V.NOTES TAKEN AT THE SEWING-CIRCLE.
NOT as a listener, but as an investigator, investigating the very important subject of domestic affairs. Why not call it a scientific subject? Why not found a small science of my own here in this out-of-the-way place? The wise ones, the ones that own the big sciences, won’t know any thing about it; and, if they do, they won’t try to get mine away from me, having so many heavenly bodies, motive-powers, the forces of Nature, and, in fact, all created things, to attend to.
My science has the forces of Nature in it too (human nature), and a motive-power. Their motive-powers act on machinery; mine acts on human beings. It is the power by which woman “carries on the family;” and I have seen for myself that there is a “power of it” used in some families; also that it can beturned on, as the factory people say, in other directions; in that of chapel-building, forinstance. Give it a name; call it mind-power; for it is a combination of some of the highest mental qualities. Not fully developed, though; oh, no! scarcely begun to be developed yet.
It being settled, then, that woman does possess this motive-power which belongs tomyscience, and which I have named mind-power, the question next arises, Is she doing all she can with it? Is none of it running to waste? What ideas, apart from household affairs, take up her mind mostly? It was to obtain light on this last question, that I resolved to pay attention to the talk at the sewing-circle. I wished to take the level, the mental level, of its members. Their conversation, by revealing what subjects chiefly occupy woman’s thoughts, I believed, would give me some idea of how much she is accomplishing with this mind-power of hers.
True, Tweenit is only one village; but it is, probably, much like other villages, and its sewing-circle like other sewing-circles.
NOTES OF CONVERSATION.
Aunt Jinny under the Hill.—Aunt Jinny Piper. Destitute old woman. Much given to rheumatism. Mainly dependent on charity. Might make things go further. No calculation. Slack. Clothgiven her not cut to advantage. Mouldy bread in her cupboard. Wore an apron forenoons good enough to wear afternoons. Used white pocket handkerchiefs: why not a square piece of old calico? Grandchild visits her too often.They sayshemakesher rheumatism.Aunt Jinny down at the Crick.—Another Aunt Jinny Piper. Unmarried. Well off. Chests full of sheets and pillow-cases. Stingy. Got enough of every thing. Might clothe Aunt Jinny under the hill just as well as not. Ought to give land to build chapel on. Great for beating down prices. Paid man that spaded up her garden in pumpkins. Pumpkins overran two cents: told man he must bring back the skins and insides for her pig, to make it all square.Planning.—“Forecasting” your work. Lying awake nights to plan how next day’s baking shall be worked in between the ironing or house-cleaning. Babies make it so you can’t carry out your plans. Best not to take much notice of young children, so they’ll bear “turning off.”Mis Susan.—Mis Susan, wife of Mr. Henry Melendy. Lives in Pickerel Brook neighborhood. Has traded shawls with a peddler, and got a green one. Don’t see what Mis Susan wants of a green shawl. Shouldn’t think ’twould be becoming to her. Her shawl was a beautiful shawl. Hadn’t had it a great while. Guess she’ll be sorry. Don’t believe this one’s all wool.Spring o’ the Year.—Always want something sour in the spring o’ the year. Man that brings along “Archangel Bitters” to sell. Some say your gall runs into your liver; more likely your liver runs into your gall. How does anybody know? Dread spring o’ the year. Brings so much work! Nothing to make pies of. Feel lost without pies. Vinegar, mince-pies better’n no mince-pies. Soak your cracker in your vinegar. Chop your raisins. Makes beautiful pies, if you take pains. Whatmyhusband likes, and whatmyhusband likes. Children ditto. My Ella B. won’t touch molassesgingerbread. My Tommy’ll eat his weight in it. My Abner could sit up all night to eat sausage-meat. Sight o’ work to make sausage-meat. Sight o’ work to cook calf’s head. Wants “good sweet pork” with it. Calves’ brains make beautiful sauce. (Various recipes omitted.)Henry T.—Henry T. Rogers. Young man. Began business in the city, and failed. Henry T. always held his head up high. Would have to come down. High-strung all that family were.They sayhe has bad habits.They sayextravagance did it.They say(remainder in whispers).Fred and Marion.—A pair of lovers.They saythey’ve broken off.They sayshe’s written him a letter.They sayhe goes with another girl. Dreadful thing to Marion. Probably wear her into a consumption.They sayshe cries all night. ’Course she’ll send back his presents. Gold ring, worth how much? Some of his presents worn out, Wonder how his father’s property’ll be divided.Fennel Payne and Adeline.—Fennel Payne, a young married man, distantly related to the Fennels and the Paynes. Has wife (Adeline) and small child. Adeline stuck up. Always was stuck up. Has strange notions. Both of ’em have strange notions. Spent five dollars for a picture. No greatthings of a picture. Adeline sits down to read in the daytime. They go to take walks together. Go up on the hill and sit down sometimes. Funny actions for married folks.How are you going to have your Dress made?—(Notes omitted. Reason, unfamiliarity with terms used.)
