The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-04-28
HOW MOTHERS spoil" THEIR Chill
DREN.

iSSNA
and clothe both sons and daughters,
if she has to 60 hungry and shabby the
year through, and she usually tries to
save the daughters, particularly, from
hard work. Housework is wholesome,
healthy, and always tends more to self
respect than youthful ideness does. A
petted daughter loses more in personal
integrity by standing by uselessly when
the elders toll far more than any pre-
servation of soft hands or graceful
figure can ever make amends for. Yet
it is quite impossible to make either
mothers or fathers see that in Shaving to
break themselves down by double work
for idle children, they are doing them
far more harm than good. What can
be the mental condition of grown-up
daughters, who are described IN the
following letter: "* l have before
me now examples of excellent women,
who have supported and raised up
families of children by the labor OF
their own hands, and who, after hard
days work out, do the family washing
at night that their grown-up daughters
may be spared the ignominy of standing
at the wash tub" If such mothers
only knew that both the spirit and
bodies of such girls would be strength
ened by sharing in the active physical
toll that they, the elders, have more
than their share of, perhaps they might
no longer play the combined parts oi
the pelican and the elder-down duck,
tearing their own breasts and reserving
their food for the ungrateful and dis
respectful young ones. An ambitious
young daughter would forestall all this
maternal sacrifice, even against the
mothers wishes, made in mistaken
kindness, surely.
In families of moderate means, a
good old custom prevailed that made
some labor light. When white skirts
were soiled by unexpected mud of a
summer shower or winter deluge, the
young girl was taught that if they were
Immediately put into warm water, be-
fore the stains dried in them, the wash
ing out would be simpler and easier
1t was the same with other stained gar
ments, and with muddied stockings and
the like. No very soiled garments that
could be treated in this way were per-
mitted to go to the family clothes
basket, except as trough dried" Such
a trifing thing for girl to do, and ye,
one of the cliffs" towards decorum and
neatness that are seldom thought o.
now. There are a few well-to-dc
mothers who give in the summer cot.
tage by the sea or elsewhere, consld-
cradle portion of the housework tc
their young daughters to do, partly fol
convenience, but manly for the uses
that are in it for these young girls. II
is pity this is not oftener thought Of
and that school life should be sc
crowded and crammed that the abso.
lutely health-saving and beautiful occu'
pations of housework cannot be learned
all the year through. Domestic life
would be simpler, would be rid of some
of its problems and trials, if the girl:
nowadays were trained as many ar
heiress and belle of colonial Philadel
phia was trained, to attend to household
matters. To make the desserts, GU
the thin bread and butter, stem the
fruits, get up the starched muslins
were almost the privilege of the daugh'
tiers OF the house. They could carve
the joint, lard the turkey, bake bread
keep their own room in order anc
dance a deuX temps with the broom
There are some elegant danes in thi
city to-day who have perfect recollec
ton of the fun there was in clear
starching and the knowledge they hao
OF both washtubs and irons. As {
contrast to. this see the faltering adver
tisements from half-starved women who
are willing to do any work that is no
"menial." The sooner that all, daugh
tiers and sons, too, are taught that the
word menial does not mean demeanins
or degrading, but simply dependent or
the head of the house, the following
or the younger members, and that i
has come to mean the rough work don,
by dependents on the chieftain o
master of the house-there might bt
some change of ideas, even about hare
household work. In the first place
whatever makes home attractive
smooth-running, and whatever save
money for more important things, ough
to be the first regard of sons, ant
daughters, too. In the beautiful sea
side cottage of which mention wa
made the boys did their share, fetching
wood and carrying water, and an
heavy work that was to be done. The
were ideal young folks, with their sail
boats and rowboats and their dogs ant
pets, and the leaven of useful work pu
into each long summer day onl,
strengthened and steadied these refne'
and intelligent children. "Heavel
keep US from false notions" is tn
prayer for most Americans to put up
especially those who are in King Agur'
ategory-neither millionaires no
tramps. The middle class fortune, tn
not ample means, are facts for hundred
of thousands, where we have no othe
class distinction that applies. Ho,
very wise 1t Is, then, for the children t
be taught, without distinction also
every item of useful duty that make
the housework go smoothly on! ]