Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-04-20
Comfort Of the Woman to Small Things.

Thousands OF women drag their wea-
~ way thr ugh the appointed house,
, hold toll and feel that Ike ~ not what
they meant to make it. They say with
nonotonous intonation that is most de-
pressing. 81 get up early in the morn
ng and bake and scrub and wash and
ron, and get three meals q day, aud
mend old clothes and take care of tho
chlldren-and what does il all amount
to?"
II amounts to great deal. There is
hope, and Joy. and comfort in the world
Tor the woman of small things. IL is
true that woman of discontinued spir-
il can GO I rough her daily work OF
sewing. cooking. and Washing. in a mon
ltonous, uninterested manner whioh re-
luces hou ,eho.d work to the plane Of
an everlasting and slavi,h drugery.
But it is unnecessary. 1t is safe 30 con-
tend that there is genuine pleasure to
he derived from any work that has
been we'll done. There are some wo-
men who seem naturally to dislike
housework, but are II vertheless obliged
10 do it or let their families suffer from
an untidy house; now, If thew do this
work conscientiously and with some
low ng thought of what it is for, there
. no drugery about Il. A woman may
nate to do cooking. but how can she
ne p deriving a deep sat isfaction and
ven pleasure from the row of shapely,
light. and perfected loaves which she
has baked, and which she considers
will be digest BILE and in every way
zeal by for her family? She may hate
70 wash and lion, but there is some.
hing del ghtful to her in the piles OF
clean aud neatly ironed clothing. when
she stops TO think how this work OF her
hands will minister to the health and
comfort Of her dear ones She may
hate to make beds, sweep and dut
rooms, and scrub floors; but tidy
house can not he anything but n jov TO
ner heart when she realizes how much
he purity Of the moral character is in
luenced by the neatncss and order Of
the house one dwells in Thus all the
o-called drugery OF the household ia
lar from being ignoble when looked at
fright.
And as for taking care of the chill
ren. which is so important part in
every mothers daily life, what nobler
work is there than that? 1t is no drug
cry 10 wash the little faces and mend
the little frocks, and tran the little
eet to walk N noble paths.
Homework, when viewed Alright, is
he noblest kind of work. The most
;amous and exalted women OF the world
lave not felt that they sto ped in do.
ng it. OF course, women doing their
Dwn work. especially If they are moth
/ 80. 4 l. mi.
tude OF tasks they have 10 do. and
iuyht to hav as much help they can
lllord; but there is n class who are
IMPLY able o 10 whole or n part OF
their own work. but who look upon il
4. drugerv. and feel that if they have
20 do il lie is for them failure. De
,pise not the days of lit e things.
Doubtless many o. you have heard this
smile, and 1t j. beautifully appropriate
o the woman who feels that her oh
! ure work is OF no i'm o:tance in the
world the world is one vast and nobl,
office in which every liz NJ being has
part. the strongest aud most neces
So parts are niudrE out OF sight ID
-aa ", II, aud foundations. he office NJ
sGcn II dlueTeut, out essential; remove
f, sing c brick from the wall AMI the
Mole structure Is impaired and lad
liable to danger. we are each a brick
in the wall whether We he placed so a
% be seen or unseen; II We do not faith
fully perform our whole duty in on
ZONE and in society, so lar IA ON
means extend in so lar do We ondange
he whole social fabric.
1t is not work, put thoughtless. aim
less, indifferent work that kill the spin
md reduce one TO slaviNh dIuger
rod pity the woman VIII can Sc u
meaning n her work. There IS som
nea -urc OF ihou rht and leauiy in ever
hing. Let lis open oar ewes 70 see u
ID raj Q Ii however luWb ab'v
he p rt.eSS routine OF mono ouou
u.ery.-. .Nh1Fcdpoi 4 Yri,HH'.
The broad ana sometimes very un
slightly looking window stills OF the base
ment windows can he greatly improved
ny being covered with the dark, double
aced canton-hannel Tack it on with
very small tacks. First cut the flannel
10 iit the window sill, and tack the side
next TO the window on the under de
Of the flannel, and then turn It over so
as 10 entirely conceal the tack& IL
must DO put on very smoothly, and IL
will give comfortable aspect to Tn
otherwise barren-looking room.
To CLEAN PApERED WALLs.-Cut
the crust off of stale bread very thick,
and rub the walls care ully from top to
bottom, in a straight line, using a fresh
piece OF bread as soon "a it looks much