St. Paul daily globe., 1884-10-21
Leisure at Home.

When circumstances permit busy man
or woman to travel and visit relatives or
places of interest, every movement is made
to yield as much enjoyment as possible.
This same plan might be proftably followed
with the moments, or hours of leisure, at
home. Habit is an ever-present master; and
if tits the rule to make pleasant every stray
piece of time that is not freighted with work,
it will soon become a habit, and the habit
will encroach on the working hours too, not
causing any neglect of work, but leading to
an endeavor to make it pleasant; and such
work as sheling peas, peeling apples aud
potatoes, will often be done in a cool sitting
room or under the shade of tree near the
door. But the hours that have no mortgage
of work claiming them as fast as they come,
will be given to something that is recreative
| The parlor of the house may prohtably be
made place OF pleasant occupation; moth
| ing that is work ought to iutrude here. Ifthe
| house mas parlor, let it be the one place
where busy, hurrying work is shut out
through fancy work that the fingers and eye
delight in, may be admitted. Here the in
/ stiuct that sets childish hands to building
play houses and adorning them-this in
stiuct still alive, though childhood is past
may be INDUCED in again, and this room be
4 furnished for beauty though all the rest of
house must be ited for rough work a-day
use. Here the carpet need not be of servi-
ceable rags, but of finer texture aud attrac-
tive pattern; frail vases may stand in safety,
and pictures and books be scattered on the
table convenient for reference. and free
from dust and hurried handling. Tides
aud mats. that would lose their beauty in a
few weeks in the comfortable sitting rooms
every day wear, keep bright aud clean. The
wife can here enjoy quiet res: sitting in a
comfortable chair. aud looking at the pic
lures on the walls and the ornaments about
tine room, collected by herself or received as
gifts from husband, children, or friends. II
no other day in the week gives time fol
quiet enjoyment of the parlOr, Sunday vii
afford some leisure; and it is pleasant to
throw open the room on Saturday morning
sweep aud dust ii, and fill the vases witt
fresh favorite flowers, making ready K
spend here the hours of Sunday rest II a
love for beauty pervades the family, ever
the little children viii handle with loving
fingers the pretty books, and SOON learn Il
Z respect Tue orIer anu quiet bl the TOoIn
gong out doors or to the sitting room K
romp, and coming here for the quieter pleas
ures of story perhaps, or song
Y, Much pleasure for leisure time can be
found in such occupation IS making scrsI
. books for gifts. and in making kinds Of
fancy work that necessitaies scattering oi
scraps aud paper; unsuitable for the parIO-,
but Just the thing in the sitting room. The
shady places in the ward viii give a chance
to spend some hours in the fresh air, and
make variety in the home recreatiOns; an
afternoon passed in = cool spot. With sewing
and some ore to read aloud. viii invest the
place with quiet charm for ali the year. Il
the reading aud shade prove as enchanting
as they ought 70 on q bright summer day
In the winter, the Saturdays preparation:
! for sundays rest vii be filing the wood boz
, for the parior stove and polishing the lam;
! ehimneys. that the Sunday evenings may bC
{ bright ones.
If every opportunity for home pleasure L
improved, ali pleasures wiz be enjoyed th.