Labour. this however is not the case
with all & their prejudices have some share
in continuing this disinclination to Labour
among the Men--as it was formerly accounted
Disreputable & degrading for them to do what
was considered the Womens Business. The
Men Built the House & Hunted to procure
Meat & Skins--the Women Hoed the Ground
planted, tended & gathered the Corn, then poun
ded & cookd it--cut the Wood & brought it
home--carried home the Deer Elk &c which
their Husbands had killd in hunting--brought
him Water, in short did the laborious bu
siness principally--these prejudices are
wearing off since the settlement of Friends
among them--the men both Old & young
now turn out in the spring of the Year &
fall Timber & split Rails--make the Fen
ces & assist in preparing the Ground for
Planting. for this purpose the Plow is some
times used but more commonly the Hoe,
some of the men assist also in tending
the corn throughout the season & do not
so much as formerly require the Wo
men to wait on them as perform every
trivial service. I saw one of their
Boys hawling stone with a sled & oxen