The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-21
THE HoIrR OLE REST.

do you know, Jennie, that you are
one of the most wastetel women I
have ever known?"
"Wastefu1?"
The pretty woman, in her neat calico
dress and pretty checked Bingham
apron, dropped her busy hands in her
lap, and sat staring with wondering
eyes at the sweet-faced, gray-haired
lady who had just uttered such I'M
pleasant words.
And Jennie Lisle might well be aston
ished, for, since she became Charles
Lisle's wife, eight years ago, she had
devoted herself to the task of learning
the many ways of saving Not that
the family was stinted in any way;
they dressed well, and their table was
always well furnished, but not crumb
nor scrap was ever really wasted.
What. then, could Aunt Margaret
mean?
Jennie picked up her work presently,
while a little flush of annoyance
mounted to either cheek.
Il am sure L do not understand you,
auntie'
mo, 1 fancied you would not; ble
don't be vexed with me, dear. No one
ever is, you know"
Jennie smiled into the blue eyes bent
so kindly upon her.
mo, l am not veXed, but do tell me
what you mean"
II mean to. I have been here two
weeks tomorrow, and every morning
you have been up an hour before day
light. You have your breakfast over
and Charlie is in the field long before
the sun is up. You milk the COW and
strain away the milk, and by that time
the children are awake, and you wash
and dress them, and give them their
breakfast. Then you wash your
dishes, make your beds, sweep the
floors and churn. BY this time the dew
has dried out of the garden, and you
gather your vegetables for dinner.
After these are put to cook you go to
the barn and gather UP the eggs, and
when you get back 1t is time to finish
dinner. and you ring your bell at
half-past eleven every day. Charlie
comes in and eats his dinner, and as
he puts the last bite in his mouth he
rises and starts Immediately to mis-
work and is back in the field by a
quarter past twelve, and by half-past
twelve you have your table and kiIch-
en- all cleaned up and ready for sewing
or knitting or ironing. You sew or
knit and Charlie plows, as long as you
can see. how, and then you light your
lamp and get supper while he does his
feeding by lantern light Neither of
you ever think of resting a moment,
do you, Jennie?'
"Wel1, auntie,'' said Jennie, laughing
gayly, you set in to prove that I am
uncommonly extravagant, and you
have only shown me what a very in
dustrious couple we are"
Aunt Margaret shook her head.
L have proven that you are vast
ing youth and health and strength
the three priceless blessings that a kind
God has given you. have proven that
you are wasting your children's best
hours, as well as your own, for you
are allowing them to grow up without
the happiness which mothers sympa-
thy and mothers companionship alone
can give. And above all, and more
than all, you are losing the congeni-
atty, the sweet sympathy, which once
existed between your husband and
yourself. In short, you are both be-
coming mere automatic working ma
chimes, without a thought of pausing
to enjoy the benefits of your labor
Jennie was silent for a time, and
when she did speak her voice was low
and unsteady.
Il know every word you say is true,
auntie. and sometimes have cried
when I thought of the difference be-
tween my real life and the life I used
TO picture for myself, as Charles
wife"
But it is all your own fault, dear.