Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-09
Doing Things Thoroughly.

DUlllS luluSS l"uOIUuSulyO
Laura came into the disorderly sit
ting-room, put a sweeping-cap on her
head, and began listlessly drawing q
broom over the dirty carpet. In a few
moments a goodly pile of dirt was swept
out the door, when she took duster
and looked around, quite puzzled where
to begin.
81 wish I'd never been to Aunt
Sarah's," she said, dropping down on
the lounge with a more disconnected
look than before. "It's. all very we'll
for her to talk about keeping things in
order, but her children seem different
from ours. Just look here"
1t was rather discouraging. On ono
chair lay some crusts of bread and mo-
~lasses; on another torn picture-bcok
and some paints over which the glass of
water used with them had been split.
On the table mothers overfilled work
basket was running over, some spools
of thread tangled among broken toys.
The ashes from the CRATE were widely
scattered, and every corner seemed to
have its separate litter.
"Who sweeps a room we'll, does
Gods service.h Something like this
Laura had heard said while at her
aunt's house.
81 don't believe God has much to do
with such a room as this" she said,
fretfully, to herself. ':And it don't
make much difference how it's swept,
I'm sure" But her eye noted rather
uneasily the untouched corners, and the
dusty patch under the table which her
lazy broom had not reached. Aunt
Sarah's CHEEKY watchword: "Thor-
ough, my dears, thorough" seemed to
sound in her ears as she remembered
how she had come home with a firm
determination to institute a better order
of things.
"I'll try it, anyway" She busted
and carried out every movable article
of furniture, sprang to her broom
again, and this time welded it with an
energy which left little chance of peace
to the seldom-disturbed dust. And into
the fire went many a fragment of broken
missed. Aunt Sarah believed in a judi
cious keeping down of worthless trash.
The dirt being gathered this time in
q dust-pan and sent after the trash,
Laura Strengthened and busted the pict-
ures, then the curtains. Books not
needed were carried away, the others
piled neatly in order. Newspapers
were sorted, and those not to be saved
taken to the kitchen for kindling. A
basket was found for the toys, and the
rubber shoes and a slate which had lain
under the lounge were put away in the
closet. There was not time for u thorough
cleaning of finger-marked windows, but
a quick rub with some soft paper
frightened them amazingly. Then she
washed up the oil-cloth before the CRATE,
and <when the furniture was back in
place sat down with the w~ork-baskets,
glad Of a rest.
81 do think it's the most hopeless
snarl I ever saw, but I'll try what.
thorough will do here" A number of
pieces for chance mending We're rolled
into a bundle, the thread untangled ~
far as it could be, wound and fastened.
Needles were placed in the needle-book
and buttons in a box by themselves.
A jumping-jack and tin horse on
wheels was rescued from a woeful en-
tanglement in a skein of Charming yarn,
which was wound up and laid with the
stockings, mated ready for mending.
Almost everything went back into the
basket which had been there before, but
it was not half full.
Lastly Laura went to the parlor and
brought out a ~gay-colored tidy for the
large chair and a worsted mat for 3
vase, which she hastily filled with Aow-
ers. "Im not going to keep all the
pretty things out Of sight, she said,
"and I'm going to have a %cretonne
cover for this old lounge. 1t won't cost
much and will tighten up the room."
Even baby gave a crow of delight as
he came into the room on mothers
arm; then scrambled down and laughed
aloud as he crept toward his tin horse,
which had been lost for q week. And
mother looked around the room with q
brighter smile than Laura had seen on
her face for many a day.
sob, my daughter-have your little
hands done all this? Why, 1 didn't
know the old carpet could look so fresh,
and what a cheery-looking, pleasant
room it is after all. What a precious
comfort you are, my darling!"
Laura looked around the tidy room
with great satisfaction.
"I've been over every inch of it,
mother. How pleasant it is to feel that
you've done a thing thoroughly"
Try it girls. Try what satisfaction
there is in bringing order and sweet
ness out of confusion. Try what a Joy
there is in Tightening mothers cares
and in making dear faces brighter be-
cause the dear home is brighter. And
ne sure that the Master who has said:
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,
do it with thy might" will tenderly
bless even a smaller service, conscien-
tiously and heartily performed; than
that of a ''room well swept."-N \.
Observer.
The Grand Jury for Pike County.