Given a certain amount of education, 
wealth, and nearness to a town, and the farm¬ 
er’s wife is envied and enviable. You know 
her. She comes to your church and attends 
your lectures, exhibitions and social gather¬ 
ings. She is well dressed and as refined, intel¬ 
ligent and happy as auy woman in the land, 
and has a healthier body and a freer mind 
than the wives of most men in other voca¬ 
tions. You visit her aud admire the comfort 
of her home, the sweet shyness of her chil¬ 
dren, and all the picturesque and charming 
accessories of her rural life. She is frequent¬ 
ly found iu the weathly and populous East, 
and often in the Middle West, aud occasion¬ 
ally, lacking only the perfection of surround¬ 
ings, she appears iu the pioneer States, even 
to the far frontier. Like the Roman candle 
which thrown up at intervals in the Mammoth 
Cave, reveals to travelers the wondrous 
grandeur of arch aud vault, the brightness of 
her life displays the beautiful possibilities of 
her position. But she is exceptional and not 
the representative of her class. In the Norse 
heaven Thor’s house had 540 floors. Quite as 
many grades are there in the condition of 
farmers’ wives. But, leaving out the ex¬ 
tremes, let us consider them generically—first 
premising that no statement can be made to 
which there are not numerous exceptions. 
Farmers’ wives are as happy, on an average, 
as the women of most other classes. They 
have their joys and sorrows iu common with 
the race. Like every other class, they have 
their own peculiar discomforts and advan¬ 
tages. There prevails au idea, both among 
themselves and others, that them life is unfor¬ 
tunate, and certainly it falls far short of pos¬ 
sessing that ideal happiness which is both 
desirable and possible. 
What are the ills incident to the position of 
the ordinary farmer’s wife ? The troubles and 
discomforts peculiar to her class have many 
causes. Qno of these is early marriage. 
Rural life is favorable to matrimony. At au 
early age, when the girls of cities and villages 
are at school, or engaged in some labor 
marked out for them by a guiding hand, the 
country girl undertakes the responsibilities of 
housekeeping, often under the most trying 
circumstances, and assumes the most import¬ 
ant duties of womanhood. The complete 
physical changes incident to a wife and 
mother, experienced at au immature age, 
often break down her health and lay the 
foundation of nervous disorders which cause 
her lifelong suffering. Development of mind 
aud of body is arrested; the judgment is 
warped; cheerfulness gives way to complaint, 
or silent endurance increases the strain on the 
nerves. Her means will not allow her the 
rest or attendance necessary For a cure. She 
grows old prematurely, or, breaking down 
entirely, adds another to the long list of 
farmers’ wives who are found in our insane 
asylums. 
Another cause pregnant with trouble is 
poverty. In fact, “the want of money is the 
root of all evil” to the farmer’s wife. Country 
girls are seldom influenced by worldly con¬ 
siderations in their choice of a husband. The 
country boy cares little for gold or lauds; all 
he wants is a wife. It is a common custom to 
give a girl a cow aud a feather bed when she 
marries, and the youth who works for his 
father until he is twenty-one, usually receives 
a team. With these and little more they begin 
the labor of housekeeping on a rented farm, 
one-third of the produce of which comes to 
them for their toil. It must be au exception¬ 
ally good year, or prices must be very high, 
if the farm affords much more than a bare 
subsistence. A few buy land, on easy terms, 
of their pareuts. 
In the East the oldest, and in the West the 
youngest son generally stays on the old home¬ 
stead; but he looks with envy on the brothers 
who are free to choose, aud his wife undergoes 
trials, different indeed, but quite equal to 
those of the pioneer. Their eyes turn longing¬ 
ly toward that country which their fancy 
paints as “the land of mighty rivers running 
over sands of gold.” As a rule, the longer 
they stay iu their native place the poorer they 
become, until, sooner or later, they “pluck 
up” courage, aud in a covered wagon, or, as 
they call it, a prairie schooner, they start for 
the West. The most eastern States for these 
pioneers are Iowa aud Minnesota. The next 
^tt i c c U a n c o u (Ut v 11 .$ i» . 
seeking employment. We have said before— 
and we i*eiterate the statement—that a woman 
who can only paint china and work art em¬ 
broidery will starve, while one who can mend 
stockings and make good home-made pies is 
always sure of a living. There is not a town 
of any size in the United States that could uot 
support a bureau of mend mg, albeit a moder 
ate. one. And the localities are innumerable 
where a woman going out by the day as a 
mender would be better paid than an ordi¬ 
nary seamstress. Every woman can earn a 
liviug—if she only tries the right thing—and 
since rude man prefers whole garments and 
home-made pxes to art embroidery and decor¬ 
ated bone plates, we would recommend the 
former course to the woman iu search of a live¬ 
lihood. 
