Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-06-25
A VISIT TO A PROSPEROUS FARM
AOllSE

y ViSlI 10 n PROSPEROUS FARM
| HOUSE.
| Farm life for women is not what it was
thirty, twenty or even ten years ago,
Now if farmers wife doesn't have as
good and as easy time, if not an easier,
than her city sisters it is generally heI
own fault.
| This fact was illustrated recently to
fifteen women when they left the city OF
Camden to spend a day with one of their
young friends who, in their eyes, had
been foolish enough to marry farmer.
| They arrived at the station at o'clock
in the morning, and were met by the
young farmer with two big horses and a
hay wagon. There was a straw ride of
mile and half over country roads and
up a long lane, until they reached an
old-fashioned farm house, where they
found their young friend waiting on the
vine-clad pOrtico to receive them.
Some of the visitors had never been on
large farm before, and looked with
open-eyed amazement upon all they
saw. Twenty-nine cows to milk, forty
pigs and five hundred chickens to feed.
''Oh, you poor soul, Aren't you almost
killed with hard work." squealed they.
In reply the farmers wife asked if she
looked over-worked
But you must be-" replied one.
Think of all the milking to do, the milk
to skim, the milk pans to wash, and all
the butter and cottage cheese to make"
But don't do any of them," replied
the wife. 1.-The hired men do the milk
ing and we sell it to the creamery as
soon as MIXED for 81 cents quart, only
keeping what we need for our own use.
have nothing to do with the pigs, but
/ do feed the poultry and enjoy it. 1t is
my outdoor exercise"
"But aren't you awful lonesome, away
up this long lane, with ne ghbors so far
away?"
''Oh, don't know" smiled the young
wife. Il always have Joe, you know,
and so many live creatures around.
When l do get lonely one of the men
bitches up Dolly to the phaeton, and
| ride around where please. Yes, Joe
keeps one horse just for me to drive.
Sometimes he goes with me when he has
tie tire. There is a woman who comes
Mondays to do the washing and ironing,
and on Saturday to do the scrubbing and
cleaning, while do the baking. To-day
l have a mother and daughter hired to
do the cooking and serving, so that can
give all my time to you and have as good
a time as you. l don't have hard
time at all. Joe wouldn't let me work
outdoors for anything, only with my
poultry and flowers. He says it is a
shame for any man to let woman work
in the fields when there is so much ma
chinery. We don't have so much clean
inc in the country as you do in the city
because there is not so mnch smoke and
DUST" and just then the visitors ex-
claimed with delight, as Baltimore
oriole, with a flash of black and gold,
burst into song from nearby apple
tree, and scarlet tanager, bird with
red body and glossy black wings, actual
ly perched on the railing of the porch.
When they sat down to the table they
were more and more astonished, as they |
had chicken in cream gravy, rashers OF
red, juicy ham, eggs in every style, four |
kinds of jelly and preserves, eight kinds |
Of cake, new peas, new potatoes and
fresh strawberries, served with sugar |
and real cream.
The 12 o'clock dinner and 9 o'clock |
supper were excellent meals, and as the
visitors rode home on the cars you might |
have heard one after another say to her !
seat mate: Fanny didn't do so badly
after all, did she?,,'
This is pretty picture of what the
life of farmers wife may be, on a
smaller or larger scale than here rep
This farmer is relatively |
and has the good sense to give |
bis wife the benefit of his riches. The |
poor mans wife. in city or country, |
mast share life's burdens with her hus-
band, and he is an unfortunate farmer
AID will prove an unprosperous one
whose wife expects to be exempt. Coun-
try and city life are both good. 1t is
question of personal fitness.-Agricult-
iral Editor. Exchange.