New-York tribune., 1921-01-08
Mother on the F arm
What She Does Night and Day and
How Her Lot Could Be Bettered

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: So much is being said about the
farmer these days--let mo tell you
something Of his wife, the mother Of
his children, and what mother love is
doing.
There was time when there was
servant in the house, but now it is
mother who is out Of bed at halP-psst
four and has first breakfast on the
table at 5 o'clock in the morning for
her husband and the hired man. There
was bread set over night, and the
loaves arc in the pans in the warming
oven to raise while breakfast is being
served. That bread is in the oven and
baked when the children are coming
down for second breakfast in time for
school; their lunches are ready in their
baskets.
The farmer must look after the hired
man and the stock; 80 mother drives
her own machine and takes the young
e. children to the district school-and
the oldest son to the early train for
Albany, where the promising young man
attends the academy
From tho train mother hurries home
to wash those breakfast dishes and put
some pies and cake in the oven; to
mop UP the dining room and the
kitchen floors. Twenty minutes to
twelve the bell rings TO call the men
to the house TO wash for dinner.
Twelve o'clock the dinner is on the
table, the baby is sleeping, and mother
serves dinner; then rushes out to feed
tho chickens. I forgot to tell you she
fed them in the morning while you
were sleeping the sleep Of tho juyt
editor
All those dinner dishes, those kettles
and pans must be washed; then the
baby must be dressed again before
mother can change her dress prepara-
tory to driving the auto again 10 the
schoolhouse and to the train to bring
rush out to feed those chickens and
look for tho eggs, assisted by ono or
moro Of the children.
In these cold, dark mornings, white
you arc still sleeping the sleep Of tho
just, tho farmer is out with his lam
tern looking after tho stock. Tho
hired man milks five, SIX or seven cows
sometimes more-carries the milk to
the house and puts it through tho
separator, then carries it down tho
cellar, to be churned later. The vito
makes and sells the butter, and dc.
posts the money in her own name:
likewise the price OF the eggs swells
her bank account.
Monday morning the hired man turn.
the machine and helps to do the wash
ing. Monday evening the clothes are
sprinkled. Tuesday morning tho iron
ing begins, and the baby must sleep. or
be tied in its chair and be amused.
Garments are made and various gar
ments arc mended and no end Of
stockings are darned.
Tho daily paper Is read, for this busy
mother must keep up with the times;
to be suro she votes, and she knows
why she votes.
lhero Is the church, and all its A.
fairs the mother attends. Tho Red
Cross and all its demands arc not
neglected, and all "the to-morrows will
be as to-day.'
Every farmer is struggling against
obstacles innuracrable and immovable.
This past year help has been SO scarce
and SO poor, and wages SO high, many
seeds that should have been put in
tho ground were not attempted. Crops
that came to maturity were not all
gathered, because there was not time
between storms, with so few hands.
Worst of all, prohibition does not
prohibit. The men can get all they
want to drink. The man who goes TO