Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-13
Farmers and Farmers Wives.
editor Kennebec Journal


1t has been my good fortune during
a long life in the State of Maine to he
for short time in every county; to
be a guest for day or two or over
night in great many farmers homes,
and | never saw anything on par
with two pictures drawn of farm life
i'll New England: one by prominent
minister in an address before the
Grange, and the other by the noted au-
thor and writer, Miss Florence kins
ley in a serial story printed in a
paper of which the elder late Dr.
Talmage was editor. She not only
caricatured farmers but lawyers, doc
tors and ministers. She had very
vivid imagination and she let it run
wild. Both persons wers nearly u
hundred years behind the times.
Here are two pictures, actual facts
Some 20 to so years ag,a | was in
eited with others by. the late Hon. Il.
y. Gilbert to attend farmers meet
ing in the town of Brooks. There
was a good attendance bth afternoon
and evening and there bling no hotel
in the place the invited guests were
|apportioned among the farmers for
the night. 1t fell to my lot to go to
the home of Mr.. and Nrs. James +.
Harding. Arriving / was astonished
for they had IL children, but a bright
er or happier family youw would seldom
find-children mostly girls.
Was the good wife rlfied or dis
turbed by an unexpected guest? Not
in, . he
over forty and not sim of wrinkle
or care as she sat, undiiturbed, sewing
at table. Mr.. Harding was a jolly
man and he said the Oder girls were
a great help to him and their mother
Congratulating him or having such a
nice family of children he laughed and
said he wanted one mire to round out
the dozen. A rapid SIDE glance to the
mother disclosed sight flush only
and a beautiful smile
Four years ago iniAprI | was the
guest of a friend in ne town of Jones'
boro, Washington cMnty. | was in
formed that several armers had large
families, but one dy my friend in
vited me to call win her on Mr.. and
Mrs. Whitney. Thy had Ii children
and nothing distured them, for they
took life calmly ard cheerfuliy. Mr..
Whitney was one of the leading
farmers, one of tie selectmen of the
town and took an interest in civic and
religious work. he town has a post
office. four of fie stores, Grange
hall. high schoi and a nice little
Union church. irswhich nearly every
| one seemed to IKE an interest. 1t is
community undue in the fact that
there is but lite or no. conventional
| ism. All are Interested in each other.
1t is like one great family; what
hurts one hurs all, and what favors
one favors all. 1t is Beautiful pic
ture and thos large families would
delight the hetrt of a Roosevelt Rev
Mr.. Allen-a man they all love-has
represented ne town in the Legisla-
ture for a number of years.
For the sake of contrast will
sketch briefly one picture more-an
actual occurrence. Sixty eight years
ago there Jved near me an old retired
sea captaif by the name of Myrick
He owneda small farm and had one
$iho, Il dtuSHtti, yIltk. w Ileu
she grewup she married man by the
name of futile. All went well until
the introduction of the sewing ma
chine, When women became crazy to
take ir work from the clothing shops.
She married one of the machines and
then 1t was goodbye Tuttle. 1t was
WORK, work, work from morning till
night and far into the night. She
didn't want children and took every
means to prevent-to her mind such a
catastrophy-and she didn't have any
and | guess it was just as well. AS
to Mr.. futile, poor man, he soon tired
of farming without sympathy. so they
sold out and went West to Chicago, I
believe. where she could get plenty of
work. w. p. A.