The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1878-08-09
Mrs. Watson,s Bows.

-Four great boys in the house and only
one little four-year-old girl. II did look
at first sight as il it was rather unequal
division Of the help" between father
and mother. But that impression came
from want Of familiarity with the fami-
ly habits
It was Edwards job to get ap in the
morning and make fire for mother in
the kitchen and dining room, and he
thought it no great hardship either. If
Edward had been girl, most likely
mother would have built the fire herself.
Mother and Silas usually made their APP
pearance down stairs about the same
time, and she never had to say, as have
heard some mothers entreat their daugh-
tiers: "Now do hurry and set that table
as quick as you can.
As methodically as an old clock, Silas
wheeled out the table the first thing and
laid the cloth and plates, as neatly as If
he had been bred hotel waiter. Prob
ably he then dallied over a paper a few
minutes until the CHEEKY sound. "Your
breakfast is ready, Silas,n greeted him
from the kitchen. For in the buckwheat
season Silas was the cake baker for all
the family. 80 mother could preside at
the table in the usual orderly way. The
good mother knew it was not yery
heartsome thing for grown boy to bake
cakes for all the family before he had
broken his own fast over night. So she
always had something hot and nice fix-
ed for him at one end of ner big kitchen
table where he could eat and chat With
mother, at his leisure, while the other
boys did up the chores. That was good
stroke of policy with Mrs. Watson.
and Silas would remember those morn
ing breakfasts lovingly when he was an
old man. Then he was fresh and CHEEKY
and ready to put on the full buckwheat
capacity of the big stove for the benefit
OF the rest. They all knew how to take
turn In the kitchen and put room to
rights upstairs as orderly as a West
Point cadet could fix up his quarters
They were taught from babyhood the
good, soldierly habit of waiting upon
themselves, SO that it was very easy to
add on the lesson of waiting upon 9TH
ers when there was a need for it, and
particularly upon their Woodworking
mother. A great many girls are not
half SO ready or helpful, the more the
PITY The boys could wash and iron
some, and make short-cake and pot of
coffee, or cook g steak as well as the
best Bridget to be had for money. They
we're none of them of that class to which
Horace Greeley referred, where he said
they would " starve to death in the gar
den of Eden for the want of somebody
to pick the fruit. " None of Mrs. Wat
sons boys would be reduced to the
straits soldier boy of my acquaintance
was where rations of dry -four were
served out to the men.
"How did you cook it2 I asked,
81 mixed it with water, and salt if I
had it, and then set it on the Goals
until it was cooked or burnt, and then
ate it,
One thing these handy Watsons used
to do for their mother, which anybody's
children could do where a mother does
her own housework. They always
cleared the table and set away the food
in its proper place in the pantry or eel
lar; thus saving her a great many miles
OF weary walking in the course of a
week.
These boys were not whit less manly
than neighbors' sons who sat toasting
their boots around the fire, while moth
er YEARLY walked around them, doing
all her work and waiting upon them
besides.
A family thus trained once lived in a
beautiful homested up the Hudson. A
friend was there at family gathering
when the mothers hair was silvered, and
ssthe bows" came home from distant
abodes to this happy meeting. One left
his editorial chair, one his large whole
sale establishment on Broadway, and
all came from posts of honor and useful
ness. When the feast was over, son
led his mother back to her cozy arm
chair and her guests, while her Sons
went merrily to work ard ''cleared" away
the things and washed up the .sdishes"
as in olden times.
A little homework in their boyhood
will not spoil them in the least. Rural
Nea0 Yorker.