political paper, as he sits before his fire and feeds his intellect on the slang-whanging of his party organ, and chuckles over the probable triumph of his party at the next election, and the success of his party candidate for congress, coroner, or constable. Look at me, what do I care for fine clothes, gew-gaws? Don't I know just as much? Can't I labor just as effectively, raise just as large crops and get just as good bargains in buying and selling, as I could if I were decked out with all the finery of the tailor and jeweler? My dear sir, go back with me to a certain old homestead, of which you know full well, and take a careful look at a certain young man that you knew quite well some years ago, full of health and hope; with care he lays out the treasures of his wardrobe, shaves clean his downy chin, dons his best suit, carefully places his watch in his pocket and as carefully leaves his chain or guard in plain sight, puts the handkerchief into the breast pocket, leaving the corner to peep out and roguishly coquette with the girl of his heart, and as he feels himself ready to start, carefully surveys the landscape o'er from the top of his best plug hat to the sole of his well-blacked boots, and then, self satisfied, in happy satisfaction with himself and personal appearance, hies himself to the bowers of his beloved, confident of

success.

Why did you put on all those "store clothes" and gew-gaws? Why did you not sally out in your present guise? Stand up here, sir, aud let us take an account of your attractions. Stoga boots, well worn, not over clean and well perfumed, shoddy pants, picturesque and ornamented with much needle work, ele gantly crammed into the tops of his boots, or hang airily on the boot straps; blue blouse and hickory shirt to match; a slouch hat that looks as though it was ready to sing "When this old hat was new," and all else in strict conformity. Now remove that venerable clay pipe from your mouth, stained and perfumed with many an ancient smoke, and tell us, had you gone in your present plight, do you think that pride and self respect would have gone with you, or confidence and love would have welcomed you? Not much! But you went in your best and personal adorn ment was not "fudge" then — and at the door she met you, and

was there one note or one that The influence of

her neat and well clad figure ushered you into the best room, where neatness and beauty ruled; and to you every ornament had the air of her taste and skill, and the room fairly floated in the harmonious atmosphere of her beauty; and as you sat and "sparked" away into the "wee sma' hours," and talked of things. past, present and future- especially future adornment on her fair form that you did not you would be willing to spare? Not one. those personal adornments, those polite and courteous attentions would be as much appreciated to day, as when they were all called in play in those pleasant earlier days, and if practiced uniformly, would shed a brighter light of mature love and confidence over this dark work-day world than they then did. But some degree of leisure must be had for them; some degree of freedom from the unceasing strain of toil and care that marks the lives of half the farmers' wives in the land. It becomes us, as self-styled "lords of creation," to look carefully about us and find out some remedy for these ills, that, whilst they fall with the most crushing weight upon the companions of our lives, the mothers of our children, the light and comfort of our homes, still bear heavily upon the hearts of all true men. The question has been spoken upon and written about, but still remains practically unsettled. Relief for the over worked farmer's wife. She who, instead of being the happy mistress of her own home and family, is oftentimes but its weariest slave. The remedy consists in diminishing the great burden of ever recurring duties that mark the housewife's daily life from early Monday morning to late Saturday night.

The never-failing three substantial meals each day, the cooking, preparing, dish washing and general cleaning, with little or no appliances to relieve the monotonous detail. The Monday's washing, the Tuesday's ironing, the bi-weekly bakings and general cookings, the tri-weekly churnings and butter-working, the daily sweeping and dusting, the hourly tidiness and setting in order, the regular weekly mendings and repairings, the oft recurring "stitch in time" for every member of the family, the knitting and netting, the making up, ripping out, remodeling and

making over, the care of the daily clothes, as well as the daily food of the household, the making of various new and necessary garments, with the care and planning of it all, so as to do the most with the least possible outlay, and to the best advantage. All these and many, very many other duties fill each moment of the housewife's busy life, scarcely saving the sacred hours of Sunday from the dreary round. Is it strange that our insane asylums are so often recruited from the ranks of farmers' wives? Is it at all wonderful that the silent grave so often receives the weary form, and that its eternal rest so often relieves the life-long strain? But what is proposed as a remedy? Gentlemen, I can only offer some crude suggestions for your consideration, relying upon your wisdom and thoughtfulness in arriving at a just conclusion:

1st. Let the comfortable and unpretending tenant house, wherever it is practicable, find a place on the farm, and let the farm help find a home and home care in its shelter. It will encourage the farm help to permanency, reliability and to having a home of his own.