FEMININE FANCIES. 
If there is anything in the world calculated 
to make a woman truly happy when roughing 
it by woods or sea, it is the sublime con¬ 
sciousness that she cannot spoil her clothes. 
Add fix this the knowledge that she is pictur¬ 
esquely and beeomiugly clad, and she will en¬ 
joy a yachting trip or inland tramp with au 
intense zest unknown to rude man. 
The possibilities of au indestructible gown 
have been demonstrated by James McCreery 
& Co.; their novel Tuxedo suit is the acme of 
ease and comfort. The entire gown is knitted 
iu soft, fine wool; it consists of a round full 
skirt, with a border of contrasting stripes; a 
blouse waist, with striped collar, ami a sash, 
similarly decorated, and finished with tassels. 
An accompanying cap is of novel shape, hav¬ 
ing two points, caught together by tassels. 
These suits come in many colors, navy blue 
with scarlet strips or royal blue with cream 
white stripes beiug especially attractive. 
Black and orange, or cream white and black 
are extremely effective, and the entire cos¬ 
tume has an indescribably jaunty effect. It is 
the very thing for tenuis aud boating, coun¬ 
try strolls oriuouutaiu tramps, and has astyle 
not always attainable in rougb-and-ready 
costumes. Some charming little soft felt 
hats, beautifully lined and finished, may be 
worn with these suits; they afford more shade 
than the Tuxedo cap. 
A somewhat similar suit is to be made for 
children; it will be quite distinct from the 
ordinary Jersey suit, w'hile offering the same 
freedom of movement. 
Children’s fashions really grow prettier every 
season. The same general style prevails; the 
falling iu straight folds or plaits—the bodice 
rather loose, ofteu with a peasant effect. The 
sleeves rather recall the costume of some Ba¬ 
varian peasants, with fullness gathered iuto a 
deep cuff. One exceptionably pretty frock 
wa-s of ecru serge; the skirt iu side plaits, 
with a box-plait iu front outlined with a de¬ 
sign in narrow brown braid; the cutaway 
jacket braided, and ojHmiug over a vest of 
dark brown corduroy. Children’s jackets are 
very similar to their Hocks in shape; there is 
usually a hood, lined with some contrasting 
color, and belt or cord at the waist. 
Infants garments arc uot given to change 
with every passing month, but they grow 
daintier with every season. They are enriched 
with exquisite handwork, open-betutuiug and 
delicate stitching, such as our grandmothers 
loved. A charming infant’s shawl of fine, 
white cashmere has a satin binding sewn on 
with feather-stitching; clusters of daisies are 
embroidered iu the corners, and it is finished 
with a border of the same flower. 
In costumes, there are charming combina¬ 
tions in silk and lace, showing some novel 
draping. According to the imported French 
gowns, the tournure is as large and aggressive 
as ever. 
One of the prett iest silks for summer wear 
is the uewTussah; it is soft, light, aud beauti¬ 
fully finished, much handsomer thau pougee. 
It comes in both plain and figured form, aud 
is very durable. Oue can get charming para¬ 
sols to match this silk, thus making a pretty 
costume. 
The “high novelties” iu silk are bewildering 
iu variety; they are stripes in every imagina¬ 
ble style with plain silk to match. Some of 
the pompadour stripes on the moirfc or satin 
ground are very suggestive of a Dresden shep¬ 
herdess, anil there are figured cUimS silk, aud 
figured moirtf, and silver broeades that look 
like moonlight tangled iu the loom. 
Among woolens for combination, there is a 
strong leaning towards plaids, some very 
pretty, and others painfully loud. 
For information contained iu the above ar¬ 
ticle, thanks are due Messrs. James McCreery, 
& Co., New York. 
---- 
LITTLE THINGS. 
SELMA OLA HE, 1 
- ( 
It is true although trite, fcbftt life js made up l 
of little things. It is the ijttje pleasures, the 1 
Jijud words front our Iqyed ones, the thousand l 
aud one nameless, but thoughtful acts 
that show their love, that make 
up the sum of happiuess. Aud just so 
is it the petty worries of every-day existence 
that make us miserable. We may bear great 
trials like a hero, and yet worn aud fretted by 
the minor cares, we may fall by the wayside. 
If one has that loving faith which will enable 
him to cast all his cares on Him who is always 
ready and williug to help us bear our crosses, 
he needs no other consolation, but we must 
uot forget that “Providence helps those who 
help themselves.” 
