Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-19
MAKING HOME PLEASANT.
BILL NYE TELLS HOW TO KEEP
YOUR WIVES AT HOME.

SWEET HOME, Grand Island, NeO.
asks: What shall l do 20 amust
and instruct my family of wife and
four children of evenings:
Answer: The younger children
no doubt, would be pleased with
some durable toy. A twO-inch
anger Is a good plaything for a
small boy. With this he can bore
a hole into the bath tub or piano,
while you are engaged in entertain
ing the balance of your family
Still you must be your own judge
lie may do better with a large drab
hornets nest. This instrument is
soft and pliable, and will not mar
your features in case the boy should
swat you with it. In this respect
it has the advantage over the
broad-axe as an indoor amusement.
The little girls might amusethem-
selves by putting corn, crab apples
or other small fruit up their noses,
though they may have outgrown
this. A good plan by which to
amuse children is to apply paper
overshoes to the feet of the family
cat. This affords great amusements
to the family and does not injure
the cat. The cat, under these cir
cumstances, will step high like a
blind horse, and when you laugh
with great glee she will look atyou
in a reproachful way and move
around in the corner like a late
husband in his sock feet. 1t is very
entertaining, and yet it is not very
wrong.
How to entertain your wife, how
ever, is quite another question, and
vet it is a vital question. Ibelieve
that we do not devote time enough
or thought enough to this question.
Many wife has gone down into
a narrow disagreeable drunkard's
grave because her husband did not
keep her at home evenings by max
ing it pleasant for her.
A wife goes down town, where
she meets gay companions in gorg-
cons club rooms, and under the gas
light she then forgets her home (:
but let the husband throw around
her joyous home Influences instead
ofreproaching her when she comes
home late let him make the house
cheerful let him prepare pleasant
little surprises tor her, instead of
trying to trip her up as she comes
through the hall with her hat on
wrong side before. Let him bring
her slippers, and her wrapper, and
a mouthful Of hairpins, when she
gets home weary and worn, instead
of wailing over her hard lot.
Husbands may domuch for their
wives to make life pleasant. 1t is
a vital question with many Of us {:
How can we keep our wives at
home? Shall we play poker with
them and keep their fayorite drinks
at the house, so that they will not
yearn to go down town in the even
ings, or shall we weep over them
with low, smOthered sObs?
sometimes think that it is not
downright depravity on the part
of a wife, so much as it is thought
lessness, that leads her to forget
her husband, and leave him alone
through the long evenings. So let
me say to you, Sweet Home, that
whatever you do, you should make
your home so attractive evenings
that your wife will not feel that it
is bore to remain at your side.
Sing to her If you can, read to
her, bring her the evening paper,
smooth her soft hair gently as you
did when she used to come to see
you. Do not rudely tell her that
you will smooth her hair If she
will take it of and handit TO you.
Be gentlemanly, unselfsh and
thoughtful. We must make our
homes attractive if we would hope
to keep our wives near US.
] once knew a husband who was
cross and fretful when his wife
came home from down town, and
gave her a "picked up dinner" and
in one short week she was sleeping
in the graveyard.
She slept there till supper time,
when she arose and went home
Bill Nye in Cincinnati Graphic.
LAYING IN WINTER.--How to
-,oIyn honc Tor, In xpfnfor 10 q uuoo