The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-04

be cooked, and cooking utensils had 20 be
washed. Sweeping, and ironing, and mend
ing, and making, and washing childTen's
faces. all fell to my lot. In short, was
Obliged TO do all the mental work of the
family except the weekly washing; that /
dared not attempt As time wore on grew
very particular and conscientious about the
performance of this work. Everything
was done on time and did not spare my
self in the least. Ny mother declared me
the victim of heredity, for my great grand
mother, born in New Hampshire, had been
noted for her executive and housekeeping
talents. | really became a model house
keeper, If that is a proper name for a
woman who spends all her time and more
than all her strength in the management of
her domestic affairs The reaction was a
strange one and seemed destined to last as
long as did.
"At last was able to have a servant. but
had become so wise in my own conceit that
no one, however competent, could please
me, and it was almost easier to 90 every
thing with my own hands than to fret be-
cause my work was not done TO suit me.
One day not very long ago my servant was
taken i'll and had TO 60 home for few days.
l had not been we'll for a week or more,
and my physician had warned me against
any extra exertion. But here was the iron
ing, the sweeping, the cooking, the dish
washing-the everything. At this particu-
mistress of the situation If it killed me, my
husband came across one of your letters
and began to read aloud to me. The article
had special reference to my case, being in
tended for the women who undertake to
perform killing tasks. Skip as much of
the work as possible that you do not feel
like doing my husband read. Buy some
food already cooked, and do not fret about
the dishea. Lie down in the midst of it and
read a novel
"This was indeed heterodox doctrine, but
the next morning | was so tired aud nervous
that 1 actually wept at the thought of the
things waiting to be done, and most impul-
sively decided to take your advice. 1t
was sweeping day. let the sweeping 60.
The meals consisted of canned stuff and
supplies from the bakers. | did not wash
one dish that day. ! read a novel and
lounged every available minute The next
day the work did not assume such colossal
proportions, and / skirmished a little
around the edges. The next day | was still
farther improved, and | swept and busted a
little. | told this story afterward to my
doctor, wise old gentleman, who declared
to me that this forced rest undoubtedly
saved me from a course OF fever, and
begged me to use my influence with my
friends in this matter of work and rest /
feel now that have got hold Of the very
best way of doing things, and that is not
to do them when am too i'll or too tired if
it can possibly be prevented. For this l
thank you from the bottom of grateful
heart"
The above l consider valuable testimony,
and it Is certainly most encouraging. l
once heard a very neat and very fussy
woman, one who in her desire to make peo-
pie comfortable could stir up more discOm-
| fort than any otte human being l ever
met make this remark about her own
daughter:
"She is not in the least afraid of work.
She can lie right down beside it aud go to
sleep"
This condition seemed so much more pref
cradle than that of the mother who never
had a moments peace nor allowed any one
else under her roof to have, that l feel like
! recommending all Of my friends who are
harassed and driven by work to teach
themselves to lie down and 60 to sleep be-
| side it. 1t is a sin against God and the hui
man constitution for women to so exhaust
themselves by physical labor day after day
| and month after month as to be unfit for
the enjoyment of home and friends and
| books.
do not need to be told that there are
| some instances when the drudgery of house
| work cannot be lesSened, but | verify be-
| lieve that these cases are more rare than is
| generally supposed. Housekeepers with
| large families and small means often get
| into ruts from which it seems impossible to
| climb out Of. In the effort to economize
| and to look as we'll as their neighborS they
| come to exaggerate the situation and to feel
| as if they were stealing whenever they are
| compelled to take moments rest. Ambi-
tious and conscientious women almost IN
variably work too hard, and it is not al
| ways because they arc obliged to. They
| simply get in the habit of 1t. One of the
most overworked women of my acduaint-
ance is the widow of a millionaire She
boasts that she never retires until midnight
| and always breakfasts by o'clock. She is
| president, vice president and lady patroness
| of several societies, besides being at the
| head of a social clique whose requirements
are many and varied.
why | don't have moments time for
my own family even" she told me one day.
Isn't it very exacting worldH she added,
pathetically.
"Yes, if we allow il to be, replied.
But you must get unhearably weary
sometimes" my companion speculated.
"My chief WEAKNESS comes from seeing
others weary" could not help saying. 4
learned a long time ago to stop before l
reached the un earable point, and if | had
your wealth | would convene large audi
ences of women all over the country and
teach them how to prolong their lives, and
improve their physical, mental, moral and
spiritual condition by the economy of la
Dor"
But what OF the lazy onesa Wouldn't
that be mischievous doctrine for them q
the skeptic inquired.
II am not acquainted with half dozen
lazy women" l told her. and this is the
literal truth, and two of these are the most
delightfully."- resttul creatures | ever knew.
When | want to get breath from the very
depths of my spiritual lungs l call upon
these friends. May their lazy shadows
never grow less. ELEANOR KIRK.