Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-05-06

then YOU will have an acquired facility.
Habit and skill will make easy what
might come hard and be felt as very
burdensonfe.N etF M
"And YOU would have her abandon
an self-improyement," /" said Mrs Thorn
ton. = Give up music, reading, so
cioty---"
There arc, . said Mr.. Thornton, as his
wife paused for aDothe "somc iif-
teen or sixteen hours Of each dRy, In
which mind or hands should be rightly
employed. Now, let us see how Ellie
Is spending th0so long and ever-rseur-
ring periods Of tifnc. Come, my dAugh-
ter, sit down; we have this subject fair
ly before us. IL is one Of great impor-
tance 20 you. and should be well oonsid-
cred How Is Il In regard TO tho en-
ploymcnt of your timep Take yester-
day, for instance. The records Of the
work Of day viii help US 10 get toward
the result aftorwhieh we are now search
ing"
Ellie sat down. and Mr.. Thornton
drew a chair in front OF his wife and
daughter
Take yesterday, for instance" said
the father, "how was 1t spent? You
rose at seven, think"
Yes, sir; came down just as the
breakfast bell was rung," replied Eilia.
And your mother was up Ht half
past five, know, and complained Of
feeling so week that she could hardly
dress herself But, for all this. she
was a. work until breakfast time. Now,
II you had risen at six, and shared your
mothers work until seven, you would
have taken an hour from her days bur
dens, and certainly lost nothing from
your music, self-improyement or social
Intercourse. How was il after bruak-
fast2 How was the morning spcntP
practiced nu hour on the piano
after breakfast"
" SO far so good. What thenp"
g read the Cavalier til eleven"
Mr., Thornton shook his head and
asked
after eleven, how was the time
spentPn
:" / dressed myself and went out q lit
tic after twelve o'clock"
An hour was spent in dressingp"
Yes, sir.n
"Where did you gop'
IL called on ielen Boyd, and we took
a walk down Broadway
And came home Just In time for
dinnerP / think l met you at tho
doorp'
Yes, sir"
"How was Il after dinnerP'
" slept from three until five, and
then took bath and dressed myself.
From six until tea-time sat Mt the par
Tor window"
And teaP"
"Rcad the Cavalier till went TO
bod"
AT what hourP'
Eleven o'clock"
Now, wo can make up the nc
count" said Mr. Thornton, = You rose
at seven aud retired at eleven--sixteen
hours. And from your own account
Of the day. but single hour was spent
In anything useful---that was the hour
nc the piano. Now, your mother was
up at half-past five, and went 10 bed,
from her sheer inability 10 sit at her
work any longer at half,past nine. Six
teen hours for her also. How much
reading did you do In that titnep'
And Mr.. Thornton looked at his wife.
"DOn't talk 10 me of readingl I've
no time 10 read, ~ Mrs. Thornton an
swered. little impatiently. The con-
trast Of her daughters idle hours with
her own life of exhaustive toll did not
affect her mind very pleasantly.
And yet, y said Mr.. Thornton, "you
were always fond of reading, and can
remember when no day went by with
out an hour or two passed with your
books. Did you lie down afterdinnerp"
"Oftcourse not.
"And didn't you take pleasant
walk down Broadway Nor SIC at the
paror window with EaieP How about
thatP"
There was no reply.
Now, the case Is very plain one,n
continued Mr.. Thornton. " In fact,
nothing could be palmer. You spend
from fourteen TO sixteen hours Ia hard
work, while Ellie, taking yesterday as
"a sample, spends about the same time
in what Is little better than idleness.
Suppose new adjustment were 10 take
place, and Eiiie were 20 be usefllly em-
ployed helping you eight hours of each
day. she would SIN have eight hours
lelt ioT n-lllptpNehlolta ahA teuiehtlOhi
and you, relieved from your present
overtasked condition, might, get back a
portion Of your health and spirits, OF
which these too heavy household duties
have robbed you."
Father. said EiIic. speaking through
her tears that were falling over her
face, " mover saw things In this light.
Why haven't you talked 20 me beforeP
I've often felt as II I'd like 10 help her
she says that 'you can't doit; I'd rather
do It myself. Indeed It isn't all my
fault y
ut may not have been in the past
Eilie,n replied Mr.. Thornton. "but Il
certainly win be in the future, unless