Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1887 — Value of a Wife’s Work. [ARTICLE]

Value of a Wife’s Work.

The low price paid for woman’s work is possibly one reason why a wife, who is the nurse, cook, seamstress and laundress of the family, doing the work of a half dozen hirelings at once, is said to be supported by her husband. An incident that occurred not many years since partially illustrates the value of a wife’s work. A wedded pair began life with small means, but by years of industry and frugality on the part of both they accumulated a property worth $2,50(> when the husband died without a will, and leaving no children. His brothers were his legal heirs, aud tried to defraud the widow of the use even of onethird of the estate, as the law allowed widows. They searched the records, and finding some defect in the marriage license instituted a suit for the whole estate, claiming that the widow had not been a legal wife. She entered no defense and it was so decided. Then she brought a suit against the estate for the value of her services during the years she had lived as lus wife, amounting to something more than the whole estate, and the Court allowed the whole of her claim. As in the case of these brothers, inordinate greed sometimes defeats itself.