Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-13

Few Hfnts Regarding Family Economy
Which Are Worthy of Consideration.

S0AA YEA
Which Are Worthy of Confederation.
There may be, as you choose to look
at it, a great deal of drudgery or a great
deal of romance and poetry in your
weekly darning. There is really a no.
BILE self-deception, it seems to me, as to
small household tasks. Perhaps /
should not call it s~elf-deception, but a
determination to like what one natural.
ly dislikes. For Instance: you "hate
darning,' it is something to be .'gotten
over somehow, and Through WITH
as soon as possible.
But now suppose. instead of seeing
merely the pile. of brown, gray and car:
dinal stockings, you see the feet which
they encase; recall the first glimpse of
Wills baby foot as you mend your eld-
est born's manly sock; what a little
crushed rose-leaf it seemed! How you
longed to have it grow strong! Then
that first day he felt his feet; how the
gentle pressure on your lap throbbed to
your very heart! How many times YOU
have asked God to guide his steps! How
many times He has guided when o
did not ask! Why, Willis socks are
mended and folded away, and you turn
to Nettie's or Rob's with a thought pc
culiar to your girl just growing into
~womanhood. or to your merry, romp-
ing school-boy, whose noise and frolic
you would miss sorely, though they try
your patience now and then. Look
back and see the goodness and mercy
which have followed the children and
yourself. Perhaps you have expected
to see the goodness and mercy ahead Of
you? But that is not the promise. How
Rob does wear out his knees! All, well.
all that love for marbles and tag is
building up a fine constitution. Better
be mending than nursing! So, with
thoughts of the past and prayers for the
future, an hour goes by and you have
really enjoyed what has ALWAYS before
been a hard task.
But l wish to be practical, and so
would give the benefit of my experience
in darning. l find that too many
mothers do not know that they should
leave a loop at each turn of the darn, as
the stocking has shrunk and the darn
ing cotton has not. Then, too, [ ALWAYS
run the heels and knees of new
stockings, OF else herrin g-bone a lining
on them; if you line the heels put your
lining on the right side, lest the seam
hurt the foot. Do not turn in the edges
Of the lining, but clearinghouse it neatly.
Then again, instead of darning large
holes, patch the children's stockings,
Last Of all, if you have a leisure hall
hour now and then, lay aside stockings
which are too far gone for your own
children and re-foot them for some OF
Gods little ones. Such mended stock
ings can always be used at the different
"Homes," or given to some poor mem.
Der of your own church. 1t is q very
great help to your Christian life to lay
aside n afternoon in the week when
you will work for the poor, mending OF
making garments. This is quite a diff
ferent matter from making some beau
tiful art needle-work to be sold at a fair,
but it is more Biblical. We don't hear
anything about the fire-screens or table
scarfs that Dorcas was engaged in when
she fell on sleep! ''Think on these
things."-Hope Ledyard, IN Congregd-
fso,,u1rot