Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-27
WASHINGTON,

lighted to train across the windows. Within,
the exquisite neatness and order were refresh
ing-indeed grandmothers room was the fav-
, orite resort Of the whole family. (And oh /
how kind--how cheerful--how sunny tenn
pered; how interesting and instructive as
companion--how judicious as an adviser---how
soothing and affectionate as friend, was Mrs.
Mason; and how lovely is age when free from
the querrulousness that 80 often attends IL 1
There is mingled with the wisdom and expert.
ence Of years, the cheerfulness Of youth.)
It was bright pleasant, afternoon, and the
shadows were falling westward, when the sis
ters found themselves In the only place where
they met ION common ground Charity was
resting from the labors Of busy day, in a
large old rocking chair, listening to the mono
tonous hum Of her grandmother's spinning
wheel, and Malvina, leaning out of the window,
began pulling off the half closed buds Of the
morning glory, and making prisoners Of the
bees who bad fingered too long in their honied
cells There, too, sat Mrs. Mason before the
open door, just where the pleasant sounds Of
the hay making could reach her ears, now and
then stealing glance from her employment at
the laborers as they tossed about the new
mown clover, and the distant hills dotted with
cattle, turning at the same time by quick
motion of her foot, the small wheel through
whose agency was twisted and wound up, the
fine continuous thread which her well-skilled
fingers drew from the bright, silvery fax on
the distaf. At last Malyina said
~ wonder you do not tire of that eternal
spinning, grandmother; / am sure I should
fall asleep over it, for the very sound makes me
drowsy.-
"Any constant employment might pro-
duce the same effect, replied Mrs. Mason smil-
ing But perhaps you think it a waste Of
timep''
Indeed do" said the young lady, uand
verify believe l should starve if l had to get
my living in that way"
"Don't you know" said Charity, that
father often wisheswe were back to the primi-
tive times when women spun and woye the
clothing for their families, and made it up be-
sides 7"
at is very few such garments / would
wear, said Malvina scornfully, "let alone maxi
ing them. And as TO being primitive, don't
think we need go far back for that, when am
obliged to make the beds like chamber-maid,
and you, who will suffer yourself to be i'm
posed upon, wash and bake, and scrub, till
your hands are not fit to be seen"
"Never mind, sister," replied Charity,
fancy shall get through the world with these
hands" holding up pair, which, if they were
not soft and white as those of her sister, were
nevertheless small and well shaped, with the
pink glow on the palms which Mrs. Hale
thinks requisite to beautiful hands" quite as
well as Grace Doolittle, who wears gloves with
suet skin woven on the inside, to keep them
soft. But about the spinning, GRANDMOTHER
| wish you would teach me to spin am sure
should like it."
"But it would in fact be waste of time
for you or any other young woman to sit
down to spinning in these days" said Mrs.
Mason.n
"Thcrel ~ exclaimed Malvina, triumphantly,
II knew grandmother would agree withme in
thinking that we have more important things
to attend to-"
Certainly we have" said Mrs Mason,
gravely. +" You, Malvina, whose delicate
health forbids you TO inhale the morning air,
must lie in bed until the sun has dispelled the
noxious vapors; then you have your hair to
put in papers, which in the afternoon must be
taken out; your numerous dresses must be
re-modeled after the latest fashion, and it is
highly important to write often to your score
Of school correspondents. Besides, you must
spend several hours ever day practising, as
nok call it, ON your piano; Of course TO you,
spinning would be an objectionable waste of
tine"
Malvins pouted, and Mrs. Mason contin-
ued-
"And IL you, Charity, were to devote your
time TO II, the comfort Of the whole family
would be diminished without an adequate re.
turn"
"But father says that men were more pros
porous and happy when their wives and daugh
ters manufactured the linen and woollen cloth
for their families and surplus to dispose Of
than they are now"
: That they were equally happy, cannot be
disputed" said Mrs. Mason. "If they had
fewer sources OF what is now called enjoyment
that is, il they were less refined and intclec-
tual, they had fewer Of the artificial wants
which are fruitful source Of unhappiness to
the present generation. As to wealth, many
man, who were nothing but homespun, had
a good substantial leather bag well filed with
hard dollars, laid by in case Of emergency,
which cannot be said Of thousands who, to
Judge by their outside show, might be called
rich There was great virtue, too, and often
heroic selfdenial, practised by those whose in
dustry clothed their families; had they not
done SO, many would scarcely have Teen cloth
cd at all, but such sacrifices brought their own
reward in consciousness Of duty performed.
Where much is given, much will be required
and the females who are reaping the benefits
Of the wise regulations and wonderful inven.
tons Of the last half century, win be highly
culpable, il they misimprove the time thus
placed at their disposal"
"And then again, said Charity, father
says that girls ought not TO be married till they
Il