690 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



after the clay's work is done. She overtaxes her strength, becomes nerv- 

 ous and many times irrital)le, and her husband Avonders why she is 

 fading so fast, Avhy she has lost that sweet disposition she possessed when 

 tirst married, why her house is not kept so neatly as her neighbor's house. 

 I believe the "wife's share" of the toil is found AA'ithin four walls of her 

 home. If she does that well, makes her home a pleasant, cheerful and 

 attractive place for her family, a place which will not cause husband to 

 scold or daughter to blush at the approach of company, she has no time 

 left to labor in the tield. There are many little chores, however, that 

 she may do or assist in doing that may not injure her physically and at 

 the same time may save the husband much embarrassment and she 

 should realize that it is her duty to be a helpmeet and not a hindrance 

 to lier husband. ' 



Too much can not be said of the responsibility which rests upon wife 

 and mother. There is no calling so great for one of our sex as to occupy 

 a position of this kind in tlie house. Hoav her integrity reflects itself in 

 husband and children. What an influence for right she has over her 

 family when they can truthfully say '"It must be so because mother said 

 so." • 



Her example should be just what she wishes her children to be when 

 grown to manhood or womanhood. For if by word or deed of mother the 

 boys or girls go astray she must suffer her share of mortification in this 

 world besides giving an account of It all before the judgment bar of 

 God. 



But there are some things she must not be expected to share alone. 

 While she has or should have entire supervision over the household 

 affairs, yet occasionally sorrow creeps into the home, such as none can 

 realize save those who have had experience of this Icind, when she needs 

 a companion, a husband's sympathy and love, and unless that sympathy 

 be found she perisheth, and when we look around us how few homes 

 there are, indeed, that has not lost a dear one,' some almost without a mo- 

 ment's warning, others after an illness of months, as was the case in our 

 own home. How sad we are, how we miss the ones departed, how we live 

 the past over and over again. Lord pity that wife wliose husband is desti- 

 tute of tlie chords of sympathy, who must endure as her share the Ijurden 

 of sickness and death in her family, who nnist shed tears of despair alone. 

 Husbands, wives, be partners in sorrow, partners in pleasures, partners 

 in toil. 



And now let us pass to tlie last thought, namely, '"the financial part of 

 Hie wife's share." The subject is suggestive of this tliought tirst. but on 

 surveying the ground for material with which to build my tlieme, I could 

 but notice that the wife has a share in more than the finances. Time 

 will not permit to dwell on her share socially, educationally, religiously. 

 and observation teaches me tliat the wife of the rich man and the wife of 

 the poor man, or one in medium circumstances, fare (luite differently 



