tAJlMERs' INSTITUTES. 7 13 



gardeu suiuetiuie ago with a certain wuiiuin. a farmer's wife. Her hus- 

 band was with us. I'll call the farmer John, the wife Mary. We came 

 to a place where I had planted over tiftj' hills of melons. Some of these 

 were growing nicely and some Avere not yet up. I explained to Mary that 

 I had planted some late for late use. That last year I planted all at the 

 same time and we quit eating melons a month before we .might have done 

 had we planted part of them late. She turned to her husband and said, 

 '•John, Avhy couldn't you do that. Your first planting didn't come up. 

 Why couldn't you plant some late?" I could not lielp thinlcing. "Why 

 couldn't you, my helpless woman, while he is busy with something else'.'" 



How can we help by the use of common sense':* Does common sense 

 teach you to be afraid of spoiling your hands? Does it teach you that a 

 few freckles or a little tan is in any way injurious to you? Does it teach 

 you that work of any kind, if it is honest, is not honorable? It does not. 

 Know your husband's business. Know what's going on outside. I once 

 asked Mary how much millet John sowed that season. "O! I don't know, 

 quite a lot I think, I never know much about what he's doing.'' Poor 

 John! No one to take an interest whether he does anything or not. How 

 many farmers' wives in this audience know how much the fall installment 

 of taxes were and where the money came from that paid it? Don't com- 

 plain if John seems to take no thought of your household worries and the 

 care of the children when you take no thought of the numerous things 

 that worry him. Know how much is paid out for bonemeal, grass seed, 

 etc. Know how much clover he expects to sow next spring and where it 

 is to be sown. When it is sown take an interest with your husband in 

 the result of the sowing. How much injury the frost and drouth did it. 

 Know how many fat hogs he expects to sell this fall and wateli tlie rise 

 and fall of the price. Read the papers. Know what's going on in the 

 world around you, just as you expect of your iiusband. Know if there 

 are any debts to l)e paid off or interest to pay. I once knew a woman, 

 who, day after day, loaded her table witli an overabundance of good 

 things to eat, and, I suppose, lived accordingly in other ways. When her 

 husl)and died she found out that all she would ever be able to accomplish 

 would be to pay the interest on her debts. Had she known years before 

 her husband's circumstances they might liave kimwu ;i free existence for 

 years instead of being always enslaved by de1)t. 



Be your husband's i)artner in the fullest extent. Confide in him about 

 the things pertaining to tiie liousehold and children. Tell him of the 

 pleasures and worries that lie knows not of and lead him to contide in you 

 with all sincerity. I have in mind a certain home circle. The husband 

 and wife had been farmers ever since they were married. He came in 

 one evening frciui a certain gathering of young and old where he had been 

 on business. They were sitting around the evening lamp. Lifting his 

 eyes from his paper he turned to his wife— let me mention though that he 

 had no lial)its of drinking, smoking, etc.. so comiuon among men— "Mary. 



