Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1863-08-20
Homely Thoughts.
BY AUNT HATTIE.


would do his own share of work tharl
would be no need of any ones beine
overtasked. Whetherthis is unadulter::
ated truth or not, I shall not attempt tc
prove, but that there is sufficient con
tanned IN it to write short article upon
no one will attempt to deny.
If we begin with the first grouuino
of individuals-the family-there is no o
neighberhood that we enter without
finding some example corroboratiye Of
the truth Of that remark. Perhaps the
wife, lndolent and easy, sits with idle
hands gossiping with a neighbor, letting
the precious morning hours pass with
bettering or benefting her family: while
her husband, with the picture Of a little
home in the future sometimes coming
near in Hopes bright tintings, then
growing dim and distant as Desmond
encys dark veil closes over him, iabors
on from early dawn till close of day for
the sum that in improvident hands
merely sufices for the wants of the
next. Ofttimes it is the wife that is the
earnest worker, making and mending
turning the worn garmont and reftting
it until it looks almost as we'll as new !;
filing up her scraps of time with teach
ing the youngest boy his letters, and the
oldest his hard sum in arithmetic, see
ing that no child throws his duties up
on another; while her husband-fc
and careless, only induced to labor by
some pressing want, or the pleasure of
boasting over large days work, is the
clog that hinders all the machinery of
prosperity in his home. If we turn to
children, one lacks perseverance from
dislike to work, and if made to accom-
plish his task needs watchful eye over
him, thus robbing that person of time
and thought that should be given to her
own duties, and laying double burden
upon her. Another is cross if required
to work, and brings discord into the house
that no pleasantness on the part of 9th
ers can exercise, and thereby spelling
the happiness of home that makes its
inmates labor with light hearts and
therefore light hands. A third shirks
in every possible way, bestowing the
least amount of care upon his tasks, and
Indifferent how much he interferes or
infringes on anothers rights, if he can
only finish his own in haste with little
eXertlOn.
Often the remark will apply to whole
families. Some are dependent and some
Independent, though both started in life
with the same amount of means, and
since then have appeared equal shares
in Heavens blessings. But slight
storm, bad road, a cold north wind, or
an icy path, were sufficient excuses to
deter the father of the former from
work, and coax him, if not to sit by the
barroom fire, to seek shelter by the
grocery or market stove. His woodplle
is almost invisible, for half-cord is the
extent of his means, and therefore he
it often out, and purchaser at the
highest prices, and the coldest weather
is sure to find him with only the green
est article at his command, for the dry
wood was all secured long before by
more provident buyers. His garden IS
a failure, for the lettuce was planted
when the potatoes should have been, ana
the tomatoes at the turnips seed-tlme,
and the hot midsummer sun scorcnes
the tender, rootIess plants, and nothing
but weeds repay in the fall his dtlatorly
movements. He lives, as the saying Is
ltfrom hand to mouth, and his wife sell
dom prepares meal without needing
something that she used with lavisn
hand a short time before. Half OF her
time ;s snent in borrowing, and running
to the village grocery for provisions, ana
thus she is always behindhand anc ~
hurry, and fretting herself and FANNY
over her work. L.,
The Independent family has perhaps IS
fewer lnxuries for their table, but OF
good, plain food there is always =" Fl IF
nlv. Fruit grows in every corner OF
their well-tilled lot, and grapes cluster
under their ewes and over the vel house,
and in everp spot where there IS sRaoo RaC'
for root to grow to support them aIl
etables succeed each other IN tnelr men 81
arranged garden, from the early salaas
to tbe late winter roots, and not ripe
weed falls ready to spring up nTbt; 2ba;r
headed, the coming summer, = nov
wood-house. ike a,faitbfulsprlng, is nea- eS
~ omntv for Il is reflled the year De-
taEs taRes utS the iS father his valuable time is not
spent saept in IN running here and there to sup
ply food for his family, for It Is not a,t1 soId
provided for use, His home IS no. oomes. 5usa
for back taxes; and when sickness ess o0gs' river
sse ds ss !. &; sisa e5 !: as % ,isssss sss % Gs
penuTy, and broken up and scattered Oy
the stern necessity of want.
nv. nTcpoT7sM encourages supers9-