Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-11-14

VIC machine SLaIlu lule Wnll6 you wen
out for and hour every day"
"Perhaps | should, but can't leav'
the children, Biddy is so careless"
"Take them out with you. Roll baby
up and down that nice, dry sidewalk
and let Polly run before, and you'd be
different set of people in month"
EDO you really think SOP"
Not only that, but if you'd change
your way Of living, l don't. believe
at ALL"
! "Why, Mary Gay, what do you
meant" demanded Mrs. Bennett, sitting
erect upon the couch in her surprise al
this unexpected remark.
81 have often wanted to say this be-
fore, and now I will, though you may
think I'm an interfering woman if do
Never mind, if can only save you fur
ther We rry and expense and suffering,
won't mind if you are offended for a
time. In the first place, you must
move" and Mrs. Gay gave such de.
: cided nod that the other lady could only
calculate: "Why? where? when?"
Because you want more sun and
space; into this room because you will
find both, and to day because I'm here
to help you"
Mrs. Bennett gave little gasp and
, looked about her in dlsmay at the bare
idea of living in her cherished best par.
lor.
"But the back room does very well,''
she protested. at is warm and small,
and handy to the kitchen, and we al.
ways live there"
mo, my dear, it does not do very
we'll, for those very reasons. It is too
warm and small and near the kitchen to
make it lit place to live in, especially
for little children. Why don't you put
your plants there if it is such a nice
place? asked Mrs. Gay, bent on making
a clean sweep Of her friends delusions
and prejudices.
"Why, they need more sun and air
and room, so keep them here
Exactly! and your babies need sun
and air and room more than your roses,
geraniums and callas. The plants would
soon die in that close, hot, dark north
room; do you wonder your babies are
pale and fretful aud weak? Bring them
III here and see how soon they will
bloom if you will give them a chance"
:" | never thought of that. I'm sure |
would do anything to see them we'll aud
hearty, but it seems a pity to spoil my
nice parlor. Wouldn't the best cham
Der overhead do as well?"
g [ want that, too, for your bedroom.
and the little one ut the side for the
children. You use the back chamber
now, and have the cribs there also, don't
you?"
Yes. My patience! Mary, would
you have me turn the house upside
down just for little more sum-"
"Do you love your best rooms better
than your children? Hadn't you rather
see them spoilt by daily use than empty
and neat, because the little busy feet
were gone, never to come back? Pm in
earnest, Lizzie, and I know you will
agree with me when you think it over
My own dear little boy was killed by
my ignorance, and | have learned by
sad experience that we mothers should
make it the study of our lives to make
home healthy and happy for our boys
and girls, no matter how much we
sacrifice show and fashion. Come now,
try it for month, and see if you don't
all feel the better for enjoying the best
and sunniest side of life
Mrs. Benefits eyes wandered around
the pretty room. and went from Polly
singing to herself Us she sat looking out
of the pleasant window to baby content
eddy playing bo-peep through the bars
Of the fender with the yellow flames,
which were his delight, then came back
to her friends kind, earnest face, and
seemed to wake with sudden energy and
life and resolution.
"Pll try it," she said. feeling that it
was a heroic thing to give up all her
cherished ideas and put her Sunday best
things into everyday wear. But Mrs.
Gays words touched and startled her,
and with self-reproachful pang she
resolved that it should never be said
that she loved her plants more than her
or that the house should ever
miss the sweet clamor of baby voices
if she had the power to keep the music
there.
"Good! I knew you would, and Pm
going to show you how easy it will be
to change the climate you live in, as
we'll as the scene, and lighten your work
and benefit your health without going
far away" cried Mrs. Gay, delighted
with her success, and eager to see her
reform we'll carried out.
"What will John sayw and Mrs.
Bennett felt inclined both to laugh and
cry at the thought of the coming revo-
luton.
"He will approve; men always like
to have things bright and roomy and
nice about them. | have been through
it, and l know, for when we kept in two
rooms we got careless and narrow and
low-spirited. Now we live all over the
house and keep everything as bright and
pretty and nice as we can. George does
not shut himself up in his untidy den,
but stays with me, and people drop in,
and we have a social, happy time Of it,
all enjoying our good things freely to-
gether, and feeling the worth of them"
How do we begin?' asked Mrs. Ben
nett, fired with the spirit of emulation
now that the first shock was over, for
John did shut himself up because the
dining room was 80 full of an evening
with two tumultuous boys, and the little
woman wanted to see her husband dur
ing the only leisure hour she had out of
the twenty-four.
81 should just move all the delicate
things into the little library there out of
the way of the children. That room is
rather bare, and they will make it more
attractive. Leave the pictures, they are
safe, and it is good to have pretty objects
for young eyes to rest upon. Put the
covers on your furniture, large drug
get over your carpet, and take that other
bay window for Polly and baby's play
corner. 1t is sunny and snug, and look
ing out always amuses them; and at night
you can just drop the curtains before
the recess and hide their little clutter
without disturbing it. In the other
window there is room for your table and
chair, and work by the machine. There
you can sit in bower with your flowers
about you, pleasant view outside, and
everything cheerful, wholesome and
pretty-three very important things to
a woman; Keep up the open fire; it is