Aunt Jinny under the Hill.—Aunt Jinny Piper. Destitute old woman. Much given to rheumatism. Mainly dependent on charity. Might make things go further. No calculation. Slack. Clothgiven her not cut to advantage. Mouldy bread in her cupboard. Wore an apron forenoons good enough to wear afternoons. Used white pocket handkerchiefs: why not a square piece of old calico? Grandchild visits her too often.They sayshemakesher rheumatism.
Aunt Jinny down at the Crick.—Another Aunt Jinny Piper. Unmarried. Well off. Chests full of sheets and pillow-cases. Stingy. Got enough of every thing. Might clothe Aunt Jinny under the hill just as well as not. Ought to give land to build chapel on. Great for beating down prices. Paid man that spaded up her garden in pumpkins. Pumpkins overran two cents: told man he must bring back the skins and insides for her pig, to make it all square.
Planning.—“Forecasting” your work. Lying awake nights to plan how next day’s baking shall be worked in between the ironing or house-cleaning. Babies make it so you can’t carry out your plans. Best not to take much notice of young children, so they’ll bear “turning off.”
Mis Susan.—Mis Susan, wife of Mr. Henry Melendy. Lives in Pickerel Brook neighborhood. Has traded shawls with a peddler, and got a green one. Don’t see what Mis Susan wants of a green shawl. Shouldn’t think ’twould be becoming to her. Her shawl was a beautiful shawl. Hadn’t had it a great while. Guess she’ll be sorry. Don’t believe this one’s all wool.
Spring o’ the Year.—Always want something sour in the spring o’ the year. Man that brings along “Archangel Bitters” to sell. Some say your gall runs into your liver; more likely your liver runs into your gall. How does anybody know? Dread spring o’ the year. Brings so much work! Nothing to make pies of. Feel lost without pies. Vinegar, mince-pies better’n no mince-pies. Soak your cracker in your vinegar. Chop your raisins. Makes beautiful pies, if you take pains. Whatmyhusband likes, and whatmyhusband likes. Children ditto. My Ella B. won’t touch molassesgingerbread. My Tommy’ll eat his weight in it. My Abner could sit up all night to eat sausage-meat. Sight o’ work to make sausage-meat. Sight o’ work to cook calf’s head. Wants “good sweet pork” with it. Calves’ brains make beautiful sauce. (Various recipes omitted.)
Henry T.—Henry T. Rogers. Young man. Began business in the city, and failed. Henry T. always held his head up high. Would have to come down. High-strung all that family were.They sayhe has bad habits.They sayextravagance did it.They say(remainder in whispers).
Fred and Marion.—A pair of lovers.They saythey’ve broken off.They sayshe’s written him a letter.They sayhe goes with another girl. Dreadful thing to Marion. Probably wear her into a consumption.They sayshe cries all night. ’Course she’ll send back his presents. Gold ring, worth how much? Some of his presents worn out, Wonder how his father’s property’ll be divided.
Fennel Payne and Adeline.—Fennel Payne, a young married man, distantly related to the Fennels and the Paynes. Has wife (Adeline) and small child. Adeline stuck up. Always was stuck up. Has strange notions. Both of ’em have strange notions. Spent five dollars for a picture. No greatthings of a picture. Adeline sits down to read in the daytime. They go to take walks together. Go up on the hill and sit down sometimes. Funny actions for married folks.
How are you going to have your Dress made?—(Notes omitted. Reason, unfamiliarity with terms used.)
The above is a small part of what was taken down in my note-book.
Summary of observations made up to date in Tweenit Village:—
First, that woman works hard physically, works very hard, and with not much respite.
Second, that in “carrying on the family” (this is a very common phrase here),—in “carrying on the family,” and in various ways, she displays mental qualities of a high order.
Third, that in working so hard, or in as far as she works so hard, merely to gratify the palate, she is spending herself physically for an unworthy end.
Fourth, that her mind-power is running to waste in the same direction; also in other directions, as is shown by the not very high tone of her conversation.