Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-07-23
RECORD FARMER, FRIDAY 1886
THE HOUSEHOLD.



After dinner until half-past seven was the
addies hour, when Anaxmander read aloud
for him his daily portion of solid" reading
as the boy was in the habit Of calling it.
From November TO March this reading en-
braoed Huxley's Photography, Geikes Ele-
ments OF Physical Geography, Lubbocka
Ants, Bees and Wasps, aud the first volume
of Prescotts Conquest of Mexco-with all
of which the child was greatly entertained
these books being quite within the mental
range of bright child OF eight years Of age,
whose taste for reading has not been vitiated
by Sunday school literature which is all good
enough morally, but vicious intellectually.
A volume from which he read aloud to me
every afternoon was Partons Captains Of In.
dustry-reading It twice through capital
book for boys. While the evening reading
was going on, l sat by and did the "darning
and mending"- increased in volume AZ
the new clothes with which we had started
from home began to show serious marks of
wear. One morning found friend ripping
apart gown. II wonder how II happened"
she exclaimed, that women are forever turn
ing gowns upside down and backside before.
Who ever heard Of q man turning his trou-
sers ?" II have-at least have seen trousers
legs cut of and turned front side back-but
l suppose some woman did it," l replied.
THE great drawback to US creatures, 10 our
eoonomy-in small things. We waste our
time and our energies in patching aud darn
ing, and in trying to make one dollar go as
far as ten. l do, know, and have to spur
myself up to great moral height in order TO
be able to part with an old gown or an old
pair of gloves" l was delighted the other
day TO find that at last there was demand
for old tin cans. A Chnaman came to the
house, offering quite literally for all the empty
tin cans. They seem to have discovered that
new tops can be put on, and the cans reused,
which will depopulate the back yards and
dumping grounds. 1t forms also new source
Of pin money to women. Henceforth we will
not only turn our gowns and darn our stock
ings, but carefully hoard tin cans 1t is al
most equal to new avenue Of employment.
II think, continued this young lady, that
l am not a normal woman. 1t seems to me
every woman ought to like housekeeping 1;
house work and the careful management re.
CURED in a family. But / don't | like
study, and l begrudge every moment have
to give to such things. How is it with you p
II l am cogitating, or have a matter in my
mind which l am turning over for thorough
inspection, l enjoy doing homework and love
dearly to sew. Having my hands occupied
facilitates my mental activity. But when |
am through with my thinking, l begrudge
every moment am obliged to give to manual
labor, or to doing anything that did equally
well 20 years ago. II had to earn my living
! at manual labor, would prefer homework to
great many other things--to sewing, to
serving as a clerk, shop girl, or even school
teaching. There is nothing degrading in
housework-it furnishes variety, and it is an
occupation in which one can make advance.
ment The objections commonly urged
against doing Homework by American girls
are the sheerest nonsense. They simply al
| low one Of the most profitable aud agreeable
| occupations to be taken from them and alb
sorbed by the scum of foreign lands. A thor
oughly capable aud efficient American girl
who is nell trained, knows how to cook ex
cellently, how to manage her work and keeI
tidy, can command from five to six dollars
week, with room, board and washing in rich
families, providing she is entirely responsible,
and trustworthy. II is very difficult to obtaiI
such service, and servant of that character
never need fear that she will fail to be re
spected and valued by her employers. Blu
as for all women liking homework, becaus,
they are women, seems to me absurd W.
have the same ancestry as have men, and it il
but natural that we inherit the same ten
denotes. Mary Wager FISHER in Rural Ne1
| Yorker.