Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-02

The buttons we're off her undercioths, the
embroidered fiounce of her skirt had
been torn on for over half a yard at the
Chinese laundry. This she pinned on
with half dozen pins, over these gar
ments was donned an elegant silk and
velvet costume, and dainty bit of hat
of the latest style, and nice jewelry, the
finest kid gloves, and with her face vel
powdered and eyebrows and eyelashes
touched up, she started out for the matt
nee, thinking. she was addressed, and
her make up Without flaw.
That same day in the street car,
woman past middle age came in and
took a seat opposite me. She had on
hat with some old tumbled and crumbled
artifcials on it, and dusty velvet. Her
cloth sack had one sleeve partly ripped
out, every other button gone, and [ think
never had enjoyed the acquaintance of
brush broom. Her dress was black
cashmere with a double box plated
fOunce around the bottom. It had been
ripped off across part of the front
breadth and to prevent it from falling
over her feet, she had tied the material
into big bump or knot. To finish up
the picture, she had only two or three
buttons left on her boot and dirty stock
ings.
OF the two specimens of shiftlessness,
thought that of the girl the worst, for
she covered up her short comings with a
fine outside apparel while the older one
was more honest, if not so fine looking.
for her untidiness was not hidden under a
cover. There are many people whose ex-
penditure is lavish, but their appearance
never would indicate it, for they are care
less and needless, and when a garment
needs only few stitches taken in time to
keep it good, they neglect it till it looks
shabby, and it is thrown aside to give to
some beggar or sell to the rag-man, and
these are the ones who are always COM
planning that ''they have nothing to
wear"
When one has but little money to ex-
pend in dress, or household goods, wise
and judicious expenditure of the money
in buying articles that will be durable,
and then taking the best of care of them
makes comparatively small amount of
money go long ways.
Dust, if allowed to remain in the car
pets, upholstered furniture, draperies and
cloth especially silk or wooden goods)
cuts the fabrics, and soon ruins the looks
of the goods. There is no better time in
life for girl or a boy to begin
to learn to take care of their clothing,
books, toys, and room, than before they
are twelve years old. It needs patient
and continued watchfulness on the part
of the mother, but it will Tighten her
cares and hours of labor, and give her
time for more congenial occupations, be-
sides training her children to habits Of
order. economy. and indUStrV
[ do believe boys should learn to brush,
clean and mend thier clothes, and keep
their room tidy as well as girls. I have
heard of a man tell how he happened to
know how to darn his stockings and
mend his clothes. When he was thirteen
years old he had a compound fracture of
the thigh and was confined to his bed for
weeks. His brothers and sisters went to
school and his mother could not on account
of household duties, spend very much
time with him; he wearied of reading and
the time passed slowly. One day his
mother sat down by him with big bas-
ket of stockings to mend. He watched
he weaving the yarn in and out, till he
concluden darning stockings Cf it was
girls work. was better than doing moth
ing, and asked his mother to let him try
Like wise woman she gave him the ma
terial and patiently instructed him how
to darn the holes neatly, and to run the
thin spots with yarn so they would last
longer. His fever for darning held out
until the very last pair were darned, his
mother praised him for his skill
The next thing he aspired to, was learn
ing to patch, as he noticed one of his
little brothers pants needing attention
and he proposed to his mother to do the
mending under her instructions. His
mother had noticed how much happier he
was when employed, so she humored his
whim, and before night he had done
quite fair job at mending, but was awk-
ward in the use of a thimble He got
more skillful by practice, and by the time
he recovered enough to go on crutches, he
could do as nice a job of darning or
mending boys clothes as his mother.
He came to California in the early days
and went to the mines. Companions
often envied him his skill in mending,
and he said, that it was one of the &C
complisements he felt proud of, and be-
l1eved that If every boy and girl were
taught before they were done going to
school to mend and take care of their
clothing properly, it would add much to
their own comfort, and very materially
lessen their personal expenses.
mother who allows her girls to throw
aside garments of any kind, and buy
new, as soon as a little out of repair, is
sadly neglecting their education, for
education is not confined to books or
lessons in painting and music.
Education covers a much wider field
than a good English education, and
what are called the accomplishments.
1t is of the first importance that they
should be versed in all kinds of house
work, and ends, and let nothing go to
waste that can be saved and made useful.
And they should be consulted and ad-
vised in spending their allowance of
money, making every dollar count.
Some parents never allow their child
rem while they live at home and are dress
ed out of the family funds, to exercise
their own taste and judgement in select
ing their clothing. When boys or girls
have arrived at the age of fifteen, they
should be consulted and instructed VIII at
is the most profitable to buy, and sug-
gestions made by kind judicious parents
will be listened to, but better make few
mistakes and learn wisdom thereby, than