The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-07-18
Making Over.

ING column Of a city paper. II Is 80 In
definite that the reader is left 30 the
imagination as 20 whether the girl is
wanted to make over as a wife. or a
seamstress. or merely TO serve as n
model for some one whose training
prejudices. bigotries and ambitions are
seeking for an educational outlet.
Every day some young man is look
ing for a girl to make over While she
Is his sweetheart she is simply perfect,
but as soon as the honeymoon is ended
the make-over prUeess begins. IL has
lts formulas, one of which Is like this
"Did you make those biscuits. Helen ?
"Yes, dear; they'er not quite right,
but I'm going TO improve on them.
Il supposed you knew how to make
bake when j married you"
"Why. Charlel | didn't want TO wait
year ON purpose to learn how TO cook,
and you said you never cared what you
ate. and didn't want to marry Il cook,
and all that 2"
"Pshawl never said such word
Give those bullets to the cat and kill
II. I'd give anything for one of moth
er's tea rolls.
"Well, dear. will write to her for the
receipt. LIN try hard to learn"
But man who finds fault with one
thing will find fault with another. 1t
does not occur to the young husband
that his mother is fifty years old and a
farmers daughter. and that he married
a school girl who is as different from the
mother stripe as he is from the father.
pattern. lie is just us capable of ex.
pecting her to make sausage and soft
soap as mother did. Eventually he
makes her over into n nondescript that
Is neither a companionable wife nor a
comfortable housekeeper. And his
highest praise is the omission of fault
finding.
David Copper6eld tried the making
over process on sweet, sunny little Dora
his child.wife. She tried to live up to
his kitchen and market requirements,
but WAS glad to die and end IA condition
so unsatisfactory.
Children are perpetually required to
make over. An original child isrun in
II groove fitted for another soul. 1t is
dwarfed ana expanded at the arbitrary
will of parents. and ii becomes an epl-
tome of its father, mother, uncle or
cousin. These Gadgrinds of learning
incline the twig in their way, give il
their limited sky TO reach. and when ii
is no longer living branch of air and
sunshine, and riotous life, point to it as
the dry stick of their grating.
The world is full of made-over peo-
pie. A great number went early to
their graves, discouraged with the de-
mands made upon them.
"What shall | do to cure my young
daughter of laughing and.of looking in
the glass;" wrote mother to a cele.
brated divine. And the answer came
LET her alone. Time and sorrow will
cure her of both, all too SOON"
A popular novelist ihas depicted a
scene between husband and wife
where the wife wishes to take q jour.
ney for her health.
"You don't want to travel" says the
considerate husband. at will disagree
with you-traveling always dIsagrees
with me-"
She urges sea voyage.
"You will be sea sick-a sea voyage
always makes me sea sick" Etc. etc.
Made-over people. like made-over
clothes, are weak and unreliable. 1t is
no sign because Johns father Is farm
er or hoe-maker that John will be
III might do worse, but he may do bet
ter. At any rate he has a right to as
certain his own value and do that best
fitted for him.
BLESSED, thrice blessed, is the man
who has found his work." says Carlisle.
"Let him seek no other blessedness."
1t is a responsibility the thoughtful
capable soul will shrink from, that of
making over a human life. But the
narrow, unwise, bgoted theorist is al
ways willing to try his hand, on the
principal that Fools rush in where