses and
other things, all because he has a good
wife.
But how few farmers feel this !
They may have a dim sense of these
things, but have no proper idea of how
much they W to their wives. We have
written this to set such to thinking, to
lead them to appreciate their wives
more, to lead them 10 take more pains to
please their wives, and to make the lives
of those who have done so much forthem
to be as easy as possible. You men don't
know how much good it does a hard
working wife to feel that her husband
appreciates her. 1t lightens her burdens
30 much, while it adds to them to have
her husband Indifferent of all he owes
to her and utterly careless to her well
fare. Men have it in their power to
make the oftentimes o~verburdened
lives of their wives bright by kindness
and love. And men who do not do this
cannot be so happy as those who show
their love, who have only kind words for
those who are doing 30 much for them.
A man who acts towards his wife as he
did when they were first married, whose
love has grown with the passing years,
such an one is the truly happy hus-
band. Your cross, sour, churlish hus-
band is an unhappy man. Love and
tOpuCl uCoo lCdCb vi luO Ou6 WuO leLS
love go out.
But how many sad homes. there are
all because of an unkind husband-ah
thai is only a part of the truth, the hus-
bands are unkind because of sin. 1t is
sin that makes homes unhappy, sin that
mars and ruins and spoils everything
here. We might go on and tell the
reader how God saves men from sin,
but we know how few care for that. So
we will only say, let farmers and all
other men to whom God has given
faithful, loving wives, show them that
you do realize their help, that you do
appreciate all they are doing for you.
And be careful of them, attend to the
little things which make up 80 much of
a woman's daily life, be kind 10 them
in every possible way. You will find
such a course to bring you both much
happiness.