Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1880-12-09
nosphere of other cultivated minds,

In assuming it to be our duty te
give such Incentives to our children,
assume that we are ourselves fitted to
, do so, whish will certainly not be a
true supposition 'unlsss we give some
thought and study to the purpose. If
on becoming wives ana mothers we
have devoted ourselves exclusively to
the more material claims OF our 'fami-
lies, or to the allurements of society
leaving the resources Of our mental
storehouse in the background, we are
not likely TO be of much use in the
way / have suggested. We often
drift into such condition by simply
yielding to outside Influences, with
no conception Of our danger; and dur
ing the early years Of married life
there is much to excuse it. The
greatest safe guard young mother
can have against such deplorabc con-
sequences is husband who keeps his
head clear, and by supplying subjects
worth thinking and talking about,
and abundant good reading matter,
phelps to ferry her intellect safely over
this high tide Of domestic tribuiations.
The value of such a help is nestimable
as children grow to the age Of observa'
ton; and the woman who retains her
ambition for self culture and that OF
her children without the aid Of their
father is indeed to be pitisd.
When the best education possible
to US az school girls was considered
finished, we were only entering upon
the true field oFlearning, and most OF
our teachers took pains l am sure to
impress this fact upon US. How is It
possible, then, while every year mu'-
tip!ies the facilities for continued
study and develops something moro
TO be learned, that we should care so
little about III One hour Of SppIica.
ton each day to our lnatured minds
would be of more value to us than the
usual school hours were in oar more
thoughtless days and this at least
most Of US might appropriate to the
purpose il 50 dstsrm- ed.
Many woman who would gladly
make the attempt refrainS, from pure
m oral notwithstanding to draw
herself the criticisms Of others who
will at once discover some defect IN
her domestic affairs asthe consequence
Whereas the truth would douhtles BE-
that in the effort to secure this time
to herself, she had probably given
more than usual care to her household
into. ests. Nothing helps more to
bring our work into Systematic order
thar a S1e1 purpose, which requires
\ definite and stated time for ITS &C
complishnect. TO the woman with
unlimited cares and duties, .h.s idea
Of devoting any Of trsr time to study
ing books no doubt seems absurd; but
if to any degree the thirst for -nowl
edge is upon her, she will hnd 1t a
rest to draw her mind away from
those other duties and furnish her
with thoughts that will take much OF
the hardship ont of them when she
returns to the dull routine. AS to
the time spent, she will be sure to re-
gam 1t in renewed strength and ener.
sy. 7 have reviewed much of my
school.work with baby in nv arms,
and read novels under the same cir
cumstances, both Of which did ne
much good.
A greater impedient in the way of
selfculture than want Of time or inch
nation, is the want of material to feed
upon. There is nothing in which we
are all 40 given to parsim ony ss IN the
purchase Of good reading matter. If
the book agents, Of whom there is n"
scarcity, are suffi GENTLY persisteut
they will now and then succeed in
leaving among our scanty collection
some worthless volume with catch
penny title; but you will search good
many farm houses to find anything
worth reading. We spend hundreds
Of dollars freely for school privileges
for our children, and then begrudge
Eve for material with which to con.
tinus the education after they return
from school.
Unless we know ourselves to be
comDstent to jndeY, lot US consult