The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-04-28
THE HOME CORNER.

else but creep off to bed; whereupon
John complained that Mary was not
a companion to him, as she used to be.
And the Home Corner, learning these
facts, came to the conclusion that
work was not evenly divided between
John and Mary; and that while he
sheltered himself to the fullest posi-
BILE extent, he had, unconsciously per
haps, put the heaviest of the burden
upon the shoulders of delicate little
woman, and had lost sight of
his wife in his patient household
drudge. Some day, something in the
overworked machinery will give way,
and John will discover that he has
lost his wife.
*x*
1t has been said to the Home Corner
repeatedly, (perhaps as salve to
some possible remnant of wounded
vanity; "No person who has individ-
uality needs to worry about Dress"
The message is an eloquent one, and
ought to appeal to every human soul;
for cannot each soul say to itself, ~
am different from every other soul
in the universe; cast in the mould of
no other; thinking my own thoughts,
making my own plans!" And is not
that individuality? The truth is, if one
looks at it right the matter of dress is
small one, and ought to trouble no
one. If there is anything of force or
interest in you, they who are interest
ed will care little whether your
gown be of silk or sackcloth; and
for those who are not interested,
would you dress to please them? In
all the philosophy of Clothes" there
is nothing more wonderful than that
any soul with individuality and Gull
ture and refinement, should spend
anxious days and sleepless nights de-
vising how it should procure certain
vestments to clothe the outer husk
which serves to make it visible, and
in what fashion they should be made.
For is it not you the you of the inner
temple, gifted with the lofty thought
and skilled to put the thought into
graceful speech; is not that the you
that we love? What is it to us,
whether the body be clothed in the
fashion of this year or ten years ago;
since it was not by any means the
clothing that attracted us first; but
the clear, serene eyes, the soft voice,
the sympathetic hand-clasp, the low
ing smile, and all the other things
that proclaimed the earnest nature?
Which is why the Home Corner be-
lieves that too much time is wasted
over mere clothing, which is one OF
the most unimportant things with
which we have to deal, and that men
and women, gifted with common
sense, cannot afford to go about per-
petually thinking and planning an
answer to the question, "Wherewithal
shall we be clothed?"
x*x
1 found in paper the other day
this curious little article: "In cutting
a diamond sometimes a knot is dis
covered. These are little substances
as much harder than the diamond
itself as you can imagine. They arr
to the stone the same as knot in s
pine board. When diamond with
these characteristics is discovered il
has the same effect on the polishel
that the striking Of nail has upon &
carpenter when striking a board. II
takes months and months to polish
knotty stones, and L have known 8
years work to be put in on one O
them; of course, not of constant labor
but to be picked up at odd times wher
there was nothing else to do. The
polisher has also to guard against
chipping the stone, for it should bt
understood the diamond has a grair
the same as a piece of wood, and thu
least carelessness might result il
knocking off a third of its weight
While disasters of this kind are no
infrequent, they are seldom the result
of inexperience or laxity on the par
of the workmen. When a polishel
takes a stone one of the first things hi
does is to find out the direction of itl
grain, so as not to cut against it,"
Xxx
And after reading that, the thought
came to me, how the weakness, thu
frailities, the unpleasant pecularitieI
of great and noble natures were like
the knots in diamonds. What patien
labor it takes to polish them away
How hard they are to forgive! How
they spoil the value of the jewel in ou
hasty and unjust vision!
Nv J
But if we would be as patient will
man and womankind as with the gem
that 60 for their mere temporar,
adornment! We never think of throw
ing the diamond away because of tn
knot, but many human heart has
been cast down and trampled upon b,
a ruthless multitude, because of SOM
weakness which might have been out
lived and should have been forgiven
We will spend years in smoothing
down the knot of the diamond, but W
have no patience with the faults of
life which may be in most respects
true life, more noble and more worth,
of honor than our own.
X X
Are these knots in your diamonds
Begin your work of polishing-do no
throw the gems away.
JULIA TRUITT BISHOP.
MASSEY, THE RAPE FIEND.