Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-03-30
gadies' Golamll.
FOR MERCY'S SAKE.

ton about housekeeping. The other
is delightful account of neighbor-
hood reading circle, and of books
read and essays written. Next
month there will be an article about
elaborate and careful sewing, with
lamentations because the machine
has done away the beautiful one
thread and two thread stitching of
old time.
This is all pleasant reading, it
sounds delightfully."-, and of course
the moral is, 60 and do likewise.
But, suppose the average woman
with three or four children, and one
incompetent servant or perhaps none
at all, tries to follow out all these
suggestions where is time for rest
and exercise, or else, where are the
children? Every year our housekeep-
ing grows n ore dainty and compli-
Gated. Every year it is more difficult
to get good servants, and American
mothers grow more nervous. Hus-
bands tell about the wonderful
amount of work which their mothers
and grandmothers accomplished, but
they forget that in those days one
knife, fork and plate served each
person for the entire meal, and the
sunny kitchens were sitting and din
ing-rooms as well. Think OF the
difference between their weekly
sweepings and ours, with houses full
of bric-a-brac generally.
My good woman, busy mothers,
count this dainty housekeeping, with
sits clean sheets twice a week and
its fresh napkins every day." its
pleasant leisurely breakfasts, its
dinners with soup, roast and delicate
dessert, as luxeries, just as you do
the sealskin sacques and lovely par
lor furniture of your richer neighbors
and possess your soul in contentment.
Do not torment yourselves with
thoughts of inefficiency and bad man
agement if you cannot take care of
teething baby all night and be ready
next day, with one needless, ignorant
maid-servant, to carry out all these
suggestions.
But where are the directions sfor
care of the children in all such arti-
Giles? Where would come the time
for thoughtfulness which notices
that four-year-old Mary has got up
ready to cry at every word, and
lightly eases her burdens for that
day; that meditates between needless
Tommy and careful Jennie in the
matter of school-bags and rubbers,
which Jennie had got ready for
school and which Tommy has scat
tered in his wild search for his own
missing geography; which pauses in
the breathless hurry of Monday
morning to hear nervous Nellie's
spelling lesson that she may not wear
out her anxious little soul before
recitation with fears lest she shall
"miss?" There is danger that there
shall not be room enough in our liv-
ing for the children and their inevet-
able care and hindering. No, mothers
give yourselves and your children q
fair chance. Take dainty care OF
them, souls as we'll as bodies, then
do not feel las if you should sink
into the ground" if your neighbol
finds that you do not dust YOU
whole house over every day. Never
work so hard that you cannot fine
the strength of their mental and NOR
al requirements; never be so cage
after the unattainable perfection il
housekeeping that their precious
things and their most precious selves
are tucked away into back-rooms
out of the light and warmth of tn
daily family living.
Not long ago l was passing som
days with an old school-friend. On
small kitchen-girl and her own hand
did the homework for a family O
four children, one of them a restles
baby of two. 1t had been a har
day for her. Up at half past six t
"see about the breakfast" whic
! meant to dress and feed the hungr
baby, to build a fire in the dining
, room, for it was chilly fall morn
ing, besides making johnny-cake an
coffee, and practically cooking th
9 rest of the breakfast. Then cam
o the whirlwind of getting the olde
children off to school. A lunch pl
e up for one who had only one session
, the mending of rent in No. 2
dress, caught on a door-knob as ST
hurried through; the sending of o
!, ders by No. 3, who passed by tt
!, market, while all the time IL
half-sick baby fretted and cried f,
;, something which nobody but MANN
II could do. After that the busy morl
y ing, two or three rooms swept ar
, dnsted, gingerbread made, lit
~ fruit ''put up" baby washed and fe
y and put to bed for his morning ma
,. There was not one moments cess
- ton till the hungry children can
10 home for their dinner. The carele
servant had forgotten the fire ar
the baked potatoes were not qui
u done-a delay which made the wri
Il ing of excuses necessary for fe
of possible hardness then the di
. ner for the baby, and lastly dim
> for the oldest. In the afternoon t.
mother tried to lessen the great pi
i