Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-06
THE TWO VISITS.

1t was on cold night IN November
that drew up my comfortable chair
before q cheerful blaze in my simply
furnished, pleasant library, and with
my head resting on the pillow of the
chair fell to meditating. had just re-
turned home after paying two short
visits to dear old friends of my happy
school days, who for ten years had been
mistresses Of their own homes. was
trying, as sat there, to answer the
question why it was that had enjoyed
my visit so much more at Mrs Van
Dykes than l did at Mrs. Barstow's.
Both ladies were bright, cordial, enter
tanning, intelligent and exceedingly
hospitable, and had looked forward for
two years to the pleasure of visiting
them in their own homes.
They were living in inland cities about
200 miles apart. Both of these friends
had married lawyers, who were already
earning good incomes, and both families
had the entree to the best society.
The homes Of these friends were not
only comfortable but exceedingly taste
full and pleasant, and the children in
both homes were bright, handsome and
merry, with plastic minds ready to be
nodded by their parents.
Yet with all this similarity in the So
cial position Of both families, in the in
comes they received, in the homes they
had built. in the education of the
parents and in their church relations
the atmosphere of these two homes was
very different, and visit in the one was
great contrast to the other.
recalled many incidents of the two
visits, and they convinced me. and
more strongly than ever before. that
the mother makes the home. Her taste,
her methods. her ideas, her example,
her influence, her spirit $50 all i'm
pressed upon the household nd create
its atmosphere.
At Mrs. Van Dykes not only was all
the household machinery so we'll oiled
that its running was noiseless, but there
was no friction whatever in the family.
The household arose betimes, in the old
fashioned way, and all the children
were ready for breakfast when the meal
was announced, and they appeared ap-
propriately dressed, and each with hap
py face bidding their parents, each
other, and the guests a pleasant good
morning. Then after morning prayer,
in which the servants participated, each
Of the older children quietly disap-
peared from the sitting room to attend
to few practical duties before getting
ready for school, appearing ere long,
with books in hand, for goodby kiss
and to hear the last CHEEKY word from
mother as they started out.
With perfect composure, and with no
apparent trouble, q few friends were
asked to dine one evening, and most
delightful visit enjoyed. The flowers,
the glass, the silver, the table linen were
exquisite, and the dinner of only four
courses was we'll cooked, homelike and
well served, while the feast of reason,
the quick repartee, the witty stories, the
bits of political, social and literary talk
were not only pleasure to all the older
ones, but a source of education and cul-
ture to the children. Several such in
formal companies were entertained at
Mrs. Van Dykes while was there.
In every department the household
seemed to move along and
without apparent exertion or undue care
on the part of the mother. The home
was at all times in perfect order, and
yet without Stiffness or angularity visi-
BILE anywhere.
remembered going into one of the
children's rooms to look at gift of a
pretty picture, and as little Mary opened
a bureau drawer noticed how neat and
orderly it was as was also her closet,
where the shoes and rubbers even were
set back against the Dashboard with
regularity and precision. asked Mrs.
Van Dyke when we were alone if Mary,
who was nine years old, arranged her
closet and drawers herself, to which
question her mother replied:
Certainly. taught all my children
before they were two years old to be or
derly. Even at that age," she said,
"you know they are very initiative, and
they love to do little services for their
mothers. showed them just how to
put their clothes and shoes away in an
orderly manner, and how to lay things
in their drawers and keep them neatly.
Those early lessons they will never for
get. l believe" she added, "no matter
how many servants one can afford to
have it is well to teach children to be
self reliant, and to do everything
promptly and well. Such teaching
saves a vast amount of work and of Iun-
necessary friction through life. True it
is that some children seem to have nat
nrally more Of bump Of order than
others, but the orderly habit can be cul-
tivated. II the hanging loop of Mary's
coat should give way, so orderly has
she become she would not for moment
think Of hanging it upon the hook until
the loop waS mended.n
All this recalled as sat there, and
also what my friend said about her hus-
band when ! had remarked that / had
never seen o gentlemen who seemed to
make so little trouble about the house.
"Hs was a surprise to me in that re-
spect." said Mrs. Van Dyke. II told
him soon after we were married that
had been accustomed to see men leave
everything about for some one to pick
up, and asked him how it happened that
he was SO neat and orderly. He said
that when he was about thirteen years
old he noticed that his mother picked up
and put away what he had left careless
ly about, and when he had tossed ND his
bureau drawers his mother, without a
word. came and regulated them nrf1 l,o