The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-03-23

nerves and a woman's brain. / know
there are exceptions to the rule. Some
times you will find woman who can
sit down in the armchair of the library
all day without any anxiety. or tarry on
the belated pillow. and all the cares of
the household are thrown upon serv-
ants who have large wages and great
experience, but that is the exception.
l speak of the great masses of house.
keepers, to whom life is struggle, and
who at 80 years of age look as though
they were 40. The fallen at Chalons
and Austerlitz and Gettysburg and Wa
terloo are small number in compar
iscn with those who have gone down
under the Armageddon of the kitchen.
Go out to the country and look over
the epitaphs on the tombstones. They
are all beautiful and poetic, but if the
tombstones could tell the truth thou
sands of them would say: Here lies
woman who was killed by too much
mending and sewing and baking and
securing and scrubbing." and the weap-
on with which she was killed was
broom or a sewing machine or ladle.
The housewife rises in the morning
half rested. At an irrevocable hour she
must have the morning repast ready.
What if the fire will not burn? What
if the clock stop? What if the mar
keting has not been sent in? No mat
ter that; it must be ready at the ir-
revocable hour. Then the children
must be got ready for school. But what
if the garments be torn? What if they
do not know their lessons? What if
the hat or sash is lost? They must
be ready. Then you have the, duty of
out. But what if the butcher sends
meat unmasticable? What if the gro
Ger furnishes you articles of food adul-
terated? What if The piece of silver be
lost or a favorite chalice be broken,
or the roof leak or the plumbing fail,
or any one of a thousand things oc-
cur? No matter. Everything mus be
ready. The spring is coming, and there
must be revolution in the family ward
robe, or the autumn is.at hand, and you
must shut out the northern blast. But
how if the moth has preceded you to
the chest? How if the garments of the
last year do not fit the children now?
What if all the fashions have changed? :?
The house must be an extempo1ized
apothecary'ss shopor dispensary. There
must be relief for all styles of ailments
something to loosen the Group, some
thing to cool the burn, something to
poultice the Inflammation, something
10 silence the jumping tooth, some
thing to soothe the earache. Q man of
business, if you had as many cares as
that you would be fit candidate for
an insane asylum! If Martha make un-
der such circumstances an impatient
rush on the library or the drawing
room. be patient. be lenient. Oh, my
sister, though my words may not
| arouse in many souls any appreciation
| of your toll. let me assure you from the
kindliness with which Jesus Christ met
| Martha that he appreciates all your
| trials from garret to cellar, and the God
of Deborah and Miriam and Abigail is
| the God of the housekeepers! Christ
| especial friend and confidant of a whole
| world of troubled womanhood. blum
dered. Christ was married. The Bible
says the church is "the Bride, the
| Lambs wife," and that makes me know
| that a woman has right to 20 to
Christ with all her annoyances and per-
plexities and fatigues, for by his oath
of conjugal fidelity He hath sworn to
.sympathize. George Herbert put the
thought in three or four verses, quaint
and peculiar, but strong, and in one
verse saying:
Thy servant by this clause makes drudgery
| divine;
Who sweeps room as for thy laws makes
| this and the action fine.
A young woman of brilliant educa-
ton and prosperous surroundings was
called downstairs to help in the alb
| sence of the servant, and there was a
| ring at the bell, and she went to the
| door, and an admirer entered. He said !:
81 thought l heard music in the house.
Was it on the piano or the harp?" She
said: Neither; it was frying pan
accompaniment 10 REluITOu. IN
other words, was called downstairs
10 help. Lsuppose some time l shall
have to learn, and / have begun now
When will the world learn that every
Kind of work that is right is honor
able?
As Martha opens the door look in
and | also see the trial of severe econ
omy. Nine hundred and ninety-n mine
households out of a thousand are sub.
iected to it either under the greater OF
less stress of circumstances. It is es.
pecially so when man smokes expen.
sive cigars and dimes at costly restau.
rants. He will be very apt to enjoin Sc.
we're economy at home. That is what
| kills thousands of women-the attempt
to make Ave dollars do the work o1
seven dollars. 1t is amazing how some
men dole. out money to the household
| If you have not got the money. say so
If YOU have, be cheerful in the expendi
ture. Your wife will be reasonable
1 - l.. L.