The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-11-26
RECREATION FOR THE MOTHERS.
Amusements and Holidays for the HIid,
gHIesAReH-


Now that the fires are beginning to
burn on library and parlOr hearths in
the evenings, and the curtains to be
drawn close, and the most devout lover
of nature gives up the stroll in shady
lanes, or the row on the moOn-Gt
| river, and comes ind 0Ors for the winter,
it is worth while to consider what is
| to be done indoors. The work is
ready for everybody VINO chooses to do
it; but the relaxation, the rest, the
stlnulant, which is to fit us for the
work-What is that TO be ? For fashion
able classes this matter of amusement
is ruled in almost as inhexible grooves
as drudgery for the poor for men or
| young people, too, it adjusts itself
naturally. The father of a family has
his clubs, his share in the political
or church meeting, o at least,
his quiet newspaper, cigar and
slippers, at home-precisely the drowsy
reaction he needs after the friction of
the busy day. The BOYS and girls have
their concerts, their lectures, the thou
sand devices of "sociables, " the 81 acci-
! dentals, etc, by which they contrive
to flock together, to ehirp like young
birds in May, and, perhaps, to mate
/ like them. But the wives aud the
mothers, the great aggregate of women,
no longer young-what is TO De their
| tonic? They certainly need a tonic
| The American mother cf family is the
real maid of all work in it, and the
more faithful and intelligent she is the
more she usually tries to deserve the
same. She may work with her hands
or not (in the large majority of cases
she does work with her hands,, but is
/ is she who in any case oversees and
] F. - .1.F-,-,-,A -
| Her husbands business, the boys edu-
cation, the girls standing in society,
| the baby's teething, the sewing ami
housework for them all, ere all pro-
cesses which she urges on and which
rasp and fret daily ard hourly on her
brain-a very dull unskilled brain, too
often, but almost always quite willing
/ TO wear itself out for those she loves.
| Whether it would be nobler or more
| polite in her TO shirk this work-hus-
/ band, babes and home-and develop
] her latent talents as physician, artist or
saleswoman, is not the question with us
| Just now. A few women have done
this. In the cities, too, money can re-
move much of the responsibility from
the mistress of a household but the
| aggregate of wives and mothers in this
| country are domestic women who ask
/ uOtuAuk BbbbCA VI AdNG A44Ah tA4tb WHY
/ ever strength they have of body and
mind shall be drained for their hus-
bands and children. Now this spirit of
martyrdom is very good thing-when
it is necessary. For our part, we can
see no necessity for it here. We are
told that the women's wards in tho In.
sane asylums in New England are filed
with middle-aged wives, mothers driven
| there by Overwork and anxiety through
the rest of the country the particular
| type of the woman of forty is neither
| fat nor fair, but q sallOw, anxious eyed
| creature, with teeth and hair furnished
by the shops, and liver and nerves
which long ago took her work, temper.
and, we had almest said, religion out of
her control. This rapid decay of our
women may be owing partly to climatic
influences, but it is much more due to
the wear and tear of their motherhood,
and axiety to push their children for
ward, added to the incessant petty
rasping of inefficient dorlestic service.
a mans work man be heavier, but 1t
is single, il wears on him on ore side
| only he has his hours sacred to bust
ness, to give to his brief, his sermon,
his shop; there is no drain on the rest
of his faculties or time. His wife has
| no hour sacred to this or to that be
brings his trouble to her and it is her
J | duty to comprehend and aid him, while
, her brain is devising how to keep heI
boy Tom away from the companions
who brought him home drunk last night;
} how to give Jennie another year Ol
music lessons; how to cOntrive cloak
J for the baby out of her old merlno the
burning meat in the kitchen all the
while "setting her nerves IN a quiver.
| 1. g v.,sr,1 etfIl NJ
, body which her daily life does not draw
/ upon. Her husband comes and goes {
} his office the out door air, the stir, the
r change of ideas, the passing word foI
this man or that, unconsciously refresh
/ and lift him from the cankeTinP care oi
t the work. She has the parlOT, the din
I inQ-room, the kitchen, to shut her into
it, day after day, year after year. Wo
men, without q single actual grief II
the world, grow morbid and ill-tem
/ pered. simply from living indoors, and
, resort to prayer to conquer their cross
ness, when they only need walk of 6
, couple of miles, or some wholesome
} amusement. It is a natural craving
J for this necessity amusement-whlct
! drives them to the tea-parties and sew
ing-circles which men Tidicule as absurd
and tedious.
| 1QGr6 Is no IEASou WHY OAA "OAA4NA
: Who are notably rational and shrewd il
3 the conduct of the working part of life
should cut themselves off thus irratiOn
/ ally from the necessary relaxation, ol
make it either costly or tedious. Lee
4 every mother of q family resolve not *
! put off her holidays until old age, bui
+ TO take them all along the way, and Il
bring a good share of them into this
r winter. Let her give no ball, no musi
} cal evenings, no hot, perspiring tea-par
] ties, but manage to have her table al
ways prettily served and comfortably
| provided, and her welcome ready fol
t any friend who may come to 1t let hel
t set apart an evening, if possible, wher
her rooms shall be open to any pleasant
3 friend who will visit her the refresh
> ment to be of the simplest kind and
} above all, if the table chance not to bs
] we'll served, or the friends are no
3 agreeable, ], her take the mishap as (
lest. and meet all difficulties with AZ
EASY good humor. It Is not necessary
to take every bull of trouble by the
horns: If we welcome and nod to then
as cheerful acquaintances they will usu
| ally trot on by the other side Of thi
Z road.
Let her take our prescription for The
: winter, and our word for it the spring
| Will find fresber roses IN her cheeks anC
) er without hardening IL. In the morn
p ing, shake ont the oats and hang then
{ in a bag near the fire to dry, ready fol
! the next wet night, draw on the boot
! and 90 happily about the d Us work.
Subterranean Fishes.
, In boring artesian wells IN the deser
, | OF Sahara very small fishes, resembling
. | the white-bsit, not unfrequently occur
which inhabit the waters of the subJer
, ranean bed of the desert. They ar,
! identical with species from the water
\ / l. II.