St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-09-11
One Hour a Day.

One hour day conscientiously Civ
en- to the piano will keep the beautiful
accomplishment which you acquired
by so many years of study and devo-
ton. You are a busy matron, with
something to fill in all the flying mo-
ments, and you are contentedly letting
Your music go, now that the children
are taking lessons. The girls mOnop-
Ollie the piano, and they are learning
to play beautifully, and your pride in
their progress is very great.
Nevertheless, it is not well that
girls should excel their mothers in
everything, 1t is not well that girls
should have the drawing room es-
pecially set apart for their evenings
and their guests, while mother sits
upstairs or in the basement. The
mothers of to-day are quite too prone
to retire into the shadowy background,
leaving the Young ladies to queen it in
the front.
We always like to visit in a house
where the mother keeps her true place
of gentle re-eminence. We think
mothers would less frequently slip
from this, if they cared very little
more abont not becoming rusty. A
woman should grow more and more
charming us she goes on in life, also
fuller of resources, and rather than
lose any acquisition once gained, she
should add to her stock as she ap-
prOaches middle age.
One hour a day, dear madam, will
enable you to surprise your husband,
as he sits beside the table in the even
ing, with the same sweet old melodies
which you used to play to him in the
long ago. One hour day will so give
to fingers and brain the power and the
magic of harmony, that you will be
able to play merry little polkas and
| iigs for the chill ren's entertainment,
and to criticise, to their delight and
profit, the ambitious performances OF
the older ones.
What else will one hour, set apart
to IA special use accomplish. 1t is quite
safe to say that, devoted faithfully to
the reading of good literature, it will
broaden your outlook upon the world
and add to your interest in society and
conversation. 1t is pity that really
well educated women at home read Sc
few solid books. Want of time is usu-
ally pleaded in excuse, whereas it is
quite as probable want of inclination
or Indifference to reading, which is the
true reason for the minds lying fall
low. One no II Il day, religious V ded-
icated either to good secular books Ol
to devotional books, will in the course
of year tell upon your mental life in
many ways.
One hour Il day spent, not over the
| fascinating embroidery or the engrOss-
ing knitting work, or even on the
pretty wardrobe of the little ones, but
ms cad, spent in entertaining and com
panic hing your half-SfOwn boy, vii
yield ripe harvest in days to come
| 1t is Il shame that so many lads art
| left to seek associations which do then
harm, when they are treading the per-
ilous border-land between childhood
/ and manhood. A boy should never b'
suffered to grow away from hi'
mother. He should he, as he natures
very much in her confidence, and if he
is not this, it is too often her fault
Take an hour each day and cultivat,
| your boys. If they are to he pure
minded, gentle and manly, let the re
filming influence of Il happy home be
always around them, and let theiI
christian mother plan for their pleas
ure.- Mrs. Sangster, in lntelligencer