Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-06


farm has much to do with the prob
lem.
THE MATTER WITH AMANDA"
Manson DemocraD
She signs herself Amanda and
writes n long winded article for the
Manson Journal. which published u
last week. Amanda" seems to be
suffering with an aggravated case OF
literary prunes. First she acknoWl-
edges that she is a farmers wife ana
then admits that she and her hubby
are very happy together. They nave
enough and to spare. They are able
to knock down chicken when their
less fortunate city cousins have to be
content with fried liver or hash.
They have real cream for their coffee
and fresh eggs for breakfast. Their
home is a pleasant one. There are
no knock down and drag out fights,
such as those which characterize the
homes of those afflicted with what is
known as incompatibilty Of temper
But "Amanda's' husband Is not lit
erary. When he was boy he did not
nave time to go to schoSl ana grad
,tate. She did. He was up with phe
sun and his father and the hired man
every morning and his father used 10
keep him humping by telling MN now
much more hay the hired man could
pitch than he could. The night
amanda graduated in her white
lawn dress he sat in the audience ana
vowed she never looked more beautiful
and smart before. He was dressed
up" but his hands were calioused
with the hard work of getting a
start.' He would have liked so much
I to have been in the same class with
her. but there was nobody at home 10
help on the farm but himself, so he
had to give up school, long before
graduating time, and be content with
a fair knowledge of the three rs.
But amanda" was literary. She
ALWAYS did like books and the older
she grew the more she longed for the
ladies' Home Journal and the more
she craved for the mental food be-
tween the covers of the magazines
She made mistake in marrying
man who had to work with his hands,
that is, IL her present testimony is 70
he admitted. She should have married
a man who would rather delve INTO a
book than get out and work LOT q
comfortable living. Why didn't she
do 1t? Maybe she wouldn't nave hau
such a kick coming as she now mas.
| She complains that now, when she
would like to stick her feet IN the
| oven on the long winter evenings anu
snuggle down with him to discuss a
book. he is not in the game she
admits that he has his job down pat
knows all about farming and the care
and raising of stock. He ploWs ana
sows and reaps and mows with ms
brains as we'll as his hands and makes
a good living and a little money every
wear He attends the county fair ana
the farmers picnic. celebrates bae
Fourth of July, and always mas ms
appetite with him on thanksgiving
| and Christmas. But. he is not at ail
| bookish. He knows horse doctor pooh
from cover to cover and can tell
genuine case of hog cholera on sight,
but he has never cultivated the ac-
oua ,ntance of Shakespeare. or Mliloh'
or I,ongfellow, or any of those mlghty
men of books, who are now dead. lie
| Doesn't even know Herb Quick OF Sioux
/ civ While poor, literary Amanda
pines and bankers for deeper knowNl-
/ elge. he is content to talk horse ana
busy himself testing his seed corn.
Poor "Amanda.' What pity 1t is
that she doesn't wait a while and nook
mn with some of the literary lights o.
/ this town. who read everything, can
talk on anything, know all about pol
tiles. religion and social conditions ana
are willing to neglect what little WORK
they have ITO discuss things literary
with anyone who will take THE Tune
TO listen. They will even lie abed IN
the morning while their wives do
was,hings or go out and work TOR the
neighbors. just to keep abreast Wluf
the literature of the day Such man
| would be a great boon to Amanda
She could rise an hour or two earlier IN
| the mornings, hustle out the Washlns'
then get breakfast for her literary
! lord carry it to his bedside and t5l'
and be RECALLED with literary food while
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