The Washington times., 1894-04-08

To one who enjoys studying life the daily
trips through tho city in the cars is one of the
best places to lnG il.
Every car has as much human nature in 1t
as it has passengers, all unconsciously telling
tales on themselves.
The plain citizen, the sensualist, the drink
ing man, the preachers, Congressman, and all
varieties OF colors and shades of character Of
mankind, ride in the city cars, as do also the
coarse woman, the fine woman, the good
woman, the other woman who looks doubt
full, and the sweet young girls who look
modest, and the other kind who ogle the
types ride side by side in this democratic We
hicle. Each, no doubt, thinks him or herself
unknown, because not personally acquainted.
If it becomes monotonous, too common
place, uninteresting, or disgusting, all one
has to do is to look out the window and into
other windows OF the homes you are passing
to get glimpse of something pieasanter. -,
Those pretty bay-windowed houses, with
terraces In front, the homes of those who are
neither rich nor poor-homes where the
little children press their eager faces against
the window-panes and long to be out OF
doors and at play.
Behind them one catches glimpses OF the
mother. as she moves about the room or sits
beside the window and sews on little gar
ments.
In these homes the mother never has more
than one hired help and In others she does
not have any at all. 1t is, perhaps, her place
to cook the early breakfast for father before
md fhAp to dvacc fhn
little ones and give them their breakfast and
to get the older ones of to school by S.45
o'clock
Then comes the daily housework. the
washing of Dishes making of beds, and clear
ing up of Uttered rooms. All must be so man
aged as to have time left for three or four
hours mending contriving, and making up
new garments or making over old ones, which
are to do duty series of times for little tots
always outgrowing them.
In the afternoon there is dinner to get
Possibly a trip or two has to be made to the
corner groceries or the market for supplies
during the day and the dinner prepared by
the time "father' returns home after his
eight or ten hours toll as hungry as bear.
There have been tiffs between the children to
straighten out and cut fingers to bind up
during the hours between breakfast and
dinner.
mans day for nine out OF every ten! And
there are two other days beside these every
week which bring additional cares-wash-
day and ironing day, to say nothing OF Sat
urday, which is always laborious. because the
housework OF two days must be put into one.
Friday, sweeping day, is another OF these
little heavier housewives day than the usual
routine which I've Whitfield down to twoi
days, full of duties and cares, but also full of
promise when duty is cheerfully borne, and
the family comfort generally is promoted by
the sweet sorrow of the daily sacrifice OF
womans life.
Do you wonder she sometimes grows tired?
A man of business at his desk, with his bills
to collect and notes to pay; the man at his
case setting type; the man in the editors
chair, ready to tear his hair out over bad copy;
the man at the wheel. and the man with plane
or trowel-would any or each OF these will
ingly swap their day or occupations with
the patient tired. little woman at home and
assume her multitude of petty cares even for
n day? No nam, Not man of these would
volunteer to do it,
Then there are the veritable, tiresome mea-
sles, the whooping cough and the mumps,
which come around to one or more of the lit
tie flock every Fall or Spring, accordingly as
they set out to run through the town.
These sort of things-children's diseases
usually only make fathers tired" when they
have to pay the druggists or doctors bills.
It only takes minutes serious thought to
make one realize that there are a great many
things going on in home life-the daily aver
age, inevitable, can't-get-away-from grind
to make mothers tired.
The fact is not half appreciated either by
the great big men, weighing anywhere from
150 to 200 pounds, who live with them and call
them wives.
How few of them who realize that into
womans physical form is nodded the finest.
tenderest. most sensitive of flesh. which can't
stand everything; that woman's more SEN
sitive, emotional nature, which he defines as
"wcmanliness," is ever craving word of ap-
probation, the caress which puts heart into
her.
The other evening tired mother who is
dear to me ran away from home to rest an
hour or two with me.
l always feel fiattered when she comes in,
and try to entertain her with something I've
seen or heard entirely out of her usual routine
of life, and am well repaid.
She does enjoy hearing about where / have
been. whom l have seen lately. people OF
whom she has only read about in the papers,
of the lectures. concerts, or anything that lies
outside of her life.
1T does me good" she says, and directly,
"Oh. must go! John will be getting tired of
minding the baby and playing horse with the
boys, as he was when l came away
.'Sit still, - say. LET John once in a
while wear his knees out playing horse. 1t
will not hurt him. He ought to get acquainted
with his own children and learn how easy it
isn't to govern them and keep them"
And then she sits back in my big splint
rocking chair and rests her head on the
cushion, while the tired look fades ont of as
pretty motherly face as one need wish to
see. The refreshing chat about other things
goes on until nearly an hour has passed, when
We hear step on the walk and bounce on
the front porch, and We know that John has
arrived
The little mother rushes to the door. for
she is all alarm. fearing that some one of
the six have come to grief in some way
through her absence.
All John says as we open the door is
"Mother, the baby wants youl''
1 laugh at him and say to her, 81 presume
SO, dear, but not half so much as John doesr"
Yousee he has exhausted his strength at house