New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-10-15
The ParlOr Daughter.

A great deal of fault is found with
the parlor daughter. 1t is said of
of her that she sits at the piano and
sings, ':What is Home Without q
Mother?" while the mother in question
is toiling over the fire in the basement.
No doubt this is true, for the parlor
daughter nearly always has kitchen
mother, a good, plain, sensible wo-
man, who says "young people will
be young people, and takes every
burden from her pretty daughters
shapely shoulders to put them on her
own. already bowed down with care.
So you see it is often the mothers
own fault that there is parlor girl.
She loves this daughter and wants her
to enjoy life While she is young; so
she does the work OF servant, and
is happy in SO doing. She loves to hear
Lottie play on the piano. It seems to
her that she could work all day to the
accompaniment of ..Silver Threads
Among the Gold, y or '.Sweet Violets.'
She has been all her life trying to learn
one tune and has never accomplished it
yet. And Lottic is pretty and has white
hands with taper fingers, and goes to a
manicure. The parlor daughter had no
trouble to educate her mother up to all
those advanced ideas. She was will
ing pupil. She remembers whata hard
time she had when sic was young, and
goes to the other extreme with Lottie,
who does pothing but amuse herself,
and must have help to do that. She is
stylish and it pays to dress her we'll.
She has a knack for fancy work, paint
ing and otter accomplishments that to
the mother indicates genius She
writes 4 lovely hand, and has plenty Of
correspondents. She takes hooks from
the library, and belongs to q literary
club. Her young friends DO not work,
why should She?
The only reason why she should work
is to show that size possesses a spark of
gratitude; that she has too much respect
for the mother who has done SO much
for her TO let her wear out her declining
years in the routine of houseWork, while
she plays the role OF parlor ornament;
that she knows III her secret soul that
labor ennobles instead of degrades, and
that the key Of the Kitchen is higher
medal Of honor than y diploma Of idle
ness. Mothcr-love is something won
derful. 1t is more blest in giving than
in receiving But already the mothers
steps are tending down that hill which
she never again can climb; her hair is
turning gray; her eyes are weary; she
wants no unwilling drudge to help her,
but a service OF love. Think you. the
creak, creak OF that daughters chair, as
she rocks to and fro in the parlor above,
is the true rhythm for her to work by
or the tinkling Of the piano keys,
touched by satin-smooth fingers, a
tremelo of love? Is it a good or loving
heart that will read the thrilling ro-
mances Of Mrs. Southworth or May
Fleming with bated breath and falling
tears, while pale. tired mother is
washing dishes in the kitchen? II may
be the mothers fault--the fault of too
generous, too unseltish love; but If the
daughter has q good heart will she take
advantage of such mistaken kindness?
Will she not rather prove herself
"A creature not too bright 9. good
For human natures daily food =
And refuse at once and forever SO
anomalous a position as that of Parlor
Daughter in home that must be sus-
tanned by a Kitchen Mother? No Young
man with brains will ever expect to find
y good wife in "a young woman who is
not first good daughter. Detroit Free
Press.
"A fashionable young lady at the
Grand Union, in Saratoga, gives the
following account Of her silver poodle:
.'He's daisy, he is. !; So nice and
clever. He has his tooth brush and
keeps just as still when the maid uses il