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Schreiner, Olive, 1855-1920

"The Story of an African Farm, a novel"

"
"Perhaps it might not suit all people, at all times, as well as it suits
you, Tant Sannie," said Em. There was a little shade of weariness in the
voice.
"Not suit every one!" said Tant Sannie. "If the beloved Redeemer didn't
mean men to have wives what did He make women for? That's what I say. If
a woman's old enough to marry, and doesn't, she's sinning against the Lord-
-it's a wanting to know better than Him. What, does she think the Lord
took all that trouble in making her for nothing? It's evident He wants
babies, otherwise why does He send them? Not that I've done much in that
way myself," said Tant Sannie, sorrowfully; "but I've done my best."
She rose with some difficulty from her chair, and began moving slowly
toward the door.
"It's a strange thing," she said, "but you can't love a man till you've had
a baby by him. Now there's that boy there, when we were first married if
he only sneezed in the night I boxed his ears; now if he lets his pipe-ash
come on my milk-cloths I don't think of laying a finger on him. There's
nothing like being married," said Tant Sannie, as she puffed toward the
door. "If a woman's got a baby and a husband she's got the best things the
Lord can give her; if only the baby doesn't have convulsions. As for a
husband, it's very much the same who one has.


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