The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-10-05
Little Things,

1t is the little things in life that tell
for good or evil. 1t is these that try our
patience when they command our at
teution from the big things that seem
worthy of our efforts. But after all, it
IS attention to these same petty details
that tell in the end.
Few men have succeeded in business
ventures without talent for this kind
Of drudgery, and it is said of yelling
ton that his battles were won in camp,
experimenting the proper cooking of
food that would maintain the health
and spirits of his soldiers. Seemingly
small business for so great man, but
when history tells US that to this one
thing is due the honor he enjoyed of
never having lost battle, the end
comes to justify the means. and in view
of such results we wonder that any
should fail to realize the importance of
little things. Yet sadly inconsistent as II
may seem. we 60 right on in the old
way despising and ignoring the little
things of every day life. because they
seem Insignificant and are so numerous
and prosy. Look into your home and
observe the multitude of little things,
each one too trifling to enumerate
among your days duties, yet every
one demanding attention with a
voice that years of experience
have long since taught US to regard
as imperative. For probably before
you had long enjoyed the experience of
being the head of an establishment, cir
cumstances of one kind or another
over which you had no control, possibly
an over supply of company, may be
sickness of self or friends, obliged YOU
for time to omit many of these minor
details of housekeeping. And none
that have had the experience will forget
the feeling of utter Encouragement that
filed her soul as she returned to what
had seemed the perfection of order and
system, and found chaos reigning in its
stead. The furnished condition of the
silver, the grimness of papers in cup
board and pantry that you did not know
could look so bad, the smoky window
pane and the finger marks about the
door-knobs, the missing buttons. the
broken stitches and the toeless socks
arise before your minds eve in such
disheartening array that YOUR impulse is
to run away from it all. There are
some to whom this experience has come
but few times in life, and again, there
are others who seem to have started
with the odds against them, and never
caught up with their work. We call to
mind one home of this latter class,
where the mistress is so engrossed with
grand ideas for the betterment of the
race, that she can not condescend to these
tribes. Unfortunately for the family their
means are limited, so that help can not
be provided to perform these trifiing
offices-and the result is worse than
any one could imagine that had not
witnessed it in its workings. The big
work is done-meals are cooked in very
good style, and the floors generally
pretty free from dust. and most of the
duties of this class performed. But the
buttons are never all on, nor the button
holes of half worn garments ever in re-
pair. The holes in stockings are often
drawn together while the impatient
owner waits to change. II the missing
button should be found indispensable
when the garment is put on, there is
another martyrdom endured by the
mother of the family and the other
member while it is replaced. and the
husband or child must endure the dread
full ordeal of having the button replaced
while he wears the garment. The
weekly mending that replaces the stitch
in time is little thing to attend to. but
neglected it becomes veritable thorn
in the flesh to each member of house.
hold. And this is but one instance of
the little things in the home which if
neglected mar the pleasure and the
lives of all within it. And this same
law of little things holds good through
out every line of business as well, and
nine times out of ten failure in life is
due to the neglect of it alone. -BtrliHg-
ton Ha,okeye.