It is apparent that men were not so neglectful of praise nor so cautious of good words for womankind in colonial days as the average run of books on American history would have us believe.  As noted above, womanliness is the characteristic most commonly pictured in these records of good women; but now and then some special quality, such as good judgment, or business ability, or willingness to aid in a time of crisis is brought to light.  Thus Ben Franklin writes: 

“We have an English proverb that says, ’He that would thrive must ask his wife.’  It was lucky for me that I had one as much dispos’d to industry and frugality as myself.  She assisted me chearfully in my business, folding and stitching pamphlets, tending shop, purchasing old linen rags for the paper makers, etc.  We kept no idle servants, our table was plain and simple, our furniture of the cheapest....  One morning being call’d to breakfast, I found it in a china bowl with a spoon of silver!  They had been bought for me without my knowledge by my wife....  She thought her husband deserv’d a silver spoon and china bowl as well as any of his neighbors.  This was the first appearance of plate and China in our house, which afterwards in a course of years, as our wealth increased, augmented gradually to several hundred pounds in value."[103]

Again, he notes on going to England:  “April 5, 1757.  I leave Home and undertake this long Voyage more chearful, as I can rely on your Prudence in the Management of my Affairs, and education of my dear Child; and yet I cannot forbear once more recommending her to you with a Father’s tenderest concern.  My Love to all."[104]

Whether North or South the praise of woman’s industry in those days is much the same.  John Lawson who made a survey journey through North Carolina in 1760, wrote in his History of North Carolina that the women were the more industrious sex in this section, and made a great deal of cloth of their own cotton, wool, and flax.  In spite of the fact that their families were exceedingly large, he noted that all went “very decently appareled both with linens and woolens,” and that because of the labor of the wives there was no occasion to run into the merchant’s debt or lay out money on stores of clothing.  And hundreds of miles north old Judge Sewall had expressed in his Diary his utmost confidence in his wife’s financial ability when he wrote:  “1703-4 ...  Took 24s in my pocket, and gave my Wife the rest of my cash L4, 3-8 and tell her she shall now keep the Cash; if I want I will borrow of her.  She has a better faculty than I at managing Affairs:  I will assist her; and will endeavour to live upon my salary; will see what it will doe.  The Lord give his blessing."[105]