The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-12-20
MAKE THEM WORK.
The Importance of Teaching Childre. h
Be Busy.

Be Busy.
Parents do their children a grieyious
wrong when they do not require them
to become proficient in all branches oil
labor common to their position. This
is especially apt to occur when the faith
er and mother are strong and capable,
and can themselves perform the work
more easily and satisfactorily than can
the young people. 1t requires more
patience for strong woman to super
intend the baking by her twelve-year-
old daughter than to do it herself; but
for the child's good, and her own con-
venience later in life, she should direct
the work and let the little girl do it.
In homes where there is plenty to
keep all busy, the girls are apt to be
put first at dish-washing, preparing veg
etables and then sweeping, while the
mother (who has no time to teach her
daughters) does the baking and cares
for the milk. By and by, when two OF
three of them are as tall as herself.
there comes an urgent invitation to
spend month or two with her mother,
who, in failing health, longs for her eldes,
child. But this worried and wearied
housewife thinks of the baking, the fruit
and butter-making, and as she sadly
writes a refusal, vaguely wonders why
her daughters are not as capable as hei
neighbors'. Her girls ardently wish
mamma to see their grandmother; YET
realize their own inability, and can not
urge the matter. After time the girls
marry, and unless they possess unusual
perseverance and " knack,n their hus-
bands have sufficient reason to praise
their own mothers cooking and dispar-
age that of their wives.
Among men, this state of things is
equally bad. The father thinks the
boys can not drive horses, or run the
moving machine, or SOW grain, or take
produce to market Instead of putting
the strong young man at work that will
call out all their tact and brain as
well as muscle, they are thought incap-
able, and the father does all the plan.
ming. | have in mind an instance
where the father constantly stayed al
home, being afraid 20 leave lest his son,
who was the real manager, should moi
do the chores in proper order, or an in
detinable something should occur in
his absencel
Not only is it best to require children
to do all kinds of work, but equally
needful is it to teach them the easiest
and most approved methods. A house
wife once told me that for several years
she did the washing in her father
home and although she used every par
ticle of strength she possessed, her
mother constantly complained that it
was imperfectly done. After her mar
riage, she one day watched young
girl at the washtub, and saw that her
way was of rubbing differed from, and
was easier than her own, and then re-
allied that she had never known how
to wash! Another, a school-teacher
who boarded with her aunt, helping
her nights and mornings, said she
learned more that term than did any
of her scholars. Her aunt not only re-
quired her to do the work. but taught
her how to do it, while her mother
merely said, the work must be done,
letting her choose her own way.
l would not have young people dis
regard the advice and wisdom of their
elders; neither should they be so de-
P0HUoao 40 hoNoi W Pitnb hSiu VI put
up jar of preserves without their
parents oversight. Give them plain
directions and set them going; watch
without their knowledge, and if likely
to be worsted, give little aid or
advice, and start them on again. 1t
will be infinitely better for both parents
and children than to have the latter
turn out to be milk-and-wa individ-
uals without capability or go ahead
ativeness. = Country Gentleman.