The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-01-20
woMAH's WORK AND DUTY.

had chance in the beginning to pad
die his own canoe, but it wouldn't
paddle.
So woman had to be brought to
the rescue, and it is her duty to help
mold the character and destinies of
the home folks. She is often ham,
pered in this work and unable to do
all that she would like to do, but
honest, persevering efforts, even un-
der adverse conditions, will sooner or
later receive measure of reward.
Out of plain simple homes, where
the fathers have been improvident
and thriftless, and the mothers have
carried burdens heavy enough to
break camels back, have come some
of the highest types of men and wo-
men that the world ever saw, and
who look back with undying love and
reverence to these pious good moth
ers who guarded their infancy, and
taught them to be honest, frugal, in
dustrious and mindful of their duty
to Him who keeps the records of all
acts.
A young wife whose early years
have been spent in gaities and free
dom from care, is apt to chafe under
the burdens that babies and small
children impose. 1t is natural that
she should feel that she is carrying
the heaviest end of the matrimonial
yoke. She cannot see that her hus-
band has been stopped from anything
that he wants to do on account of the
baby. Some husbands might find a
more cheerful freside if they would
give up their clubs and sports, stay
at home evenings and make them
selves agreeable there, thus helping
to relieve the tedium marriage has
imposed upon their wives. The poet
Longfellow has written:
"Home keeping hearts are happiest,
For those who wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care
To stay at home is best"
There was a time when there was
nothing so pleasant to the husband as
the evenings spent with his sweet
heart, and he then found way to
help her in whatever she wanted to
do; and why should the unreasona
BILE mortal fall from this grace just
when it is most important that he
should increase his kindness She
needs it to keep cheer in her heart
and health in her body while she is
wrestling with new duties that he
knows not of.
have no respect for the man who
neglects his wife-but all men are
not of that build. I know a young
man who presented his wife, the
mother of their first baby, with $500,
and placed it at interest in her name
as token of appreciation of her. She
had gone through hardship that
would have killed him stone dead,
and he wanted to do something con-
sequential. too.
This young man, who is not rich,
is wise enough to know that "a bird
in hand is worth two in the bush, !"
and therefore placed his money so
that it is his wife's now, and every
year she will receive the interest.
Also, he is, in hours from business,
helping to look after his home and
baby. l predict a happy life and
competency in age for this young
pair, and invite others, in these New
Year days of good resolves, to go and
do likewise.
There is nothing which SO cheers
the heart of a woman as the feeling
that she is an equal partner in home
affairs, and that there is nothing con-
cealed from her.
Her duty to her family calls her
away from the worlds attractions
Just when she is full of life and spirits,
and when she enjoys social merry
makings above all things. She has
not yet acquired the beautiful patience
that comes with long training /; but,
if her husband stands loyalty by her.
helping her to bear her deprivations
by sharing them with her, the future
prospects of that family are greatly
enhanced.
The old solid families, whom we
love to claim as Our ancestors, were
established by the mutual co-opera
ton of husband and wife. It was the
mother who had the principal care q
the children, for God assigned her tc
that work but the father was dili
gently providing for his family anc
devoting his leisure to them. Moderr
schemes to tempt men out of the mar
row way had not been invented, ane
women were not then clamoring fol
home protection and more rights, anC
were not falling in love with the hireC
man or some other fellow who seem
ed kinder than their own neglectfu
lords. AS men claim to be our pro
tectors, they should set the example
of right living, for. women may fal
when there is no strength in men. !"
One who has lived out his three
score and ten years thinks he can SCI
state OF unrest among farmers whicl
did not exist fifty years ago. hear'
small boy of ten years say: "Whei
get to be a man I won't be farme
there's nothin' in it. I'll be
'chanical engineer. He knew a
much about the duties of a mechani
cal engineer as an infant, but it hat
been bred in him at the family fire
side that farming did not pay, ant
that it was not worth while to engag
in it. The greed for gold that ha
taken possession of many people, ha
often wrought an untold injury to tn
agriculturist.
Women in the homes might help
stay this tide, if they would but tn
truth is, some of them are discourag
ed-they think there is no use in try
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