Year: 1879




Anything in the way of trade, Mrs.
Alden, today," asked the man.


mo, think not. My husband does
not like me to buy of peddlers. He says
| always get cheated"


"Have you not as good right to have
suitable apparatus to work with as he
has: He has new horse-rake and a
hay-tedder, and his wife is washing in a
tub tied up with a rope, and wash
board that looks as if Noah wife brought
it out of the ark, and leaky water pail !;
dipper without handle; broken
mop p-handle-bless me, Mrs. Alden
What is the use, What is the use: You
had more money when you were married
than he had, and would have tools to
work with that were comfortable, to say
the least. He never stops TO think what
a thing costs, if he needs it, or if it will
make his work easier. 1t tires you more
to get along with these things than it
does to do your work


Mrs. Alden sat down and looked the
property over. 1t was ridiculous to get
along in this way. The peddler was
right; she had more money than her hus-
band when they started life, and she had
worked harder than ever he had. She
had managed every way to get along and
he never thought she needed anything
new or convenient Her setting out was
almost worn out and nothing was ever
replaced You must make it do; it
costs everything to live!-and so she
had dragged along year after year, and
things wore out and were not replaced.
4 big lump rose in her throat as she sat
there thinking.


"What do YOU ask for your washtubs:" !"
she inquired at length.


Two dollars for the large ones; II
dollar and quarter for the next size.
Mop p-handles for quarter, wash-b boards a
quarter, dippers 20 cents, brooms 80"


Hand me down two wash-tubs, if
You please-one of each size; zinc
wash board, too


Yes; and a pail and dipper, too: |
would have them


And she did have them, and sundry
other things, amounting in all to the little
sum of Sl2. She paid in barter, such
as feathers, rags, eggs, dried apples and
butter, and went to work with renewed
courage; but she knew that her husband
would growl at the outlay and expected
regular tempest at dinner.


She was not disappointed But she
had got the things and was glad of it and
couldn't feel very bad Alden opened his
eyes in astonishment.


You paid twice what tine things are
worth could have bought them cheaper.
We could have got along while longer.


II suppose have as good right to
Judge of what need to do my work as
you have to get things to make your
work easy; and made up my mind to-
day that when needed anything should
have it hereafter You know that every
article | bought today was actually
needed in the house. You have said time
and again you would get them, but YOU
never remember it. 1t IS a rough place
for woman to be placed in, to have to
do her work and nothing convenient to
do it with 1t is like the ancient Israel
ties, compelled to make bricks without
straw, and | am not going to do it any
longer.


"Al owing to the hoop bursting off
the wash tub today


Yes, that was the last feather that
broke the camels back; that and the
new horse-r rake came too near together.
could not avoid contrasting your con-
veniences with mine; and you can see
Yourself how it stood. You have every
new machine that is intended to make
farm work easy, and | have nothing at
all"


Mr.. Alden said no more, but ate his
dinner in silence, and the hired men ex
changed significant glances at each other.
They had thought and spoken OF the pa
tience which the little woman had shown
in working at such disadvantage, and
always trying to make the best of what
she had, and they were heartily glad that
she had at last made protest against
the injustice.


After the days work was done, Alden
drove his team down to the village, and
when he came back he brought a new
stove for the kitchen, new pump for the
cistern and butter-worker for the dairy,
and his wife has, since that washing day,
found that her rough places have been
smoothed in a most satisfactory manner.
Her goodman had never thought about
it. He did not mean to be unjust, but
he didn't think !-CouHtry Gentleman.
GOT HIS INFORMATION.