The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-20

Information, and She Was Wise.
From the st. Louis Republic.
They were talking over the teacups
"But then, said the little mother, II get SC
tired that haven't the heart. let alone the
head. to read"
"Do you know" said the doctor, brusquely,
turning upon the shrinking little woman,
and setting her teacup down on one side Of
| her saucer, women have no earthly or
heavenly business to get SO tired"
II know they haven't" she answered,
meekly, 'but then they do"
There was a look Of assent among the
other four. There were six Of them, all
mothers and housekeepers. The doctor was
young, acute, enthusiastic and a little
severe.
sit is a question Of time, even more than
| strength" said the eldest of the group ~
an sure we women oil want to read and
keep our wits shining, but the days come in
full Of promises and 60 out in postpone
| ment."
"But you have all the time there Is ~ be-
gan the doctor argumentatively.
mo, we DON'T" spoke up the black haired
woman; there is all the time there is, but
we don't have it. The children aud the
butcher and the casual caller get it. We
have no share in It at all,
LET me tell you" said soft voice with
a southern accent. "A good many years
ago / found myself slipping away behind in
tue word of books had always lived In. |
was a conscientious housekeeper and thought
l must let no little point escape mo, and so
the blessed leisure that made me free Of the
world of literature was FILTERED away.
One day l sat down and thought
it out l made q little review of
how passed my time. This was
about the way the days ran. / rose at
O'Clock, and we breakfasted at 8. That was
as far as my method carried me. After
That | did various things, got the children
off to school, busted and set the rooms right.
Often | did share OF the chamber work.
At any rate, there was always something.
If 1t wasn't active homework it was sewing.
And then there YVES fancy work. And then
there were calls and callers, and the enter
tainmentS that no woman ought to miss be-
cause they do brighten and heartsn her SO.
And these things filled each day to the brim
and made up the weeks and the months and
the years. And now was getting shabby
intellectually. 1t wonld not do. ~
SOMETHING BAD TO GO,
and didn't know what it could be. It
can't be the children, said, half In fun,
half in Mysteries, nor Tom, and SO long as
they're here they'll have to be clothed and
fed and washed; hence what pertains 10
them can't 60. AS for myself, / haven't
any time CONSUMING comforts inl life to give
up l haven't - e
"'Household 1inenr said something in
my ear, quite like a box ON that useful
member. / sat up stiff. Yards of accus-
ing embroidery danced before me. had a
perfect mania for bed linen and table linen =,
hemstitched and monogranmed and
stitched full Of ornameutation. IL was the
pride Of my soul and the torment OF my
nerves. for have kept myself in bad tenn
per half the time stitching away at the big
pieces and the little pieces. and the useful
pieces, and the useless ones.
"There were scores IT monograms and
hundreds of hours sewed into those things.
II thought about it awhile longer
really couldn't see that / had slept better
for my hemstitched sh-ets, or eaten better
for my embroidered napkins and doylies,
and certainly wasn't richer in purse, or
health, or brains.
"'ThAuk you. SIR l said at last as got
up, TO the something that bad whispered
that idea TO me. Pm not so old aud stupid
but can learn From that day to this I've
never set another stitch In fancy work. It's
pretty and it's tempting. and it's worth
having. But get solid hour q day
for reading and Pm rot ashamed to talk
with my betters aud my husband has mere
respect for my opinions and 80 have l. And
as between having embroidered linen or
having intelligent ideas, don't see any
choice"