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Through summer's heat and winter's toil, they have drudged uncomplainingly, and so accustomed have their fathers, brothers, and husbands become to their monotonous labor, that they look for and upon them as they do on the daily rising of the sun and its daily going down. Homely, every day life may be made beautiful by an appreciation of its very homeliness. You know that if the floor is clean, manual labor has been performed to make it so. You know that if you can take from your drawer a clean shirt whenever you want it, somebody's fingers have ached in the toil of making it so fresh and agreeable, so smooth and lustrous.
Everything that pleases the eye and the sense has been produced by constant work, much thought, great care, and untiring efforts, bodily and mentally. It is not that many men do not appreciate these things, and feel a glow of gratitude for the numberless attentions bestowed upon them in sickness and in health, but they are so selfish in their feeling. They don't come out with a hearty "Why, how pleasant you make things look, wife;" or "I'm obliged to you for taking so much pains."
They thank the tailor for giving "fits;" they thank the man in the full omnibus who gives them a seat; they thank the young lady who moves in the concert room; in fact they thank everybody and everything out of doors, because it is the custom; and then come home, tip their chairs back and their heels up, pull out the newspaper, grumble if the wife asks them to hold the baby, scold if the fire has got down; or, if anything is just right, shut their mouths with a smack of satisfaction, but never say "I thank you."
I tell you what, men, young and old, if you did but show an ordinary civility towards those common articles of housekeeping, your wives--if you gave the one hundred and sixtieth part of the compliments you almost choked them with before they were married; if you would stop the badinage about whom you are going to marry when number one is dead--(such things wives may laugh at, but they sink deep sometimes)--if you would cease to speak of their faults, however banteringly, before others--fewer women would seek for other sources of happiness than your cold and so so ish affection. Praise your wife, then, for all the good qualities she has, and you may rest assured that her deficiencies are fully counterbalanced by your own.
When you see a young woman just out of bed at nine o'clock, leaning with her elbow on the table, gasping and sighing, "Oh, how dreadfully I feel," rely upon it, she will not make a good wife. She must be lazy and mopish.
When you see a girl with a broom in her hand, sweeping the floor, with a rubbing board or a clothes line in her hand, you may put it down that she is industrious and will make a very good wife for somebody.
When you see a girl with a novel in her left hand and a fan in her right, shedding tears, you may be sure she is unfit for a wife-
Happiness and misery are before you; which will you chose?
An acquaintence of mine referred me to Proverbs 31, I had already marked the last part of it. It tells what a good wife should try to aim for, with these verses I know I would fall/I have fallen short.
Proverbs 31:10-31
A good wife who can find ?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of a merchant,
she brings food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night,
and provides food for her household
and tasks for her maidens
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She girds her loins with strength
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
She is not afraid for the snow for her household,
Her husband is known in the gates,
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
Her children rise up and call her blessed.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty vain,
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This is what is to be aimed for, kindness, love, a help-mate,
one who puts others first, but above all godliness. It is by this,
having God, in the center of her life that one can accomplish all of this,
for as you all know without God we are nothing.
I have fallen short of this but I know of one that these verses describes and that is my mother. She has sacrificed quite a bit for us, for the family, dad would be lost without her, in fact, we all would. She has been one who would help anyone out if she could, and always, well nearly always, has seen the "silver lining."
As you read this, the two articles, don't nudge and tell each other, see what this says, you should be doing this or that. It is honor, respect, teamwork, and praise of each other, with God in the center, that will make your marriage whole. (my parents are an example of this.)
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Be careful in your selection. Do not choose too young. When once selected,
give your entire thoughts to preparation for domestic use. Some insist on
keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them in hot water.
This makes them sour, hard to get along with and sometimes bitter. Even poor
varieties may be made sweet, tender and good by garnishing them with patience,
well-sweetened with kisses. Wrap them in a mantle of charity. Keep warm with
a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream. Thus
prepared, they will keep for years.
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She holds her hands to the distaff
and holds her hands to the spindle
She opens her hand to the poor,
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
for her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes herself coverings,
her clothing is fine linen and purple,
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers girdles to the merchant.
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue
She looks well to the ways of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
her husband also, and he praises her.
Many women have done excellently
but you surpass them all.
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates."
How to Preserve a Husband
Submitted by K Timour
Changed things around a bit on this page, the links to the next pages are on top.
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