The Bottineau pioneer., 1894-11-24

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 it's ways, and most in
viting paths they are in which to tread,
bringing 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, lis
life worth living?' answers itself.
To those who object that all this
takes time l would reply, so does ev-
erything that is worth doing Mt all.
Yet when we really desire to accom-
olish anything, can we not always make
OF take the time to do it? A housewife
and mother can, if she will, do all her
own work. be dressmaker and seam
stress, and send the boys to school,
and sew on the fathers buttons and
yet 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 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. It is not impossible to write or
read while dinner is cooking and may
be the essay will gain spice from the
ing of dishes 20 well together and the
former will neutralize the discourage
ment produced by the sight of large
number of the latter waiting to be at
tended to A wolnan's ingenuity will
compass almost anything she may un-
dertake. / have in mind sitting room
in one corner 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 housework
with self-culture does not take much
time, nor much money, nor teacher.
1t only requires love of knowledge
and 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
mOsphere which surrounds him from
infancy depends his future usefulness.
This is true no less of his mental than
of 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, 1t
is impossible for the teacher to coun-
teract that dampening. depressing, mar
rowing influence which throws a 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 help
him with hard example, and mother
Is just ahead of him in history and, can
tell him the date which he has forgot
ten, and ten times out of dozen he
will take to his books without urging
and absorb knowledge without knowing
1t. II mamma writes at desk in one
corner, little Johnny will tease for a
desk In the other, and will want pen
cils and paper and all complete, and,
before going to school at all, will have
acquired the rudiments of q good edl-
cation. and also taste for books,
which will go with him through life
and will keep him out of bad company,
will show him a profitable manner in
which to spend his evenings, and help
him in thousand ways.
So mothers, if you wish to throw
around your children safeguard which
shall introduce them into cultured so.
ciety, and protect them from evil. do
your best to make the home atmos-
phere favorable to their mental devel-
opment, and such as shall encourage
shabits reading and study. And to
this end. make the most of yourselves,
Read. read, read anything rather than
nothing; but best Of all, adopt some
systematic course. whatever commends
itself to your judgment, and, depend
upon it, not only the boys and girls. but
father himself. will fall into line, and
verify you shall reap your own reward.
Alice NJ. Walker in The Outlook.
Her Velvet Cloak.
The woman who cannot afford a
vQ1vpf frOak nr rnlvot u-ro this