184 FARM HOMES, IN-DOORS AND OUT-DOORS. 



Maternity is womanhood's shadow ; and, whether glad 

 or sorrowful in its possession, women are generally fol- 

 lowed by it into all their professions, whether they be 

 farm-wives, missionaries, or editors of fashion magazines. 

 Man seldom has the care of children added to his business 

 work. It would strike us as a very melancholy sight to 

 see a man devoting the energies of one arm to a reaper, 

 while he holds a worrying baby in the other ; or planting 

 rows of potatoes in the hurry of spring work, while a small 

 infant follows close at his heels crying to be taken ! Such 

 a man would expect half the town to rush to his rescue ; 

 and yet these are like the sights we see in women's work 

 every day. 



It is because of this double burden, so patiently and 

 often so joyously borne, that women deserve happier lives 

 and longer lives than they often experience. And the 

 fault is largely their own that they do not experience them. 

 Pour upon me no torrent of reproaches, dear reader, but 

 it is a fact. You do not take care of yourself. In addi- 

 tion to care of children and husband and the housework, 

 you have to be mother and nurse to yourself, or else suf- 

 fer more or less from neglect. Did you ever reflect upon 

 this fact ? Years ago the blessed mother-hands cared 

 for you ; you were not over-worked ; you had plenty of 

 sleep, you had "good times" now and then with your 

 friends, and, above all, you had something happy and 

 beautiful to look forward to. Now, you are away from 

 the brooding mother- wings, and have a brood of your own ; 

 cares and duties have quite banished the little festivals 

 and jollifications of the old days ; and the hope and 

 dream of your life, husband and home, having been 

 achieved, you have lost the healthful stimulus of a great 

 hope, and settled into an endless round of housework 

 seeing away off somewhere a vague glimmer of sweet-by- 

 and-by rest, with the children grown up into talented 

 men and women, and still clinging to you with the whole- 



