86 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



it ; but, even though this be true, 1 think we 

 should take into account the occasional dan- 

 ger from tlie other extreme. Hy the way, 

 we once ventilated a concert room to sucii 

 an extent, and mainly just to please you. 

 that you became so hoarse you could scarce- 

 ly sing at all. Now, don't say we are all 

 sleepji in regard to this important matter 

 except yourself, good friend. 



THE WIFE'S SHARE. 



FHIENU TERRY GIVES BOTH HrSBANDS AND WIVES 

 A LITTLE EXHORTATION. 



fKlEND ROOT:— I think the lady that Dr. Miller 

 tells us of on page 938 is " an isolated case," 

 or at least a type of a very small class. Let 

 me tell you how I think a very large class 

 feel on this subject. 

 At the dose of a farmers' institute the other day, 

 where this matter of the wife's share had been dis- 

 cussed quite fully, a good, motherly-looking old 

 lady came to me and gave her experience in these 

 words: "My husband never really refused me any 

 money that I asked for. But, as old as I am, if 

 there was any way that I could earn what I want, 

 unbeknown to him, I would do it rather than ask 

 for It." 



Now, ] know this is not " an Isolated case." 

 Doubtless this woman voiced the sentiments of 

 very many thousands of her sisters. As friend 

 Miller " arraigns womankind," I feel in duty bound 

 to say something against a large class of mankind. 

 To the man, the gentleman, who acknowledges that 

 his wife's labor is just as bard and just as impor- 

 tant (the home-making) as his, and that she is his 

 full business partner, and has just as much right to 

 say what shall be done with their joint earnings, 

 and to take some out to use as she pleases, as he 

 has, to such a one I have nothing to saj-, only that 

 he is one of God's noblemen. Why dfc not all men 

 feel this way? Simply because a large part of man- 

 kind do not yet consider women as their equals. 

 That old curse pronounced on Eve when she sinned 

 has not been (juite forgotten. The idea that they 

 are masters, rulers, "the head," as well as the 

 husband, seems to cling to them. To be sure, Paul 

 did say, over 1800 ago, that the husband was the 

 head of the wife; it wouldn't do for him to get too 

 far ahead of the times in which he lived. Were he 

 preaching in Ohio to-day I should expect very dif- 

 ferent sentiments from his lips. But even 1800 

 years ago, if one takes all he says together, he is 

 but little if any behind the best sentiment of the 

 present day. Just think a moment of the full 

 meaning of this passage: "Husbands, love your 

 wives, even as Christ also loved the church and 

 gave himself for it." With such a love as that, no 

 woman could feel as though she had rather work 

 and earn the money than to ask her husband for it. 

 She would never have a chance, though, to ask for 

 It, as he would always see that she had her full 

 rights without asking. Such a love would show a 

 man that his wife and he were equal partners, 

 working together for the good of the firm, with 

 equal rights at the pocket-book, and not that one 

 was the lord and master and the other a sort of half 

 slave, obliged to ask for all she got, in a begging 

 way. 

 I think that lady was right Mr. Miller tells of, who 



wouldn't take regular wages for her work, from 

 her husband. That would place her in the light of 

 a hired servant, rather than a full partner. No. 

 there is only one right way; they should have a 

 common pocket-book, and each should feel as 

 though it contained their joint earnings, and one 

 had as good a right to draw from it as the other. 

 Against this it might be urged, that women would 

 ruin their husbands by extravagance. Perhaps so, 

 when kept as ornaments and not as full partners, 

 or when kept in ignorance of the exact state of the 

 finances. My balance-sheet, made yesterday, Jan. 

 2, shows every dollar that 1 have got, where it is, 

 and all about it. My wife knows just how we stand, 

 how much we are making, and always has from the 

 day we began business together. I have far more 

 fear of my own extravagance than I have of hers. 

 Had I kopt her in ignorance of the truth, I can not 

 say what the result would have been. Perhaps it 

 would have ruined me to leave my pocket-book 

 around with full orders to her to help herself to 

 what was as much hers as mine. 



I can not think friend Miller quite right when he 

 tells of his wife's work in the strawberry-bed, to 

 save some money, and how she overdid, and made 

 herself sick, and says: "In such a case I feel that! 

 have the right to say, 'That money must go for the 

 work, and it is not your privilege to have the mon- 

 ey the work costs, in place of the article itself.' " 

 On what gi-ounds has he this right? It must be be- 

 cause he is " the head " or the larger partner in the 

 firm. I think Mrs. Miller showed a highly com- 

 mendable spirit. She wanted to help her husband 

 all she could to keep the pocket-book full. He 

 ought to have praised her fondly when she overdid 

 and got sick, instead of writing to you how " riled " 

 he was. 



You may remember, friend Root, that I had my 

 wife with me at the institute at Lodi. From there 

 we went to the Norwalk meeting, and stayed 

 Wednesday and Thursday. The last institute of the 

 week was at North Fairfield, some ten miles from 

 the railroad, and the roads were very rough; sol 

 took my wife to the depot at Norwalk, bought her 

 ticket for home, handed her some money, and told 

 her to get her dinner at Cleveland depot, while she 

 was waiting, and when she got to Hudson to go to 

 the livery stable and get them to take her home. 

 ItisS'i miles, and she had considerable baggage. 

 They charge one dollar for taking a passenger to 

 my house. When I g(H home Saturday night, I 

 found that wife had gone without her dinner, and 

 walked home, carrying all her things. She is a 

 match for you, I think, after reading of your eight- 

 mile walk in last Gleanings. Well, she was pretty 

 lame; in fact, I guess she has hardly got over it yet; 

 but 1 am proud of her, just as brother Miller should 

 be of his wife. She didn't walk so as to have the 

 dollar to use as she pleased— there is no occasion for 

 that at our house, but for just the reason that you 

 took that long walk— because she thought she 

 couldn't earn a dollar any easier. Now, I should 

 like to stop here; but I must tell the whole truth 

 while I am about it. 



When I came home, Saturday night, the livery- 

 man got a dollar at my gate. I have felt just a 

 little mean ever since; but I am not going to try to 

 save myself by saying wife had no business to do 

 her way. And I think what, really " riled " friend 

 Miller was because— well, because ho didn't help his 

 wife clean out that strawberrv-bed. 



