Year: 1867

NEssRs. EDlTORs We are not in
the habit Of writing for the papers.
and have some fears lest you should
think this once too many times for Us
to aspire 20 so much honor as your
notice, but there has been consider
able discussion Of late as to whether,
" farming pays" and the question
occurs to us" Do farmers wives
pay?" a man can estimate with
some degree of accuracy, the cost
and value Of his lands, stock, crop,
labor, &c, but who can estimate the
value Of his wife


Now we wish to leave out Of sight
all sentimont-all reference to the
little comforts and felicities that 90
to make up the sum Of domestic hap
pincss. and come right to the practical
qucstion-does a young woman. who
comes to her husband with little or
no dowrv. but with willing heart and
hands. and a fair share Of intelligence.
who takes care Of him, of his house.
and OF his family as it increases, with
out hired help-really earn anything
more than her food and clothing?


No man viii say but that a good
woman IS q treasure. Certainly her
care and labor secure him many com
forts. but how much would he ccosid-
er them worth in dollars and cents?
It is q great comfort to him to have
his three meals a day properly cooked
and prepared at hours that suit his
convenience. He can swallow a dim
ner in twenty or thirty minutes that
she has been all the forenoon in pre-
pairing. He may think it a very good
dinner, but how high an estimate.
think YOU, he would put upon it, if
required to state It's worth in money?
With what astonishmcnt and disgust
would he look upon his table, set out
with dishes that had not been washed
since they Were last used, but how
high a money value would be put
upon this one unromantic item of
washing dishes. which. nevertheless.
takes so large a share Of a woman's
time


With what satisfaction he puts on
the clean, smoothly ironcd shirt, and
the socks nicely darned They do
not look much like the ones he pulled
of last week, and threw down with
the wash! Some one had to rub
pretty smart TO set the dirt all out
some one steamed over the hot fiat
iron to make them sm0otl-some one
spent an hour or so in darning the
unsightly holes IN the heels Of those
stockings. And this is done, not this
week only, but every week as sure as
It comes round. Now, he does ap-
prac;ate cleanliness, Notwithstanding
his protestations against washing DAYS
and house-cleaning But is it really
worth anything IN money?


Then there is the care Of the milk
and the butter making. Every dav
mnst the milk be taken care Of, the
cream must be churned at the proper
time, and the butter pr0perl- worked
and saIted He i proud 10 have her
make good bUrter-is quite happy
when his neighbor SAYS, I want 10
engage ny butter Of vou fer the sea
son. for l think your wife makes the
hest butter Of any one around But.
then. are not the cows hisI Does not
he furnish the food and DO the milk
ing? Is not her work slight com
pared with his? Is It really worth
anything IN dollars and cents 10 do
her part


Then there Is the care Of the chill
dren; early and late are her energies
taxed TO take care Of them. She IS
interested there, Of course. but then
she don't pretend to own but half.
though some men would fain make It
the larger half. Is It really worth
nothing TO so0th, amus-, teach, feed
and spank his half; TO make and
make over, and mend the clothes for
his half2 This IS zeal brain work
Where IS the man who viii say it
does not require ali woman's Wit,
this care for their children, but Il
asked to place a money estimate upon /
it, to what figure, think you, It would |
fal2


4 farmers wife, that really does !
her own work. has no easy task, as
can be proved BY thousands Of our
country women; out re would not |
ssk for her more thar II Justly her