Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-07-21
SOWING TARES.
Keep Your Mind Filled With Good and
Helpful Thoughts, Dear Girls.

Keep Your Mind Filled With Good and
Helpful Thoughts. Dear Girls.
Nature abhOrs a vacuum" is so trite
saying that we sometimes miss its
meaning. Now every wide-awake girls
head is sure to be filled with thoughts
and plans of some kind. Did you ever
look over company of girls in the
schOOl-rOOm and wonder of what they
all We're thinking? And do you sup
pose that if magical slide could in
some way be thrown back and disclose
the subjects that are occupying each
girls mind. that either thinker or in
vestigator would be surprised at the
revelation?
A few weeks ago it was said of pref
ty young Lena Sothern that she had
run away and married Jack Halford,
the handsome, dissipated son of the
richest man in town. Everyone said:
why pity! Lena has only her pref
ty face. Jack is idle and thriftless, and
with all his money can not make good
husband"
Lena knew all about Jacks habits.
What led her to make such terrible
mistake and bring upon herself almost
certain unhappiness?
Now, as rule, girls mistakes come
from one of two causes-either she has
disregarded her good mothers advice
and selfishly followed her own inclina
ton, or else she has had no good mother
to guide her and so has stumbled into
misfortune. In this case, though
Lena had plenty of good advice and
plenty of inducements to do right
from teachers and friends outside,
yet her mother was one of those
sweet, amiable women who believe in
giving children happy time by allow
ing them to do exactly as they please.
II will not force Lena to work out of
school hours, and she need not study if
it makes her head ache" said the
mother.
s'My mother doesn't ask me to make
beds or dust the rooms. She says that
l will have care enough when / get
older" boosted the daughter to girl
friend who could not accept her invita-
ton for a promenade because of house.
hold tasks, on Saturday morning.
And the friend went home in dis
contented frame of mind because she
must be shut up in the house this bright
May day and perform tasks which she
hated, while Lena Sothern was out en-
joying herself in the bright sunshine.
Now, Lena's mind was naturally
quick and her disposition active. She
had keen eye for the beautiful and
deft fingers. She had also a voice of
ness for reading. But no one insisted
that she should improve her oppor-
tunities by taking pains with her music
IN school, by reading good books. or
cu1tivating the sweet graces Of charity,
and because no one insisted, and be-
cause with most Of US the tendency is
to adopt the easiest and most CONVEX
lent occupation for our leisure hours
rather than the most improving, Lena
began to spend her time in making
pretty dresses and hats, and grew
fondcr of being called the most stylish
girl in town. Novels of no literary
merit utterly frivolous and useless in
tone, in which the heroine was always
young and beautiful and had impossi-
BILE adventures. became her delight CT
course school duties grew distastefml
and almost ignored
And 50 it happened that just because
the dear girls mind had not been filled
up with healthful thoughts. and kept
from dangerous idfeness. and because
she had never tried to cultivate an ac-
conplishment or anything beside her
own foolish fancies. and because, net
being restrained at home. she dis
rega rtled the counsels of her guardians
outside the home circle, poor Lena
Sothern lost. with Fer change of name,
the prospect of happiness for many
wear. if not for life.
1t is not hardship for a girl to- be
called upon to assist regularly in horne
II household duties 50 necessary to the
comfort of the family. and espe-
c1allv. valuable because they beget
habit of performing regular,
useful service for others. Honest hv-
ing makes honest thinking. A field THAT
is not sown with grain of some other
useful product. has very aggravasing
way OF giving place to a luxuriant crop
of weeds, useless and unsightly. And
a heart acts in precisely the same way.
Sow IN it plenty of good seeds, and
keep the ground in good con dition. and
it's possibilities are almost innunserable.
But neglect it, let the tares or che stray
seeds of useless or frivolous thoughts
get Judgement, and your harvest may
bring a lifelong regret.-Helen Mar
Sba.lI Smith in Examiner