246 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



vigor, which she cannot neglect without stinting 

 her rightful portion of happiness and doing vio- 

 lence to the dictates of her better nature. I would 

 not be understood as advocating any course of 

 conduct contrary to the directions of St. Paul that 

 women should be "keepers at home ;" but there is 

 nothing incompatible with the good name of house- 

 keeper in spending a portion of every day outside 

 the walls of the house. Not in needless shopping 

 excursions, nor yet in merely listless walking — 

 "spinning street yarn" — as the old adage says; 

 nor in running about among neighbors, wasting 

 time and strength in useless chatter. 



It is a sad truth that ujitil quite recently Amer- 

 ican women have suffered both in mind and body 

 from too great confinement to the house. False 

 notions of refinement and delicacy forbade their 

 engaging in any employment, and kept them from 

 participating in amusements that might take them 

 beyond the atmosphere of close rooms. In cities 

 and towns this was particularly the case ; while 

 even farmers' wives and daughters had begun to 

 entertain the same foolish ideas, a demure walk or 

 ride to church or to the city, once a week, being 

 usually the only exercise which they took in the 

 open air, besides the few minutes daily spent in 

 arranging the milk-pans in the yard, or in feeding 

 the poulti-y. And these trifling matters could not 

 be accomplished without the protection of poke- 

 bonnets and parasols, because everybody had such 

 a horror of tanned and freckled faces and stout 

 and vigorous forms. Said a lady in reply to an 

 inquiry as to the health of her daughter (ironi- 

 cally, for she had no sympathy with such silly no- 

 tions) "A has the misfortune to be well — vul- 

 garly well — unfashionably well." 



Certain it is that so cadaverous-looking creatures 

 as our New England girls were getting to be had 

 never been seen outside of nunneries, nor a more 

 nervous and melancholy set. Peevish, discon- 

 tented, and sickly, they were fast losing all claims 

 to loveliness, when a few clear-sighted and deep- 

 thougbted individuals promulgated new doctrines 

 of health and lieauty , and set the fashion of greater 

 freedom in woman's dress and manners. Yet, as 

 we usuall}' oscillate from one extreme to the other, 

 there is danger that the reformers of woman's 

 laws and habits may carry their work so far as to 

 rob her of that modesty and discretion which are 

 her brightest jewels. Loss of bodily health from 

 the most rigid seclusion would be far preferable 

 to this deprivation of qualities so essential to the 

 well-being of her moral nature. While we avail 

 ourselves of all opportunities for a reasonable in- 

 dulgence in out-door pursuits, let us be careful 

 never to overstep the bounds of a lady-like pro- 

 priety in any of our doings, and never commit an 

 oflFence against the principles of Christian manners 

 which form the basis of all womanly conduct. 



We sometimes hear complaint made of the 

 drudgery to which women are subjected, either in 

 overseeing, or in accomplishing, the needed house- 



work of the family. The condition of farmers' 

 wives is said to be little better in that respect than 

 that which used to be endured by the Southern 

 slave-woman. If this be so, false pride, or ambi- 

 tion, or pcnuriousness, or all three of these daugh- 

 ters of the horse-leech are at the bottom of it. 

 But I doubt if it is actually the case. Housework 

 never degenerates into drudgery when performed 

 judiciously and with a cheerful spirit. In the 

 words of good George Herbert, so often quoted 



"Who sweeps a room as for God'fl laws , 



Makes that and the action fine." 



This drudgery, this housework, it is said, is 

 wearing out and breaking down the constitutions 

 of the best women in our land. Now, the trouble 

 lies with the worker, not with the work, for it is 

 one of the most healthful of occupations. The 

 fact is, the larger part of all housekeeping opera- 

 tions are carried on in small ill-ventilated rooms, 

 apartments that are either excessively hot from the 

 use of stoves or ranges, or kept cool and comfor- 

 table — not to say damp and dark — by excluding as 

 much of the sun as possible. This, more than 

 hard labor, is the cause of the feebleness, and 

 weariness of soul and body, for which the over- 

 worked farmers' wives receive so much commis- 

 eration. There is a remedy, close at hand, if they 

 will only use it — out-door work, as a sort of recess 

 from the requirements of the house, which should 

 be taken every day, regularly. Moderate, yet ac- 

 tive employment in the open air, where we can 

 inhale the free breezes and bask in the unobstructed 

 light of the sun, is all that is needed to renew and 

 invigorate debilitated frames and exhausted ener- 

 gies ; the sun-bath, latterly so highly extolled as 

 a panacea for all ailments, is never required by 

 those who take a daily portion of its life-giving 

 rays. 



But many will say they are well enough, and 

 that they have no time to spare for anything not 

 actually bringing them or their families some ad- 

 vantage, — this word advantage being but a syn- 

 onym for gain with them. Having always an ej'e 

 to utility, they do not understand how it is that 

 matters whose value cannot come within the scope 

 of dollars and cents may yet be more precious 

 than gold. Good housewives, I trust, will make 

 no such answer. They ought eagerly to under- 

 take any employment, suited to their capacities, 

 which will give them an hour's recreation each 

 day from the monotonous cares and duties of in- 

 door life. The occasion must not be neglected, 

 even if it brings them only the one benefit of di- 

 verting their thoughts into other channels and 

 thereby resting and refreshing the brain. Too 

 many forget, or are unaware, how important it is 

 for the mind to have rest and refreshment. They 

 often realize the exhilarating effect which a 

 change in the subject of their thoughts for a few 

 minutes lends to their whole being; but they do 

 not deem it necessary to provide for such a 

 change; so they go on— day after day— month 



