The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-08-12
SWEEP THE CORNERS.

SWEEP THE CORNERS.
"Did you sweep the corners?'
"Now, mother, what is the use of be-
ing SO Particular The parlor looks
just as nice as it can look. Who's 60
ing to move etageres and tables and
poke behind the piano to see if there s
few grains of dust there?''
"Have you never swept the corners
since you volunteered to take entire
charge of the parlor, Amy? You know
l have been shut up in my room and
have trusted entirely to YOU
mot exactly; Mrs. Strongmore, who
lectures SO delightfully."-, you know, says
women waste so much time in potter
ing. She says it's a great thing to
learn just how much Homework and
sewing is necessary to enable one to
get along, and then we shall save the
rest of the time for higher pursuits, and
that is so much gain
perhaps, if it really saves time; let
us see how it is in this case. Move that
stand. dear, and put your broom in that
corner'
"Why, mother, there are myriads of
black fuzzy little things crawling away,
and why, it's too bad, they have eat
en- all the pattern off of that corner of
our pretty carpet"
THAT is what I feared. 1t is the
buffalo moth, or carpet-bug, and having
once made Judgment, they will run
along every seam of the carpet; moth
ing can save it but taking it all up and
having it thoroughly cleansed. 1t is
too bad, but it never would have hap
pened if you had swept that corner
faithfully. Which way do you think
would have saved the most time?''
Mother, was so disgraced to-day.
l wore my new cambria to the Sunday
school picnic. and when / was swinging
one of the children, the whole sleeve
ripped right down and left my arm
bare. 1t was especially notifying be-
cause had just been telling the girls
how had made it all myself on my
new machine
"Softly. my daughter; did you take
suggestedP'
"Why, no; that would have taken
SO much time, and wanted to make
the whole dress in two days, which l
did,"
Did you save much time by that
proceeding?'
"No, motheraof course not; 1 see
what You mean. ITS another case of
not sweeping the corners, l supposep'
''My dear child, wish I could i'm
press upon you now the importance of
doing things thoroughly and not slight
ing the parts of work that do not show
at first sight; duty and policy are alike
concerned in faithfulness to the cor
ners. My gardener made me flower
bed on the lawn once, but had hardly
got 1t Tiled with beautiful flowers when
the quck-grass came up so thickly be-
tween them that it took more time
than had to spare to pull it out, and
when at last had recourse to him, he
acknowledged that he had only turned
the sod over, not taking the time to pick
it out"
'.Last spring there was terrible ac-
cident in New York; part of a great
building filed with people gave way,
destroying much valuable life and
property. Why? Because somebody
had not been careful of the corners.
the unseen parts of the building.
where the strain came, and this want
of faithfulness rendered the whole thing
unsafe.
''Only two months before that or
CURED the destruction of the Tay.
bridge in Scotland. which thrilled the
public with Indignation; whole train
OF cars, with their crowd of living
freight, were precipitated at once into
the raging flood and disappeared, be-
cause of the unfaithfulness of contract
ors, workmen, every one concerned, in
those parts OF the work whose unsound
ness could not be detected except by
actual experiment and failure.
And when we come to things not
tangible, the principle is just the same
-carelessness about the corners: the
out-of the-way trivialities of school-boy
lessons have sometimes cost a man his
standing and success in life. Have YOU
forgotten certain girl graduate
whose percentage was wofully lowered
by the absence Of capitals and commas
IN an examination in metaphysicsp
There are young men and young wom-
en- to-day who are deliberately lavino
the foundation of future wretchedness
and failure by neglect of the little cor
ners OF habits o. strict honesty, perfect
truthfulness, making the most of the
minutes, etc., etc.
Yes, mother, see the policy of the
corners, but how about the dutyP''
The artists of antiquity, my child,
and the builders of the early Christian
ages followed their example, put their
best work on the backs of their statues.
the SIDES OF capitals, and bases that lay
against the walls. The most delicate
carving of the Miserere seats is found
on the under side; the finest stained
glass in the least-frequented hooks of
Old cathedrals. And whyp Because
the deities, the angels, the saints, were
supposed by those superstitious but
honest-hearted workmen to see every-
where.
Think. my child, of the Eve that
never slumbers looking down into the
corners OF cur rooms. our work, our
pursults' our habits, our purposes. our
hearts, our lives. ror,a,nbo. FL II