The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-22
HER HAPPY LITTLE FAMILY.
Reasons For the Success of One Wise
Mother


The mother of it is neither rich nor
poor. AS girl she inclined little to
rebcllion-just enough to make her pas
tors and masters breathe happy, reliev-
ed sigh when she was safely married-al-
so to cause the wiseacres to say, shaking
their head obviously, they wished her
wcll-the best in the world-but they
were sorry for the poor fellow who had
the temerity to marry her.
When the first babe came the good
wiseacre pitied it also. It's mother, they
said, would either neglect it shamefully
or visit upon it double the rigors of her
own training She had been so wild and
full of notions it was morally certain she
could not bring up children in the way
they should 'go-most likely she would
try to put old heads upon shoulders not
yet out of the cradle.
Thus the critics. The woman they crit
icised laughed contentedly when she was
told what they said. She did have theo-
ries of child training and home govern
ment, she admitted-further, she meant
to put them in practice. Meantime,
would her real friends kindly suspend
Judgment for, say, ten years-then she
would be willing to talk over the matter
with them-and perhaps, with actual
demonstration.
At the end OF that period she finds her
self with six boys and girls. AT birth
they were neither better nor worse than
the average young human animal. Yet
their mothers brow is smooth, her bloom
but slightly touched, she smiles happily,
and all her face is irradiated with moth.
erly sweetness. She has time to sew, to
read, to walk, to visit, entertain her
friends and her husbands, and to think
over modern problems. Best of all, her
children rise up and call her blessed with
clamorous acclaim of small happy
tongues.
She lives in an old-fashioned corner
house, with. dig, spare rooms, and scrap
of back yard. Two servants 90 the work
washing included. They have been
there since the houshould was set up, and
are likely to remain until they can retire
upon age pensions, or go into new houses
with some one of the Youngsters they have
helped to bring up, for they ire kindly
and justly treated, recognized as human
beings, with rights that are to be no less
strenuouSlv respected than they them
selves are bound to respect those of mas
ter and mistress. Especially are the chill
dren trained to give them respectful
courtesy. you can never be ladies and
gentlemen admonishes the mother ''if
you do not show your vely finest man
ners to those who are less we'll placed in
life than yourselves
When asked the other day to tell the
secret of happiness, which she had so
evidently discovered. the lady smiled a
little, then babe the Questioper come
with her to the playroom. 1t is in the
top of the house-a big, light apartment,
with. three windows, each protected by
strong wire gratings, which make fall
from them impossible. The floor is of
wellmatched boards, and bare save for
n,,1 l. 4 IL
and ceilings are hard-fnished and are of
light pinky gray. Cheerful pictures,
flowers, fruits, BIRDS animals, cupids
and cherubs, with Mother Goose and lots
of brownies, hang all over the upper
walls Lower dowa there are sacks for
pictures, kits, flags, lances, toy fishing
rods and so on.
For furniture there are deal tables of
varying heights, wicker chairs to fit all
ages LON one year to twenty; a stout
basket FOR each child, with pockets inside
and bag over the top, and several
screens which began life as clothes
horses. To bring them to their present
estate they have been covered with gray
paper muslin, put on very smooth, then
adorned with pictures, pasted at the taste
or whim of the nursery occupants.
Under the window nearest the open
fireplace is baby's special province-upon
which the mother prides herself more
than all the rest. 1t is movable pen.
six feet square. Three sides are of
smooth boards eighteen inches high.
joined by hooks and staples at the cor
ners, and similarly fastened to the wall
which makes the fourth side. To this
wall there is hinged shelf broad enough
to serve as Il play table for the tiny occu-
pant. 1t is set just high enough to come
over the arms of rush chair with n base
so broad the most energetic infant cannot
tip 1T over. But even il that should hap
pen the young person would take no harm
of it-since the pen is hoored with q
wool mattress made exactly its own size.
upon the top of which a rubber blanket
is laid, and over that cotton rug.
Here is the secret of my good chill
dren-that is, If there is any secret the
mother said. "From the first try to
teach effectively, patience, courtesy for
bearance, respects for the rights of
others-in short self government. The
whole room belongs to the children-one
are to divide it into playhouses-whe
they will. Each has house, and is SUI
preme in it, but bound by the law of
courtesy toward any of the others who
comes as visitor-I myself am only
visitor-and would no more think of TAX
ing authority there, than would in anv
other house. / am bound to say, though.
that my trouble is mainly to find enough
advice and counsel to satisfy my dear
hosts"
THE RICHEST MANS WIFE.
OF the wife of Ii Hung Chang, n mil
lionaire of millionaires a writer in Pear
sons Weekly says: Marchioness Lii is
hon IL