The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-04-14
A Fatal ERROR.
Mothers aud wives the Scif-Madc Slaves of
Their Families.

Their Families.
"If parents only realized what harm
they were doing their children and
how they were being handicapped by
being continually waited on when
they are small, they would certainly
reform in this particular" said wc.
man Of wide experience. 81 dropped
in, the other evening, at n house where
the mother had simply made slave OF
herself ever since her married life be-
gan. She commenced by waiting on
her husband in q spirit of wifely devo.
ton, and continued 1t until he Is the
most helpless creature imaginable. II
his paper is lot ready for him when he
is ready to read 1t, he frets and wor.
ries until his wife finds it and brings 1t
to him. If his favoritc chair, lamp and
table ure not at lis disposal, he either
makes things very uncomfortable by
sarcastic remarks or sull<s, and reduces
the temperature in the house quite a
bit below zero.
"Whilc sat there, he allowed his
wife to put coal on the fire, close the
window and to open the door when the
room became too warm. Instead OF
his performing some of these little
tasks, he simply sat in his arm.c chair
and basicd by the glowing warmth OF
an autumn fire. Several times dur.
ing the evening he sought occasion to
make disparaging remarks about wo'
men who got out of their spheres in
various ways and whose doings were
in consequence extremely distasteful
to him. Later in the evening, one oi
the sons came in. laid his hat on the
lounge, his umbrella across chair an6
threw his overcoat over an ottoman
He settled himself comfortably in 8
chair, took at least six books from 9
shelf, laid them here and there about
the room wherever he happened to be
glanced al the newspaper, threw i
upon chair and, after little talk or
various unimportant subjects, excused
himself on the plea of headache
and went to his room for the night
He did not take the trouble to pick ~
anything that he had left lying about
and because l knew his mother YER,
well, knew that she would take car,
| of every article that he had dropped
She had done it for him ever since h
was small boy and would doNbtles
| continue to do SO as long as he re
manned at home.
zone of the daughters came in from
some parcels. She unwrapped them
tossed paper and string onto tn
lounge, pulled some loose threads fron
the goods she had bought. threw then
on the floor and then retired, taking
with her the materials she had brough
in, but leaving all the debris to cumbe
the apartment. 1t was the family sit
ting-room, and, of course, it did no
count.
81 saw look of distress on tn
mothers face as she glanced aroun
the disordered and udtidy looking place
but it probably never occurred to he
that she alone was responsible for tn
state of things. 1 knew that it ha
been many times suggested to her t
leave things where they were until tn
children took care of them, but this sh
never had the heart to do. She SCENE
to think, and often said. that they wer
tired or busy, or were going some
! where, or that she could not bear tn
disorder and would much rather pu
the place to rights than to wait fo
them to do it.
"Everything about that house wa
conducted upon this idea, and if eve
there was slave to her family tina
woman was one. She never got tim
for reading or study, and her husban
and children grew entirely away frol
her until there was nothing of her bu
household drudge. Nothing else wa
expected of her and she was credite
with nothing else. If she had advance
brilliant idea it would have been me
with astonishment or possibly ridicule
A knowledge on her part of currer
events would have been subject fc
family amazement At last, when
was quite too late to remedy the wors
phases of this evil, this mistaken an
neglected wife and mother came
realize that her life had been serie
of grave errors and that instead {
keeping up with the times and bein
the associate and companion of hi
family, she was merely worllin
housekeeper on board wages.
"There is many another in the Ian
who is doing the same way. 1t woul
be quite as we'll for them if they di
covered their error in time to correct
few, at least, of its worst features. -.
N. Y. Ledger.
ABOUT TRIMMINGS.