No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 337 



ness. Each woman must diitei'mine foi* herself, just how far she dare 

 venture, and then move with caution. We liave known serious 

 trouble in families by a little rashness along this very line. For be 

 it remembered in the labor-lij^htening i)rocess, it is well to obey the 

 scriptural injunction and put not our conhdence in the "sons of men." 

 Woman, dont you know, was given to man ''for an help-mate." We 

 presume Father Adam lu-unounced it lielp mate, with strong accent 

 on the first syllable, and all mankind ''descending from him by or- 

 dinary generation" have learned to do likewise. To the general ex- 

 isting conditions in the great human family known as "tillers of the 

 soil," there are, however, exceptional features, these in justice to 

 all concerned, must receive due notice and consideration. A gentle- 

 man of our acquaintance has saved his wife much hard labor, for 

 several years past by a single act. lie bought a revolving churn, a 

 good one too — but, his wife, owing to imperfect heart action, mus- 

 cular weakness of the spine or something either real or imaginary 

 could not run it, so he does the churning himself. Many of our 

 brethren doubtless have done as well, or better. To all such we 

 otter everlasting appreciation and gratitude. They will surely be 

 rewarded in due time, if found continuing on in well doing. On the 

 other hand, we may find women, the wives of well-to-do farmers, who 

 keep themselves in a continual state of impatience, over-work and 

 over-worry, nagging husband and children into fits of desperation, 

 or converting them into mere money-grasping machines, as the case 

 may be, according to their temperament; all because of a feverish 

 desire to outshine their neighbor — to have in their view, some won- 

 derful achievement over which to boast, or most likely to satisfy 

 an inordinate love of finery in dress or various foolish expenditures, 

 perhaps quite beyond their means. Of this class of women, for them, 

 or to them, it is worse than useless to speak. Like Ephraim of old, 

 "They are joined to their idols, let them alone." Lacking the essen- 

 tial elements of good judgment, or sound, common sense, their labor 

 being of their own choosing, they can lighten it as they see fit. 



No true woman will seek to lighten her labor, multiform and mani- 

 fold through her tasks may be, by slighting her work, therefore, 

 the only hope of relief lies in easier ways, or better methods. This 

 requires thought and care, brain rather than muscle. We must ac- 

 cept as good counsel, the old maxim: "Make your head, save your 

 heels." Nothing is gained by rushing pell-mell and hap-hazard, like 

 a runaway locomotive, but learn rather to think first and calmly, 

 then work quietly and steadily, never deliberately put off till to-mor- 

 row what you can just as well do to-day — ^thus helping j^our work get 

 ahead of you as it is likely to do so very often despite our best ef- 

 forts to the contrary. Avoid carefully much superlluous furnish- 

 ing in any part of the house. Good in quality as our means will al- 

 22—6—1901 



