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A Mothers' Day Tribute

From Manitoba's homestead days
1
 
 
Model Farmer’s Wife Essay Competition Part One
 
In 1888, the NorWest Farmer magazine ran a competitive essay contest on the subject of Homesteading. The second place winner in this competition mentioned in his essay an 1887 competitive essay contest on the subject of “The Model Farmer’s Wife”. The researchers who write for the Manitoba Agricultural Museum sought out copies of the 1887 NorWest Farmer to find these essays as they may provide useful information to further our understanding of homesteading in the late 1880s. Two essays were found, which will be presented in a two part series. These personal pieces certainly provide interesting insight on the portrait of women at the time and what was thought to be important attributes of the “farmer’s wife” through the eyes of these two authors and, when compared to other other sources, valuable information regarding the division of the tasks on farms at the turn of the century. Please note that the attitudes and sentiments expressed in the 1887 essays are the ones to the original authors and do not express the views and opinions of the Manitoba Agricultural Museum.
 
 
The Model Farmers Wife
 
Written for the NorWest Farmer
 
Competitive Essay by S.A. Laidman, Binbrook, Ont.
 
She is a treasure. We have been told that “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world,” and of all the occupations that of the farmer is the best, for he feeds us all. Now, if the farmers do so much, and the woman occupies such an important position in society, we must admit that the “farmers wife” is a very important person indeed, and she is.
 
Some people have the impudence to ask if the farmer requires, or even deserves as good a wife as the doctor, lawyer or merchant does. Yes, sir, he does, and he needs a better one. How often the expression is heard, “Mr. Jones would get on very well if it were not for his wife’s extravagance,” or “Mr. Smith would never do anything if he had not Mrs.Smith to plan for him.” Oh, what would the farmer do without a good wife? He wants a wife who has good health and is always ready to do her share of the work, not one of those wax doll affairs that sit in the rocking chair in the parlor all day. He wants one that will be of some use in an emergency, one that is able to help him a little with his work when he cannot really manage without her. 
 
She must be a good cook, able to prepare any article of food from a pot of porridge up to a wedding cake. She must be expert with the scissors and needle, knowing how to construct anything from a finger stall for the bruised finger, up to the fine shirt her husband likes so well. She should know how to make a child’s frock or a black silk dress. when her husband goes to a political meeting and takes his place on the platform, his collar and cuffs should tell the politicians that his wife is an excellent laundress. 
 
She should be economical, knowing how to make her time, money and strength of just as far as it is possible to make them go. She should not waste anything , and yet she must not be stingy, being willing to help a poor fellow in time of need, and yet guarded in her generosity lest she have not enough left for herself and her family.
 
She should be model of neatness. The shining milk pans ranged on the shelf, the black stove, the snow white floor, the neatly decorated book shelf, the dishes on the pantry shelf, should all point out to the visitor the the mistress is the mistress of the art of neatness. Everything about the house should point out that she believes that “cleanliness is next to godliness.” Yet there is a boundary line even to neatness. It must not be carried so far that the best room is always kept dark, and the best book is always left lying just so.
 
The model farmer’s wife has will of her own and uses it when she has the opportunity. she knows her rights and maintains them, and does it without being a virago. She's know that cheerfulness is a valuable medicine and she uses it three times a day and finds it makes her work easier and her life happier. She is overflowing with with good nature and it takes a good many batches of bad bread and a good many pieces of broken china to make her lose her temper. She is  sociable with her neighbors  and can spend a pleasant afternoon with her friend or can entertain a sleigh load of young people on a winter evening with the greatest ease. Although she is delightful in her conversation, she never stoops to the debasing practice of gossiping. If she can say nothing good of a person she refrains from saying anything evil.
 
She is well educated, that is, she can speak properly; and by observation, conversation and reading, she has developed her mind and manner to such an extent that she can engage in conversation on almost any subject.
 
Although well educated she does not claim to be a “literary woman.” She speaks of the “green fields” and the “south winds,” not of “verdant landscapes” and “gentle zephyrs,” and all her language is plain yet elegant.
 
She is passionately find of flowers and from the time the delicate Easter flower creeps out from beneath the snow until “ the last rose of summer”  scatters its leaves over the garden walk, she has a bouquet adorning the table or nestling at her collar.
 
As brave as a lion where bravery is required she will battle for the right though she stand alone, and yet she is as modest as Burns’ “wee crimson tippet flower.”
 
In case of sickness she is always on hand, and in her quiet way she goes about the house administering comfort and kindness to all. With deft fingers she arranges the poultices, spreads the toast, smoothes the pillow, repeats the verse of scripture, sings a soothing song or hmm, holds a cup of water to the parched lips, and by her magic presence soothes the patient into a calm quiet sleep. 
 
Yet the farmer’s wife should be healthy, industrious, energetic, dexterous, economical, neat, firm, good natured, cheerful, sociable, well educated, ford of flowers, brave, tender, patient and she should be a christian. 
 
Without this last, all her accomplishments and virtues will sink into almost oblivion, but with it she will rise and shine as the sun. If she have all these qualities she will indeed be a model farmer’s wife, and the farmer who has her can scarcely fail to be successful. 
 
The Manitoba Agricultural Museum is open year round and operates a website at http://mbagmuseum.ca/ which can provide visitors with information on Museum. As Manitoba celebrates 150 years as a province, tell your story of Manitoba agriculture! The Manitoba Agricultural Museum needs you to contribute your farming story by showcasing yourself, one of your ancestors or someone you know and telling your/their story! More information on this project can be found at http://mbagmuseum.ca/farmersofmanitoba
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