“What are necessary qualifications of a settler’s wife; and the usual occupations of the female part of a settler’s family?” are your next questions.

To the first clause, I reply, a settler’s wife should be active, industrious, ingenious, cheerful, not above putting her hand to whatever is necessary to be done in her household, nor too proud to profit by the advice and experience of older portions of the community, from whom she may learn many excellent lessons of practical wisdom.

Like that pattern of all good housewives described by the prudent mother of King Lemuel, it should be said of the emigrant’s wife, “She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.”  “She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.”  “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.”

Nothing argues a greater degree of good sense and good feeling than a cheerful conformity to circumstances, adverse though they be compared with a former lot; surely none that felt as they ought to feel, would ever despise a woman, however delicately brought up, for doing her duty in the state of life unto which it may have pleased God to call her.  Since I came to this country, I have seen the accomplished daughters and wives of men holding no inconsiderable rank as officers, both naval and military, milking their own cows, making their own butter, and performing tasks of household work that few of our farmers’ wives would now condescend to take part in.  Instead of despising these useful arts, an emigrant’s family rather pride themselves on their skill in these matters.  The less silly pride and the more practical knowledge the female emigrant brings out with her, so much greater is the chance for domestic happiness and prosperity.

I am sorry to observe, that in many cases the women that come hither give way to melancholy regrets, and destroy the harmony of their fire-side, and deaden the energies of their husbands and brothers by constant and useless repining.  Having once made up their minds to follow their husbands or friends to this country, it would be wiser and better to conform with a good grace, and do their part to make the burden of emigration more bearable.

One poor woman that was lamenting the miseries of this country was obliged to acknowledge that her prospects were far better than they ever had or could have been at home.  What, then, was the cause of her continual regrets and discontent?  I could hardly forbear smiling, when she replied, “She could not go to shop of a Saturday night to lay out her husband’s earnings, and have a little chat with her naibors, while the shopman was serving the customers,—­for why? there were no shops in the bush, and she was just dead-alive.  If Mrs. Such-a-one (with whom, by the way, she was always quarrelling when they lived under the same roof) was near her she might not feel quite so lonesome.”  And so for