The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-11-05
Ladies Department.
Grandmother on Fashions Follies.

home again. There is no place in
the wide world. that seems half as
comfortable as my home; to be sure
there are lots OF pleasant homes
furnished nicer than mine; but
they are not as pleasant to me. My
dear old chair! would not change
you for all the crimson brocaded
furniture in Mrs. Elgin's parlor! No
indeed! l do not wonder that she has
q weak hack, or that the children
are crooked, round shouldered, and
feeble. l am sorry for the poor crea
lures, especially Bell. She has got
q spinal trouble, the Doctor says. I
should have two spinal troubles If l
sat in such chairs as they use; hol
low.backed, rolling seats, and stuff.
ed. Even the baby has stuffed
chair with crooked back. l told
the folks that God made folks
straight, that it was terrible thing
for child to get his backbone twist
ed; and that | would not let baby
sit in one of their hollow. backed fix
ings. | did not care if they look
handsome and scrumptious; it is
wicked to put young one in them
and that straight back basket.bot.
toned chair for child was ten
thousand times better. a1d more
comfortable than those fiddle-de-dees
they use. Mr.. Elgin said he was
not sure but l was right about it.
but his wife wiggled around and said
Grandmother has such funny ideas!
How an old fashioned chair like the
one 1 had when little girl, would
look nowadays
"Well, Bessie Elgin, 1 think it
would look heap better than those
weak tottering children do.' l
spoke right out and gave them a
piece of my mind. The idea
of killing children for fash.
ion sake! And then just
to think how uncomfortable a child
is who has the backache all the time.
"Here," said I, sis Harry, who ought
to run out of doors, and jump and
hollow, and have a good time, and
come in to his dinner as hungry as
bear, with cheeks as red as a peony.
Poor fellow! he looks like a potato
sprout that grows in the cellar, he is
so pale and spindling; he never
laughs nor speaks so you can hear
him half way across the room, and
you keep him at his books, in stuff
ed easy chair, bent up like q hoop,
you wonder what makes him so
round shouldered. Goodness! Bes-
sic Elgin, you did it yourself. and he
will be regular grown haunch-b back
by the time he is eighteen. if you
keep on managing him as you do
now! He is bright boy enough.
but you make his brain grow faster
than his body. Remember what
tell you: if he is sickly deformed
man you have yourself to thank for
it. And there is poor Bell; she was
q bright, healthy child, could laugh
and sing, and was as merry as the
day was long, the Summer she came
up to stay with me on the farm. Now
look at her she is as white as a snow.
ball, her back is weak so she can
hardly walk across the parlor and
her ankles are all twisted out of
shape wearing your French heels,
and she is an object of pity. tell
you, there is no use trying to improve
on Natures works. If God had
meant to have girls have peeks on
their heals He would have made
them there and not left their feet
unfinished, 1t is just misery and sin
to put those hi gh.heeled boots on
child; can see no sense in it. They
walk inst like goose; 90 waddliny
along, expecting every minufe to tip
over. Why, old as l am, l can 90
across the house as spry again as
one of the children, because nv feet
are just as God made them. | am
sorry for Elgin's people; they have
got three sickly, whining children,
and they have only themselves to
thank for it. tits pity, but if one
will sacrifice their children on the
altar of fashion they must bear the
consequences. Yes, Mr.. Elgin is
rich; but girls let me tell you that
riches. or fine furniture, or splendid
dresses Il" not make people happy.
No indeed! | have seen more sor-