It will not do to sit down ignobly aud give 
up the fight without a struggle. If you would 
uot be like the stone which is worn away bv 
the constant dropping of water, you must not 
like the stone lie still to receive the drops. Do 
not constantly compare your lot with that of 
those happier thau yourself. Look rather at 
the lives of the mauy who are iufiuitely more 
wretched. Your own may seem bright by 
comparison. 
-♦ ♦ ♦ 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
Prayer is so mighty au instrument that 
uo one ever thoroughly mastered all its keys. 
They sweep along the infinite scale of man’s 
wants and of God’s goodness. 
There is a beautiful moral feeling connected 
with everything iu i-ural life, which is not 
dreamed of in the philosophy of the city. 
Give what you have. To some oue it may 
be better thau you think. 
It is good for us to think uo grace or bless¬ 
ing is truly ours till we are aware that God 
has blessed some one else with it through us.. 
Ik when thou makest. a bargain, thou think- 
est only of thyself and thy gain, thou art a 
servant of mammon. .. 
How different is the life within onr breast. 
From what wo seem to those who know us best... 
Trusting daily, in small things aud iu great, 
is the surest way of getting cheerfulness of 
mind and character. Not blindly, or stoic¬ 
ally accepting the evil and the good alike with 
indifference, but holding on to thiuner ideal 
Within and working up toward that by the 
aid of the bitterness and the sharpness of evil, 
yet uot giving way under their depressing in¬ 
fluence. .. ..;. 
No grace is more necessary to the Christian 
worker thau fidelity: the humble grace that 
marches ou iu sunshine or storm, when no 
banners are waving and there is no music to 
cheer the weary feet.,. 
Be patient in little things. Learn to bear 
the every-duy trials aud annoyances of life 
quietly and calmly, aud then, when unforseeu 
trouble or calamity comes your strength will 
not foresake you... 
Domestic Ccfitioimj 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES K. M. CARMAN. 
HOUSE-CLEANING TIME. 
Don’t open the campaign too early. 
Begin with the cellar instead of the garret. 
Clean closets before rooms. 
Clean oue room at a time, thus avoidiug dis- 
tractiug confusion. 
If the woodwork of a room needs repaint¬ 
ing aud your circumstances are such that you 
oau afford the outlay now is the time to have 
it doue. 
Brush bed springs aud inside of bedsteads 
with a mixture of quick-silver and white of 
au egg. 
Because you are cleaning there is no reason 
why breakfast, dinner and supper should 
not be on time. A little forethought and 
extra preparation of food the day before 
cleaning will enable you to have your cus¬ 
tomary meals without resorting to that unso¬ 
cial makeshift—“a cold bite iu the closet.” 
Don’t be unwise enough to take down every 
stove iu the house, except the oue in the kitch¬ 
en, because of a few warm April days. 
CONCERNING FARMERS’ WIVES. 
MBS. C. D, B. COLBY. 
I Read at the Women’s Congress.] 
We are all children of a farmer’s wife. 
When the voice of the Lord drove our first 
pareuts from Paradise, pioneer life began. 
Doomed henceforth to sorrow and sweat, 
They, hand tn hand, with wandering step and slow, 
Through Kden took their solitary wu.v. 
Having reached the frontier they took up a 
homestead aud began a liie which epitomizes, 
under changed conditions, the lives of farmers’ 
wives From that day to this, Eve was poor. 
She wus not very well educated, iu a literary 
point of view. Her nearest neighbor lived 
miles away in the land of Noth She had lots 
of children, some of whom turned out very 
bad, and her husband, no doubt, often told her 
he should never hftve gone West if it had not 
been for Iter, j 
The Makers of a Well Known Churn write: 
“We have been often asked by dairymen: ‘What is the very 
best soap to use to properly cleanse dairy utensils ? ’ We have 
invariably replied, the ‘Ivory,’ but as for giving specific directions 
for washing dairy utensils, it is really summed up in making them 
thoroughly clean. Boiling water must be used, and that, in con¬ 
nection with Ivory Soap, will thoroughly cleanse and deodorize 
the wood, leaving it clean and sweet for further use. Any dairy 
utensils half cleaned will spoil the delicate aroma of * gilt edge 
butter,’ which may be perfect in other respects.” 
There are many white soaps, each represented to be* just as good as the‘Ivory’;” 
they ARE NOT, but like all counterfeits, lack the peculiar and remarkable qualities 
Of the genuine. Ask for "Ivory” Soap and insist upon getting it, 
Pppyriglit, 1850, by Procter <& Gamble, 
A WORD OF WARNING. 
