New-York tribune., 1891-03-08
HOME AND SOCIETY.
THINGS PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.

Lent and the family spring sewing synonymous
terms in most households. especially in the we'll
ordered Ones where every one ready for the summer
when the summer comes down to the smallest detail
OF finish. In one excellent and conscientious family
it is made part of tile Lenten discipline to ac-
oomplish cheerfuy and well the rather dsagIceable
work The mother accepts the spring dressmaker
as a yearly penance the girls match trimmings ana
materials and rip and baste with rare patience; even
the little ones stand the trying on" Lenten duty
II is by no means bad idea either for charity begins
at home, and, Just as we can sweep room and make
the action fine" so the season OF spring OuthtuhS
NAV be made by kindly patience and thoushtfulness
season OF mutual forbearance. goodwill and pleasant
Intercourse that be good both mothers and
daughters. Especially might the load be llchtened
for the poor tired little dressmaker whose woared
round among her customers might be cheered not
little by consideration and human companlonshlp
A small girl after she was comfortably tucked IN
bed on the 28th and last night of February. said
gleefully to her mother the cold north wind raeo
the nursery windows and the sect and snow dashed
AGAINST the panes, Tomorrow will be spring, ana
will nick You a whole basketful Of vOles. have nv
basket and rOwel and rake all ready. and tomorrow
shall make my garden and pick volets.' IhiS sio
said with absolute conviction and it took the PLYING
mother some time TO convince the little malu
that although March spring. il meant any'nhs
saw to her cost when she woke up in the morning ana
found foot of snow covering all the world with Is
cold white marble. Verify VIC live by falth ouiiHS
these first few weeks of spring, which elusive season
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence oi
that which is not SEEN"
Now is the above all Others for motler' '"T
fully to watch their fock-especially the older chr
dren, who have had winter of study ana hecess"''
curtaled exercise the boys and girls WHO nave oo0i
taken from the glad free summer life Of the anu
mountain and have had their brains worked Wle 'heIr
bodies have remained comparatively inactive '' '"o"e"
the winter. Spring examinations too are peloc many
Young student, Just at the time when tley leel ue
greatest lasSitude and dissemination Tor Wofk' io"
/ wish 1 could take them all out OF schooi lot ~"
weeks said an anxious mother the Othcr uaN' ho'ls
the pale and lessening appettes OF her cmure
"We all had to go through it," said the more phlosoP"o
parent Il expect they stand it-tey VIII nave 10
be educated like every else" And that Is Just the
hard part of il in this world Tho battle is to the
strongestnohing stops week of absence from schooi
or college means harder work later on therefore,
unless the need is urgent, cannot take our chdeh
out of the treadmi of daily work. but 1t beho0veS US
TO be all the careful TO watch their diet 10 see
that they have sleep enough and exercise enough anu
if necessary TO give them tonic adapted TO Their
con Institutions and needs.
In old days and even now probably in old-fashioned
families, the inevitable pitcher of bitters appeared
every spring the sidebOard to be partaken OF gen
orally by the whole family. Homemade and brewca
fresh every day, il TO be taken cold with Ht'e
sugar to sweeten it if the ingredients were
different according to the iavorite recipe OF the hoSe
mother but all excellent and, the old ladies useo 10
say, Good for spring sinkin; and cleaIln OF tle
blood
"Whatsoever thy hand fndeth to do that 40 VIII"
thy might"-that is. the duty that is nearest Even
the little matters that almost unnecessary 'le
Book In its abundant wisdom teaches us are iar from
icing unimportant. No grand effort is essehtial 10
find duties within easy reach They are with us IN our
bedrooms when we wake; they present opportunities
manifold for Lenten sacrifices during the day and they
remain with us until sleep at night. sometimes
in our darker hours the treadm OF constant obli-
cations becomes unutteraby rksome, and when we look
at the "oughts" in the aggregate they seem more
than we stand. y little girl was found one
day crying quietly by herself. Whatever is the
matter. Madge?" said her mother quite concerned
"Oh, mamma said the child, Il am so weary OF
brushing my teeth; and when l thought OF H. ana
how would have to do 1t every night and morning,
no matter how tired and sleepy am, and how may
live until l am eighty years Old-and / shall have
brushed my teeth 5,11O times for am only ten now
it seems perfectly awful" And then came another
fresh burst OF tears. The mothers first impulse was
for laughter; but when she it real trouble
TO the child, she thought to herself, after ALL my
ten-year.old Madge is no more unreasonable than
am. | was thinking only this morning at the break
fast table how tresOme it to commence the same
old round Of housekeeping and getting the children
off school, and, that the season has come round
again. the preparation OF their spring wardrODes; and
then Henry too. grOaned when lie buttoned up his
macintosh and took his umbrella Nothing but ram
and sush and mud and business he said, how tired
am IF 1t all' Really we are no wiser than Madge
fnd and even ser, for, the old plantation song
saws we are big enough, and old enough, and ought
t. know better But the dear childs funny misery
is as good as a sermon; will commence this very
instant and cheer up, and let tomorrow's worries
wait for tomorrow"
duchesse table is a very pretty piece of furniture
that can be readily made at home. Remember, II
should be low that the can dress her alr
if she desires sitting before it. 1t should also be
ample. such table is very pretty shaped in kid
ney7 form, curving in at the centre. Any ingenious
woman can draw paper pattern OF correct size ana
shape for the top. shC,t inspection of one of the
little kidney" tables shown in all the furniture stores
nowadays will give correct idea of the shape. II
YOU wish the table can be square. Whatever shape
YOU decide upon cut out exact paper pattern of II
and order a carpenter TO cut two inchtmck plahks OF
pine of the size Let him mount these together on
strong legs at the four corners; plank should
form the top and the other the bottom Of the table
The frame being made, any clever cover II
with white pale yellow silesia. The side
draperes of the table should be put quite full and
tackled around the edge Of the top and the bottom.
The top should covered with three four thick
nesses of patent cotton batting held down smoothly
rndes layer of silesia before the sides put on.
The dressing table may be covered with sPigged
Swiss muslin sheer India null, or any transparent
material the maker fances, and decorated with floating
bows of ribbon the color Of the silesa used An oval
or square mirror of good sze with the frame covered
, match the toilet table, then hung over and