Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-07-19

Learn and do now the very things that |
will be required of you in after years,
and then you will have acquired facility.
Habit and skill make easy what might
come hard, and be felt as very burthon-
some"
"And you would have her abandon
all self-improvement," said Mrs. Thorn
ton; give up music, reading, society ?"
There are" replied Mr.. Thornton,
as his wife paused for another word,
''some fifteen or sixteen hours in each
day in which mind or hands should be
rightly employed. Now let us see how
Efie is spending these long ard ever re-
curing periods of time. Come, my
daughter, sit down. We have this sub
ject fairly before us. 1t is one of life
long Importance to you, and should be
well considered. How is it in regard to
the employment of your time ? Take yes
terday, for instance. The records of
day will help US to get towards the result
after which we are now searching"
Ellie sat down and Mr.. Thornton drew
chair in front of his wife andsdaughter.
Take yesterday, for instance" said
the father. q How was it spent? You
rose at seven in the morning"
Yes, sir | came down just as the
breakfast bell was rung," said Effie.
And your mother was up at half
past five, | know, and feeling so weak
that she could hardly dress herself. But
for all this she was at work until breakfast
time. Now, if you had risen at six, and
shared your mothers work until seven,
you wonld have taken an hour from her
days burthens, and certainly lost moth
ing from your music, self Improvement
or social intercourse. How was it after
breakfast? How was the morning spent?'
g. practised on the piano an hour
after breakfast"
So far SO good. What then ?"
read The Cavalier until eleven
o'clock"
Mr. Thornton shook his head, and
asked, "after eleven, how was the time
spent?"
II dressed myself and went out"
"And what time did you go out ?"
| a ilttlC dllEI tNtlNG u CLOCK.
An hour was spent in dressing p
Yes, sir.
Where did you go"
g. called for Ellen Boyd, and we took
walk down Broadway"
And came home justin time for din
ner? | think l met you at the door ?"
Z" Yes, sir
Z" How was it after dinner z"
" slept from three until five, and
then took bath and dressed myself.
From six until tea time, sat at the par
lor window"
"And after tea ?"
"Read Cavalier until went to bed ="
AT what hour p
eleven o'clock"
Now we can make up the account"
said Mr.. Thornton.
You arose at seven and retired at
eleven. Sixteen hours. And from your
accout of the day, but single hour was
spent in anything useful-that was the
hour at your piano. Now, your mother
was up at half-past five, and went to bed
from sheer inability to sit at work any
longer, at half past nine. Sixteen hours
for her, also. How much reading did
you do in that time p
And Mr.. Thornton looked at his wife
d" Reading Don't talk to me Of read
ing I've no time to read" Mrs. |
Thornton answered little impatiently
The contrast of her daughters idle hours
with her own life of exhausting toll did
not effect her very pleasantly.
And yet, said Mr.. Thornton, "you
were always very fond Of reading, and |
can remember when no day went by
without an hour or two passed with your
books. Did you lie down after dinner ?" I
Of course notp
Nor take pleasant walk on Broad
wayY Nor sit at the parlor window with |
Efhe How about that? Now, the
case is very plain one" continued Mr.. !
Thornton. In fact, nothing could be
palmer. You spend from fourteen to
sixteen hours every day in hard work,
while Efiie. taking yesterday as a sam
pie, spends about the same time in what
is little better than idleness. Suppose
new adjustment were to take place, and |
Fife were to be employed in helping you
for eight hours every day, she would
still have eight hours left for self-im-
proyement and recreation, and you, re-
lieved from your present oyertasked con-
ditlon, might get back portion Of the
health aud spirits Of which those too
heavy household duties bayerobbed you"
Father" said Efie, speaking through
tears that were falling over her face, 81
never saw things in this light. Why
havn't you talked to me before? pve
often felt as if I'd like to help mother.
But she never gives me anything to do,
and if | offer to help her, she says, You
can't do il, or i had rather do it my
self Indeed, it isn't all my fault"
:. It may not have been in the past,
Efic," replied Mr.. Thornton. BUTT
will certainly be in future, unless there
is a new arrangement Of things. 1t is a
false social sentiment that lets daughters
become oilers, while mothers, fathers
and sons take up the daily burden Of
work, and bear it through all the busy
hours"
Mrs. Thornton did not como grace
fully into the new order Of things pro-
posed by her husband and accepted by
EfIic. False pride in her daughter, that
future lady IDEAL, and an inclination to
do all herself, rather than to take trouble
TO teach another, were all so many i'm
nedimnnts But Efin and her faihnr ,rnrn