Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-03-18
DELAWARE COUNTY FARMERS
INSTIruTE.
Continaed from last week.
Duties and Requirements of the Farm
er's Wife.
BY Eva Severance.
BY Eva Severn &C,

boys and girls who are 10 fill high places
in our church and state, how very
fortunate it is then if the mother has a
wise head and a steady hand, in guild
ing those minds through their child
hood and youth. The broader her
education the more influence she Will
have over them.
Then, there are the requirements
necessary to the physical well-being of
her own immediate use.hold, where
she is required to perform tasks both
high and low. Some of us call the first
pleasures, the others duties, but they
are all duties.
1t requires much grace and patience
In performing many of her meniai ser
vices, as dish washing for instance; but
as many of the things become purely
mechanical, she can do these and in
thought be elsewhere, as expressed in
the lines OF Thomas Buchanan Reed
| MY soul today
Is far away
Sailing the Ves,lvian Bay;
My winged boat
| A bird ahoat--
SAILS rasnd The p;,rp.e peak rciioso. -
hear not II
My rippling skiif
Floats swift or slow from cliff to cliff
Win dreanful eyes,
My spirit lies.
Under the walls of Paradise"
Away like this right back flom poetry
to prose and your hands still in the
dish water.
Some thought must be given to pro-
viding wholesome and strengthening
food and to prepare it properly in order
to get the most nutriment from it as
well as to have it appetizing.
Care and work are required to under
stand and keep in order the house, yard
and cellar so as to keep them in sani'
tary condition in order to protect the
health of her family and herself.
Then the choosing of proper clothing
for the different conditions of weather.
These need her attention all the time.
She must have skill and sympathy that
she may care for and sooth during the
long hours of sickness. These are
some of her many and various duties
in her own home; but duties like chars
ties begin at home but do not end
there.
She is expected 10 aid In various SOC
ial ways IL her health permits. To help
as far as is in her power those in need
of her, and in times of trials, if only by
kind word-to her, if an earnest
woman, life is duty.
In speaking of the requirements OF
the farmers wife, it would be best per
haps to go back to the time when she
started out in life. We see her as she
is, young wife, ambitious, full of life
buoyant in spirit, ready to perform the
many duties, and others, which we have
mentioned. AS we are looking at thi!
. from the practical standpoint we vii
,, now note some of her requirements.
!, Then let us look at the average farm
house and see whether its convenience
are all what they should be. Not tha
we would expect too much from tn
opposite sex, but as we look around IL
the different farm yards and see tn
different conveniences in the way o
farm implements for the convenienc
of the one who does the work outside
we feel almost compelled to look withi
the house for its parallel.
. Now, we do not mean by this that W
would criticise any advancement fo
. improving the labor outside, or limi
= them for anything that would be fc
the betterment to the one who has th
:. care and responsibility in providing fc
- his family.
But we have occasion to note that tn
conveniences inside the home are nc
always in keeping with those outside.
- The average farmers wife now a. day
~ Is furnished with sewing machin
y washing machine and wringer, whic
W of course are very essential, and we al
II quite sure the wife ia very grateful fl
to the same. But we feel there are othe
conveniences that might be added. TT
: one thing which is lacking oft times
. water which is the most essential thin
In any home.
Is. We notice on almost every farm IL
w necessary wind mill with its conyeniel
:. tanks for the benefit of the husband
~ well IS his stock. Now let us see
10 this could not in some way be utilize
he for the benefit of the wife. One your
,e wife said, "Why is it we cannot ha,
as the water brought into the farm hous
). as well as those in town?' Surely IL
- labor performed by the farmers wi
go far exceeds that done by the wife
town.