The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1894-11-03
FOR THE FAIR SEX.
INTERESTING CHAT FOR THE
WOMEN.
Some Sound Sense About the Moth
er's Duty-Her Velvet CIOak-Out of
Remnnnts--Tbe Laws of Ireland
Household Hints.

To keep ones mind on the weary round
of household tasks all day long is ruin
Gus to the temper and more wearing to
the health than any amount of bodily
labor. The Chautauqua course of read
ing comes to your very door and asks
you to walk in its ways, and most in
viting paths they are in which to trecd,
bringing a boundless store of informa-
ton and leading you to look up into
the blue heavens and down into the
depths of the sea and out into Gods
world about you. When once one be-
comes interested in this or any similar
course of reading. the question, rs
life worth living?" answers itself.
To those who object that all this
takes time 1 would reply, so does ev-
erything that is worth doing at all.
Yet when we really desire to accom-
plish anything, can we not always make
or take the time to do it? A housewife
and mother can, If h will, do all her
own work. be dressmaker and seam
stress, and send the boys to school.
and sew on the fathers buttons and
vet not suffer her mind to rust; can
keep up her music, attend lectures, be-
long to amagazine club and feel herself
up with the times and as useful as
anybody; maybe she can even join a
grange and be a valuable working
member. OF course to do all this some
things must be given up; but to gain
such a reward is worth the sacrifice
of even several pies II week, or some
other as great deprivation; nor will
the farmers family be the worse for
it. 1t is not impossible to write or
read while dinner is cooking and may
be the essay will gain spice from the
very surroundings. Singing and wash
ing of dishes go well together and the
former will neutraliZe the discourage
ment produced by the sight of a large
number of the latter a waiting to be at
tended to A woman's ingenuity will
compass almost anything she may un-
dertake. I have in mind a sitting room
in II orr of which stands the Sew-
ing machine. in another the organ and
in a third an old secretary, at which
the mistress Of the house has passed
many happy moments when not max
ing music on either of the other two
instruments. both of which show signs
of daily use. To combine homework
with self-culture does not take much
time, nor much money, nor a teacher.
1t only requires a love of knowledge
and a determination to acquire it. All
the rest will come of itself.
And now, if the question arise, what
effect will all this have upon the boys?
hear the answer. tried and tested by
actual experience. The home is the
child's first school. and upon the at
m%osphere which surrounds him from
infancy depends his future usefulness.
This Is true no less of his mental than
CT his moral character. In the homes
of many farmers there is absolutely no
reading matter, such. and during the
few hours spent in the schoolroom, it
is impossible for the teacher to coun-
teract that dampening, depressing, mar.
rowing influence which throws Il wet
blanket on the mind and keeps the boy
stupid in spite of himself. But let him
feel that all at home are interested in
his progress, the father knows where
he is in arithmetic and is ready to helI
him with a hard example, and mother
is Just ahead of him in history and car
tell him the date which he has forgot
tSh' tIo bVh dllCo OuI VI al uOLtl III
will take to his books without urging
and absorb knowledge without KNOWN.
it. If ann writes at a desk in ont
corner, little Johnny will tease for ;
desk in the other. and will want pen
ellis and paper and all complete, and
before going to school at all, will hav'
acquired the rudiments of a good edu
cation, and also a taste for books
which will go with him through lf
and will keep him out of bad company
Will show him a profitable manner il
which to spend his evenings, and hel
him in a thousand ways.
So mothers, if you wish to throw
around your children a safeguard whic
shall introduce them into cultured sc
ciety, and protect them from evil, d
your best to make the home atmoS
phere favorable to their mental deye
opment, and such as shall encourag
habits of reading and study. And t
this end, make the most of yourselve,
Read, read. read anything rather tina
nothing; but best of all, adopt som
systematic course, whatever commend
itself to your judgment, and, Deepen
upon 1t, not only the boys and girls, bl
father himself, will fall into line. an
verify you shall reap your own w
Alice NJ. Walker in The Outlook.