The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-08-06
Thoughts for Wives and Mothers.

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Reading rests us, physically and men
tally. Said an overworked, careworn
woman, 1T does me good sometimes to
forget my work for a little while. If L
can put it out of my mind 1 can go
back to it, and do twice as much as l
could if 1 kept on, when was all tired
out" Overwork of any kind units us
for our duties, as we know by sad ex-
perience. How wretched those days are
when we get up in the morning with
every muscle aching and every nerve on
edge, when child's voice asking
question irritates us like blow in the
face, when we feel "as if we couldn't
speak civil word to anybody" all be-
cause we overdid" house-cleaning or
sewing or preserving the day before.
This work may have all seemed neces-
sary. But this is only an additional
reason for us to be economical of our
physical strength. Now after some such
day draw up your lounge, where the
light will fall just over your shoulder,
arrange your sofa pillows so that your
head will be erect, while your spine and
shoulders are supported, lift up your
feet ca the lounge and take your book.
Try reading an hour in this position,
and see if the rest and change of thought
do not tighten your burdens, and make
you forget your WEAKNESS.
But laying aside the thought of our
own rest and comfort, let us look
little higher. For the children's sake
we must make the most ourselves.
Many an unselfish mother has said,
"Oh, cannot take all this time, there
are SO many things to do for the chill
dren." She does not realize that she
may do more for them in the end by
cultivating herself than if she spends
all her time on clothes and cooking. A
generosity which makes the recipient
weak or selfish is not blessing, but a
curse. Have you not seen grown up
sons who snubbed their mothers opin-
ions in the same breath with which
they called her to bring their slippers.
The meek little woman has "trotted
around" to wait on them so long that
they have come to think that is all she
is good for. Their sisters keep "Ma'
in the background because she "hasn't
a bit of style" "and is /" so uncultivated,"
forgetting that she has always worn
shabby clothes that they might wear
the fine ones that her hands have be-
come horny with hard work, that theirs
might be kept soft and white for the
piano, and that she has denied herself
books and leisure that they might have
both. And there are other children, too
noble for such base ingratitude, who feel
keen though secret sense of loss as
they kiss the dear withered cheek and
think now much more of a woman
"mother" might have been if she had
not shut herself away from the culture
and sweet companionship of books.
The love even of husbands and chill
dren to be permanent and valuable must
be founded on genuine respect for
character. Every mother has right to
time for mental and spiritual develop
ment as really as she has right to sun
shine and air and to food and sleep. She
cannot exist physically without the one !;
she cannot grow mentally and spiritual
ly without the other. If she throws
herself so energetically into her duties
as seamstress and nursery maid that she
has no time nor strength for anything
else, ought she to be disappointed if in
the end she receives only seamstress and
nursery-maid's wages