A tale of Two Wives

 Thomas Pierce was superior to his brother Isaac.  Isaac was apparently much the slimmest link in the genealogical chain from Isaac, through the oldest sons down to the present time.  Both brothers married into the Booth family, but scarcely if ever were two women more dissimilar.  Isaac marrying a woman decidedly his superior, and Thomas one as much below his station.  Isaac's wife Judith  was a most industrious, enterprising, neat and tidy person, not stingy or mean but economical, and as a result adding thrift to the affairs of her family.  

Thomas' wife Naomi, became the synonym of laxness, laziness and utter worthlessness.  She was always complaining, sick, sick, always sick, too feeble to attend to a house-keeper's legitimate cries, too feeble to cook, and indeed too feeble to get out of bed till it was cooked and fully prepared for eating.  When she came to the table, she astonished all beholders with her gluttony." 

"The mulish Isaac Pierce Jr through the assistance of his model wife, made his life a success.  His more intelligent brother Thomas incapable of resisting the downward and distructive tendency in his, encumbered and ever discouraged as he was by this burden of Naomi like a mill-stone about his neck."