PRACTICAL PAPERS —FARM HELP. 
43 * 
spise the laborer for the labor’s sake, and from a pedestal of shame 
and inconsistencies, look down upon honest employment, intel' 
lectually unfitted as they always are to appreciate either capabili¬ 
ties or necessities. Woman’s life upon a farm is not always a 
pleasant one. It is too often surrounded with grievous cares, and 
burdens heavy to be borne. We find her at work early and late, 
verifying the old rhyme — that “ Man must work from sun to sun, 
but woman’s work is never done.” Beviewingher duties, you are 
led to conclude that there is no rest for her this side ot a life some¬ 
where else, and that her life is as devoid of flowers and as full of 
weeds as a farmer’s garden. I shall not be accused of painting an 
ideal picture of sunshine and song, Y)u will admit that I have 
met you with plain truths plainly told, and to the oft repeated 
assertion “ well it can’t be helped,” I reply, “yes it can be helped.’ r 
Help, help on the farm, indoors as well as out. It is no pleasant 
task to meet the objections which I must here encounter. Money 
settles most of life’s questions. Deny it as often as we may, re¬ 
sent it as often as we will, we sooner or later succumb to the 
almighty dollar. The farmer must have help. The crops must 
be put in at the proper time. The corn must be hoed. The grain 
cut and harvested. You would not consider that man wise who 
did not attend to his crops m their season. Improved farming im¬ 
plements must be purchased. The present outlay will be abund¬ 
antly returned by the better facilities with which the work can 
be done. Discretion justifies the investment and it is made. Stock 
must be improved, yes, and our model farmer pays $150 for an 
Ayrshire cow. He may hesitate and consider, but at last meets 
the urgent demand for improvement. In the end, there is money 
to be saved, money to be gained. And we patiently toil and wait. 
It’s strange that bread should be so dear, and flesh and blood so 
cheap. Does the mind need food? We find in every well regu¬ 
lated farmer’s home, little ones dependent upon the mother for 
more than their daily bread. There is that which cannot be esti¬ 
mated in “gain and loss;” that must gain its all from the mother’s 
heart, or lose its all from her neglect. And how can she, wearied 
with the labor which is only a necessity, gather her children around 
her, and give them the intellectual care, which it is more necessary 
she should give them on a farm than in the town. In every way, 
