FARMEES' INSTITUTES. 691 



financially. The former may live in luxury, while the latter must live 

 economically. The former may have servants to'do her housework, while 

 the latter must get along the best she can, The former may wear silks 

 and jewels, while the latter must be content in common attire. Which 

 class predominates in this audience today? Suffice to say that at any rate 

 we are not all rich nor all poor, j'et each one of us has or should have a 

 part in the finances of our family, and as each one toils, just so in some 

 way is each one to be compensated for the same, and we believe it is 

 not enough that a woman receive as her share her board and clothing 

 only. But that some means be provided by which she may also have an 

 income that she may call her own and use at her own discretion. To be 

 sure we may have all we can make from the butter and eggs, but Ijy 

 the time tlie grocery liill is paid wliat have we left for clothing for oiil'- 

 selves and children? Husband will pay for that, to be sure, and he should 

 assist in keeping up the expenses of the family, but who wants to ask 

 him for each article we need? Many families, we know, have but one 

 pocketbook, and that belongs to each alike. But that way does not suit 

 me. Perhaps I was- employed too long before marriage in teaching the 

 young ideas, having had a pocketbook of my own then, to be so dependent 

 now. 



Why not allow the wife to share on a small scale in some of the stock? 

 Why not allow her a few sheep, if not more than two or three, from which 

 she knows the profits will be hers? And the poor little motherless lambs 

 that she tries to save from starvation, and if successful, does she not de- 

 serve them as hers? Then occasionally there is an unfortunate little pig ^ 

 that she works and worries with and teaches it to drink. If it lives, should 

 she not have that for her own? In some families the children raise the 

 pets, which is all right to get them interested, but the wife needs to be 

 interested, also. If the children raise the pets, then let the husband sell 

 his wife a pig or two or some sheep, and keep them for her, but don't 

 give them to her, for she will appreciate her stock most if she buy it. 

 Now she is in a position to calculate ahead as to her purchases just as 

 her husband does with his investments. And if she be provided with 

 plenty of cows and i)lenty of poultry she will ))e interested in her sales 

 and marketing, and lier life on the farm will not be so monotonous 

 after all. 



Indeed, I would not exchange my farm life for the best position in the 

 world. How independent the farmer is, with plenty to eat. plenty of pure, 

 fresh water to drink, and plent.v to wear, if it is not of the finest material, 

 plenty of fresh air to breathe and all the sunlight that can be found any- 

 where, and, best of all to us. an opportunity to raise our boy, the only 

 child left us, free from the vices and temptations of city life. Then there 

 are so many modern inventions to lessen and lighten our liousework 

 that we should not be denied. Many farmers think they can not do their 

 work witliout a Ifinder, mower, tedder, shredder and corn planter, corn 



