The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-11-15
elf.Depcndenca

can reasonably do for h mself, is an ad-
mirable maxim, but one that we as
mothers too often fail TO adopt as our
rule of action, How many scenes we
can all recall of a fretlul, exciting child
demand 'ng service of frail mother,
which he Is much better able 10 perform
for himself.
And by this one mistake alone, thou
sands of women allow their children to
hang as a weight about their necks.
while they might be not only self
helping in large degree, but save her
many steps in the performance of other
duties To be sure, children will be
waited upon if they may; that is but
natural, and in this rs in other things
much depends on the way we begin
with them; so that the mother who is
waiting till Jennie and Kitty are big
girls for them to help her, will probably
wait in vain,
We recall family of children we
once knew, whose mother appreciated
this fact, and pract ced most success
fully what we now preach. Tho father
was mechanic, q man determ ned to
lay aside little from time to time, for
t e rainy day that may come to ALL and
tho mother, agreeing with him in his
policy, put all her woman's wit to work
to help him accomplish his purpose.
The children were six of them, but the
two oldest were girls aged eleven and
nine. At this time the mother deter
mined to dispense with the help she had
fe,t obliged to keep, and arranged her
hou|ehold accordingly, To begin with,
ea"h child from the Oldest to the little
toddler of two and a half. had his own
drawer and hooks for his clothes, and
when they were folded from the bars,
!. all that did not need mcnding were
sorted, and each little one took his
clothes and put them where they be.
longed. Then when bath night came
each one knew just where to get clear
clothes to put on, any those for the next
day wear were carefully laid out. MOI
was this all, but the soiled ones were
also put where they belonged.
Now by this one arrangement, and 1
is only one of the many unusual thing
those children did, what a world o
wear and worry the mother saved her
self, only one similarly situated Cal
D properly appreciate. But they did NOR
Il than help themselves, for selfhelp pful
II nc develops desire for general use
] fulness, and each morning, when tn
d breakfast was over, the two older girl
/ washed the dis es and put the kitche
% in order and brusned up the crumbs i
it the dining-room. while their mothe
n put her room and the sitting-room t
P rights.
e Moreover, the children made thei
"a own beds before school tine; the tw
little girls who slept together, one {
10 ca h side OF the bed worked together
~ ma ing theirs, as did the boys NJ?
~ Younger with their little bed. I'll
re re- older ones of the family needed Il
y, help whatever to prepare them Il
III sc',col, but when they came 10 Il
8, breakfast table were ready, wi h the e
e. ception Of removing the large wol
III aprons they always wore till the wol
! was done So by nine O'Clock tn
Ok mother, with baby dressed for the d,
ca and wee Edith made tidy, was re-dy
We take up her sewing, and that witho
,oi feel ng tired and i'urricd and out
no lrrath from undue urryirg. In fa
au thcrt seemed 10 be no hurry IN tn
OF hom'. The work was SO ordered nj
divided, that with a family of childr
nS that would crdinarily re, ,uire two wol
M en- constant effort to care for, t
mo thcr with their help did it all, wi
morr case and satisfaction than is usu
in families amply supplied with help.
so much for the illustration, show
ro, what this one woman did yes, as W
| say does. for she lives in Illinois to-ds
ks an we have given you glimpse
the her daily life, and although we may I
il all possess the same natural ability
bly, eencralship that this woman NANTES
ays we may pro by her example, and
cd far rs in US lies. apply it in our O.
on homes.
ing Nor is this done for the selfish r.
the Sous that we may Tighten our own b
as den that we should strive to nsp
iIe our children with this spirit of St
G help. but much more for their own
lhe IRE z cd. For it is this quality larg
hor that dist ngnishcs the successful b,
red ness man from the common tramp.
IN one. from natural tendency or Ca
" training, deepen Is on his own efforts
1t success, while the other begins life "
low q vague sort OF expectation that he
nee; to get Il living at SOM, one else's
a'd pen>c. And after numerous attem
me TO get wages for pretending to work
OF pro ably tries 81 onging off his frier
cl but sooner + ater they tire OF him
Ial.s his doom is sealed. And it is to the
M"li t II we may reduce the number OF h
's less, 20 less men and women that CT
y a tn world day, that we should st
lose tu jnculcaic this lesson of self-depe