Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-11-08

At what time did you 60 out?
At twelve oclock.
An hour was spent in dressing
Yes sir.
Where did you go?
I called FOR Helen Boyd, and we took a
| walk.
And came home just in time for dinner,
I think I met you a! the door
Yes sir.
How was it after dinner?
| slept from three to FIVE, took bath
and dressed myself From six until tea
time I sat at the parlor window.
And after tea?
| Read the Cavalier till went to bed.
At what hour .r.
Eleven clock
Now we can make up the account, said
Mr.. Thornton. You rose at seven and re-
tired at eleven. Sixteen hours, and from
your own account of the day, but single
hour was spent in anything useful-that
was the hour at the piano. Now your
mother was up at half past five, and went
to bed from sheer inability to sit at her
work any longer, at half past nine. Six
teen hours for her also How much read
ing did you d. in that time?
And Mr.. Thernton looked at his wife.
Reading ?-don't talk to ME of reading
Pye no time to read.
Mrs. Thornton answered a little impa-
tiently. The contrast of her daughter 5
idle hours with her own life Of exhausting
toll did not affect her very pleasantly.
And yet, said Mr., Thornton, you were
very fond of reading, and l remember the
time when ne day passed, without an
hour OF two of reading Did you not lie
down after dinner?
OF course not.
Nor take pleasant walk? Nor sit at
the parlor window with Efie? How about
that?
There was no reply.
Now the case is very plain one, con-
tinucd Mr., Thornton In fact nothing
could be palmer. You spend from four
teen to sixteen hours daily in hard work,
while Effie, taking yesterday as an exam
pie. spends the same time in what is little
better than idleness. Suppose new ad-
justment were to take place, and Effie we're
to be usefully emplowed IN helping you for
eight hours of each day, she would still
have eight hours left for self-improvement
aud recreation, and you might get back a
portion of the health of which these too
heavy household duties have robbed you.
Father said Ehe, speaking through
tears that we're falling over her face, Inev-
er saw things in this light. Why haven't
you talked to me before I've 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 it. or
I'd rather do it myself. Indeed, it isn't
all my fault
1t may not have been in the past, Effe,
replied Mr.. Thornton. But it certainly
will be in the future, unless there is new
arrangement of things. 1t is false So
cial sentiment that lets daughters become
idlers, while mothers, fathers, and sons
taxa up the daily burden Of work, and
bear it through all the busy hours.
Mrs. T. did not readily come into the
new order of things proposed by her hus-
band and accepted by Efie. False pride
in her daughter, that future lady ideal,
/ and an inclination rather to do herself than
to teach another, were all 50 many imped-
iments. But Efie and her father were
both in earnest, and it was not long before
the overtaxed mothers weary face began
to lose its look of WEAKNESS and her Ian
gmd frame to come up to an erecter bear
ing
She could find time for the old pleasure
in books, now and then for q healthful
walk in the street, and call on some val
ued friend.
And was Efie the worse for the change?
Did the burden she was sharing with her
mother depress her shoulders, and take
the lightness from her step? Not SO. The
languor engendered by idlcness, which had
begun to show itself, disappeared in few
weeks. The color came warmer into her
checks, her eyes gained in brightness
She was growing in fact more beautiful,
for mind cbeerfully conscious of duty
was moulding every lineament of her coun-
tenance into new expression.
Did self-improvement step? o, no :
From one to two hours were given to close
practise at the piano every day. Her
mind, becoming vigorous in tone, instead
of enervated by idleness, chose better
order Of reading than had been INDUCED
before, and she was growing towards a
thoughtful intelligent womanhood. She
alsa fou-.d time amidst her home duties,