The Washington times., 1894-04-08
Aunt Emily's Idea.

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keeping and baby minding in an hour, poor
| mani
John grins and says, ''You are about right.
j., don't see myself how she does stand them
all day."
Admitted that mothers do get tired, the
next thing to do is to devise a sensible plan to
give them little daily relief II not recreation.
1t is n good deal more desirable to take
these things into consideration than to kill
your wife or let her kill herself through an
exaggerated sense of duty, thus compelling
you to select another to stepmother the
children, and possibly bring into your family
the complications and discords which that
state of affairs sometimes brings with it.
Not that there is anything to be said against
stepmothers ne a class, since some Of the best
mothers in the world have been "number
two" and tired themselves out for other peo-
pies children as faithfully as though they had
born them; but as an ounce OF preventative,
etc, am going to suggest some rules l have
seen tried with happy success by tired
mothers of my acquaintance.
The first thing for mother to realize Is
that she is made Of flesh and blood and IS
and rest Just as much as a man does. She
should deliberately plan to catch little OF
one or the other every twenty-four hours un-
less there is some serious illness in the house.
My dear, have regular hours Tor the
children to go to bed. Young, growing
creatures need long nights rest as much as
chickens and lambs and other little ami
mails do.
By o'clock in Summer and in Winter
eyery one OF your children under 12 years Of
age should be in bed and sound asleep.
OF course you have lounge, cot, or divan.
Deliberately stretch yourself on it at noon
and rest a half hour.
II you were not SO pressed for time should
say shut your eyes even If You do not sleep,
but. as it is, you may read the morning paper
or chapter in a nice book.
While that will rest your back. your head
will get few new ideas in II to think about
as you sew or are about your household duties.
When the larger children come home from
school put on your outdoor suit and take
little ride on the cars or a short walk, doing
window shopping if you cannot do more.
The idea is to break into the monotony OF
your daily routine with new thought, new
outlook, and TO get the benefit Of the fresh,
outdoor atmosphere.
When the days are fine bundle up the little
ones and take them out for an hours walk
and an airing.
Children always consider 1t great treat to
be allowed to go somewhere with mother or
father.
And if you take them where they can see
the animals, as at the Zoo" or to the woods
for family picnic, a great deal OF useful
knowledge goes along with the good time.
A little treat ahead is a great stimulant to
good behavior with the little ones, and the
right kind of parents plan for reasonable
pleasures for their children, as they do for
their clothes and education.
Go out with your children. You need a day
off. picnic and change just as much, If not
more, than they do. True. the day you go
on an excursion with them you will come
home tired to pieces but it will do you
good, for it's another kind of tired!
Any change from your daily life is bound to
do you good.
Once in awhile tired mother is greatly re-
freshed by visit-all by herself-to her
mother or her sister, or possibly q friends
house.
To eat of some one else's cookery. to catch
glimpses into the home life of others, whom
you may possibly have envied, has disillu-
sioning effect so far as they are concerned
and an Illuminating one as to how blessed
your little narrow limit may be after all.
Over there with your friend and hostess
may be dissipated husband, a wayward
child, or a skeleton of some sort which every
body can see through a transparent closet
door, but which no one is bold enough to
appear to see.
This is one way to find out how superior
your John Anderson, my Joe John" is to
some other John except by these occasional
glimpses that send a loving mother, who is as
wise as loving, straight home to make the
best of thingsl
Once in q while l have seen the kind Of hus-
band wish every tired little mother had for
her very own.
He always goes to market when she is in
delicate health. He assumes care of the chill
dren at night, getting up to give that inevita-
bic "drink of water"
He has been known to insist that ''she"
shall be still while he gets up to warm the
milk for the little one that has to be content
with a bottle dinner.
This man-the model-sets up all the stoves
He either tacks down the carpets or gets
some one to do it. He never lets his wife
lift anything that is heavy. Consequently, his
wife looks almost as young now as she did
the day when she was married.
When this husband comes home. no mat
ter what his day has been, he always begins
to whistle when he gets to the front gate. and
the tune is not The girl 1 left behind me.''
When he opens the door there is rush for
him.
Bobbie clasps him by one leg, Jakey by the
other, while he grabs the baby and lifts her
up until her golden hair touches the ceiling
and she screams with terror and delight.
1t is like letting in a big rush Of bright and
happy light when this man comes home
that is good to see.
His wife isn't half so Gagged OUT as some
other little women in that same square, al
though she is the mother of eight little tow
heads that, when stood up in row, look like
stairsteps, and she has to work very hard in
deed and does get awfully tired sometimes.
She is not, however, in any sense an
unhappy woman.
True. she cannot do much church work
She is too sensible to try it, but she does get
the children all off to Sunday school, and
somehow each one has the penny to put in the
contribution box, which she has contrived to
save for them.
Every one of us knows that the women
who are doing their duty best in life are the
tired mothers who have no time for visiting,
nor are they much concerned about the ques-
tions just now agitating women Of leisure.
The making of the home and the rearing of
their children is their business in life for the