The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-03
SKs WIVES or y
Para Slaves or ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WIN
Husbands Suggested.
From the Southern Farm Magazine.

osk8VssSVs
From the Southern Farm Magazine.
The position Of the farmers wife. her trials
and the means by which her burdens may be
lightened are receiving much OF the attention
which they deserve. They are discussed at
farmers meetings. and II is hoped that practi-
cal good may ultimately be accomplished.
Recently two papers on the subject have been
read by women. One was by Mrs. Lucy Cleaver
McElroy OF Lebanon. Ky. She was talking TO
the men. She described the visions OF the we'd
ding day. with It's glamour and brightness. and
then said.
After that day OF all comes the homemaking.
the nest-building. and, obi how 1t absorbs the
farmers busy young wife. Unlike her city
sister under similar circumstances, she has no
constant stream OF guests. full OF interest and
suggestions for the new surroundings: her life
In necessarily one OF much loneliness. even her
husband beng absent from day to dark But
she Ia happy as she works. For the first few
years there are gay little visits home and to
sirlhood friends, there are guests to entertain
now and then. Sabbaths are always a pleasure
they give husband and wife so much Of each
others society-and churchgoing seems quite
a social dissipation.
Thus time rolls on till the children come.
and as the mothers cares Increase the hopes
for the future are mingled with fears. interest
In outside things are lost. pleasures are dropped
one at a time. seeing which the husband bo-
comes moro and more absorbed In money-mak-
Ing. until well nigh all else Is forgotten.
A the first gray streak Of dawn the wtfe's
pet rooster crows long and loud. He does IL
on purpose TO awaken her from her beauty sleep
and 10 always successful. She has obeyed
the summons 50 often that II has become second
nature. and before she realizes Il she 10 out OF
the warm blankets, noiselessly trembling In
her clothes. lest she awake the sleeping baby:
half clad. her cold fingers still fdsetinG with
her brooch. she scamper TO the kitchen. Once
there a nervous fear that breakfast may be late
seizes her, and she PUSHES about until It Is on
the table and the family seated, when she draws
her first long breath while the blessing Is being
asked. The breakfast bolted In hot haste.
and the men OF to work. she resumes her hurry,
scurries through the dishwsshin9 and kitchen
work. hastens through bedmaking and house,
cleaning, skins over milk vessels. refrigera-
tors and churning. hurries to the garden for
vegetables. PUSHES through dinner. makes her
fingers fly on the afternoon sewing and soour-
Ing. 30 she may worry through supper at the
proper hour. to sink exhausted into a chair
at bedtime, too weary to speak or think.
She has not only done the thousand and ono
duties that fell 10 her lot that day, but she has
done them well, has sllghted nothing, and before
falling asleep has thought In utter WEAKNESS,
does come, and It Is alw avs just the same to-
| row, the same unceasing routine Of labor and
rush; Day after day, year after year, nothing
strange thing about 1.-THE eternal rush. Amid
the peace and quiet OF the country. why not go
on peacefully and quietly doing, ones duty as. II
lem, and that Is, her work exceeds her time,
and she is constantly trying to establish some
s fsn s Of ssnt,G yIsid in T Ss,uIs sG re, a h hard ssd bar;
woman Of the dark side tells no, Not money:
certainly rot Though she is the hardest worker
S soco sns p of her '1 own l'Te viii E Tell y 9s' r No ss *.
gets-her 'vittles and Clothes that isoll, though
n nearly every case her husband is well able
creature never has unreasonable ones.
not live like This; there is q bright side to thIs,
to . women, the happiest. most %caTe-free Of
flowers and vegetables, she gets outdoor ex-
and alsii her rI iabors are re al hea al yGiVGs q and lSpf pl ts%e
useful, happy lie. woman H should ash share r., @ sxs'y
toll ana haIfships In the same proportion in
usually does it oheerfIliy. on a farm II has
been a woman,s share Of the duties to do the
Eve gathered ne leaves for clothes and raised
Cain In the Garden OF Eden. Certainly work
must be done but let y be done cheerily and
in contrast TO the farm slave az we have Just
seen her. let us have the. farm. mistress. the
queen Of the beautiful realm called home, one
did. at the first and say. 1T is very good Let
us learn TO have our farmhouses homes. where
comfort and good cheer, abound, where labor
IL evenly distributed to all. and made a burden
10 none, where there are books and magazines,
where time Is had for reading, music. prayer,
and all proper effort for higher, better things
inte eie 10 is@a as We we'll lp1 as f pfysic %2ra''y These Sss
things attained. and the much,vexed question
OF how to keel. the boys on the farm will be
Another paper was by Mrs. Arthur Grabowskii
before the Richmond County. Agricultural So
cietIy at Augusta, ca. yho said:
full affection. too often becomes the household
drudge. the higher servant, bearing most Of
the burdens Of the domestic economy and shar
A pathetic little incident illustrating this came
lately to my notice through the medium OF one
Of our city papers. The editor. present at a
his hand. fall Of the bin" paid i to him Gnf FOR part ar
OF the years cotton crop Just sold. He was
accompanied by, the patient wife, the result
her best--and yet how shabbiiyl-with a little
one clinging to her. much in need Of proper
clothing. the wife wistfullv looked at the money
being deposited, and finally touched the farm
er's arm and plead for a small share Of that
deposit. The farmers brow clouded at such
unlooked-for appeal. but being In good spirits
after, the successful sale OF his crop. he recog-
nized the occasion as merltinR generosity,
and, reaching into his pocket for n well-nlled
purse, he flshed out from II the magnificent
coin Of one half dollar. and giving It TO his wife,
told her 60 and buy what she wanted.
by the natural fitness Of things the work
OF the farm has divided itself into the outside
larger operations and the work pertaining TO
the homestead and its immediate surrounding &c
o, the dairy, the poultry yard. the garden. &c.
The former have fallen to the share Of man,
the latter to the share of woman. Is il not often
o fact that nearly the whole proceeds Of both
divisions Of the farm 20 into the field opera
tions. attempting to make possible a fve-cent
cotton crop, or an equally unremuneratiye crop.
while the dairy. the poultry-yard, the garden
suffer the fate 81 everv quantity that has to
yield. a periodical percentage Of reduction.
and has no equivalent or greater percentaga
Of Increase? IL IL only a question Of time when
the exhausted dairy, empty poultry yard and
neglected garden will be sad Illustrations OF
farming done without a Just proportioninQ
OF the farms resources to the farms produce
tive industries. Is u the true position of the
farmers wife to be- the head Of a part OF farm
work that Is to contribute to the farms assets
but is to receive no help. no working capital
from the same2
IF there Is truth In what ! have heard those
say, better Informed than I which meets me
as an old chestnut In the papers Of the South
that diversifcation Of crops and the production
Of everything the smaller industries are capahle
OF adding Is needed for successfulSoutharn farp,-