Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-03-25
Learn to be Exact.

A model wife ami mother whom We
know used to say that Of all common
rbrases, she ii.l,ked most the one which
declared half done work to be "near
enough" 1t is, she declared, the gospel
Of the shiftless. and sireDuo usly did she
teach and pra,tce that nothing was
ever NEAR enough ris hit that c"nld be-
made better. A writer 10 tho Ereai"g
Postdeplores kindred lack in women's
raining the lack Of exactness. She
says: lone of the greatest difficulties
[ had when beginning to keep house
wa- the utter impo~s,bi|.ty Of getting
l.fi llte directions. How often sn ea'n
est, almost despair,rg question was
met with this reply, o /, about-thls-
yon must use your ,dsment! How
seldom in the conn,ry, ut least, Can u
dressmaker b- found whom you may
reasonably hope will make both sides
Of your dres' waist alike and both sleeves
Of the same l. Myth In every depart
ment of life W. meet with it, and are
annoyed by it. How many mortifi,a'
tioDs would woman be spared did she
but cultivate the habit Of seeing what
she looks at have known women OF
more than Ordinary Intelligence in GER
tain di, eo' ions who, when lamp cbimneys
we're held in place ~ screw. d very SIM
pie arraugeU,eut, newer even attempte
to put u chimney on the lamp. Ii
thinking without words were possible ,
should say they manifestations
words-that it WAS something qnlte Do.
yond them, aud they always took lamp
aud chimney to some male member Of
the household to be ~ listed. 1t Is often
said that the excess OF miginatlon, upon
which come women seem u pride them
selves, accounts for the tendency to in
accuracy. For my part am ashamed
OF it, If it is this 80 often eanses wife
and mother to be looked upon even hy
those who love her Az an amlable sort
Of incapable, whom they are fond Of
without being able to respect much.
There is a terrible mistake somewhere
in the education of woGaD, both at
home and in the school. We are not
taught that one of the nest important
things in the world to us is the ability
to observe with something like accuracy
1t strikes me that about the poorest
preparation u girl Can have for the
grave responsibilities which sooner or
later are certain TO rest upon her shout
ders, whatever her posltioa and sur
roundiugs may be, is a smattefing of
ancient and modern languages, a little
music and the discipline to be derived
from these. l have often thought IT
more attention we're paid by her to any
of the natural sciences their would 10
some hope OF her acquiring habits of
close and correct observation, aud that
tendency toward exactness AMI truth
fulness of mini would be produced
But what can be done by those of us
whose education SO far as the schools
are concerned is indeed " flushed! >
Only by studying our failures Gan We
hope to fad out why they were not
successes, and 80 correct bad hapl's
We may help ourselves by cultivating
q taste for conquer;ng difficulties. not
because any body is ever 10 know any
thing about it, but because it IL good to
overcome. Above all other help ID that
which comes from the intense convic-
ton that Whatever in any way ministers
to tho health and happiness of the home,
whether great or small, is worthy of
our earnest thought. l have often
gained grace and strength by saying
over to myself that bit from holy George
Herbert
"Who sweeps room for Gods law,
Makes that a d the action tae."