2d. Let the master of the farm see well to it that his own home is in good order, and well furnished with all conveniences for doing the house work. When he is buying his improved sulky. plow, cultivator, harvester or horse-rake, let him remember to investigate the improved churns, washing-machines, wringers and other labor-saving machines for the household. Water in abundance for both laundry and culinary purposes, ready within the walls of the kitchen and laundry, and only to be sought by the easy working pump. A good system of drainage from kitchen and sinks, that shall safely and surely carry off all refuse water. A good cooking stove or range in its place, and a good woodhouse, well stored with a year's supply of seasoned wood, prepared and stored up each winter for the coming year's use. Am. ple supply in larder and store-room for family use.

3d. The cheese factory has already relieved the house work of one continuous and heavy source of care and labor, and why should not the neighborhood creamery take the fresh new milk each day from the farmers around, and at trifling expense return gilt edged butter ready for market, thus taking away much of the terror of dairy farming?

4th. During the long, hot and busy summer months, the family baking and heavy cooking form a serious item of the daily burden of house keeping. Is it not worthy of thought and experiment whether a farm bakery, co-operative or otherwise, might not be organized to do this work, at a great saving of fuel and strength, and a slight individual expense, to quite a large circle of farmers?

5th. Let the best family sewing machine, well kept and always in order, ever stand ready to do its stitching duties, and co-operate with the family seamstress, who should find a place and labor quite often in almost every family, and never permit the family clock to point to the weary hours of 10, 11 or 12 at night, whilst the weary mistress sits at the work table making or mending the family wardrobe, and the lord of the household snores away his weariness in bed. And never fail, upon all extra occasions, to furnish in the house, as on the farm, extra help to perform the labor.

6th. The precept and example of the master of the house should impress upon the minds of all the family, that it is the duty of all permanent members of the household to assist in every possible way in performing all heavy and rough jobs, and discharging all those little duties about the house; of being helpful, of waiting upon themselves, of putting everything into its wellordered and appointed place and putting in order at once all the little breakages in the establishment. No one who has never fairly tried it can conceive of how much comfort and aid comes to the housewife, by such little helps as those indicated above.

7th, and last, but by no means least, let the husband never fail of affording to his partner in life and joy and sorrows, those manifold and numerous little opportunities of getting away for a short time, if only for a day or for an hour, from the presence of the mountain of daily toil. He himself goes to the market and to the mill, to the postoffice and to the blacksmith shop, to the agricultural meeting, and to the political caucus and convention, to the auction or to the horse trot, and to a thousand and one other places, where he meets his fellows and talks over all the masculine gossip, which he of course calls news, and thus relieves himself from any monotonous tedium that may have gathered

around his home life, which is ever broader and more varied, as every out door life is, than the life of the house wife. Then let him see to it that she has as fair a chance, and let him not grumble and cry gossip if she desires to see the faces of her as sociates, and hear their voices, and talk over the feminine items of news.

Gentlemen, I am fully conscious that I have not been able to handle this subject as it deserves; that some of my suggestions may be impracticable, and some crude and ill-digested, but I only ask for them your candid consideration, and if there is anything here worth saving, take care of it, perfect it and put it into practice, supply my deficiencies by your own efforts. Study, think, act, offer your own ideas, try your own experiments, and finally report to us your results, your conclusions and your recommendations.

Whatever you may do, rest well assured that it is your own interest, as well as your own duty that calls upon you to act like true men, to grapple at once and boldly with this question, and to furnish for it some good practicable remedy.

TRANSPORTATION FROM THE NORTHWEST TO THE SEA-COAST.

BY HON. A. A. ARNOLD, GALESVILLE.

In all civilized countries, government is best maintained by the people thereof submitting quietly and peaceably to the author ized laws.

When, however, a state of things exists, showing that the laws are inefficient or that others are necessary to correct errors, it is the right and duty of the people to amend them or institute new laws based on such constitutional principles as shall seem most likely to warrant their prosperity, safety and happiness.

The people of these United States are the sovereigns, and each citizen forms an integral part of the sovereignty. To the extent of his personal interest and the interest necessitated by a due regard for the good of the whole, should he exercise the privilege he enjoys as such citizen sovereign.