The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27
NOMAN'S WORLD.
MOTHERS WORK.

MOTHERS WORK.
setting tables, washing dishes
Sweeping rooms and making bread
busting books and sewing outtoHs'
Smoothing now a curly head
Making. mending little garments,
In a mothers deftest style
Washing little hands ana races
rolannina. something all the wnile.
Darning stockings. telling stores
To the group about her knee;
Searching for lost gloves and Kerchle-s'
Nobody can find but she.
trimming lamps or hearing lessons,
Putting this and that in place
Tired feet and busy fingers,
Giving home its nameless grace.
Solving some domestic problem,
AS a housewife only can
when the ways and means seem want
ingl,
With a skill unknown to man.
Folding tiny hands together
Teaching infant lips to pray
Singing cradle hymns so softly
Mothers work ends not with day.
Lucy Randolph Fleming.
No housewife need shrink from criti-
cism because of her desire 10 have every
article of furniture and ornament in her
rooms kept in its appropriate place. The
most distinguished women in this and
other lands have this notion, If such 1t
may be called, in a high degree of devel-
opment. The Princess of Wales, If any
piece of furniture in Marlborough house
Is moved from its usual place, at once
seeks an explanation. A carefully pre-
pared plan exists with the position of the
various articles marked thereon. thus ia
cilitating their replacement after cleaning
operations. This is a capital idea, and one
that the Astors and Vanderbilts have
adopted in their town and country pal
aces, whether in imitation of royalty or
simply because the best domestics are
generally short of memory and not train
ed to observe as they should. Many a
housekeeper will understand the annoy
ance of having to rearrange all the or
naments of a room after 1t has under
gone the weekly sweeping and admire roy
alty's ''old madsh" way of keeping
things in their right places. Mrs. Will
lam Aston goes so far as to have each
chair or table stood on the inch, and woe
to the maids who place it one hairs
breadth to the right or left. Visitors will
Of course, disturb the arrangement but as
soon as they depart everything is read
justed as before. The artistic confusion
of a modest drawing room is a we'll
studied, well-thought-of composition, but,
having once designed it, this picture of
still life must not be disturbed on any
account. Women, who are accused of be-
ing too particular" by their servants
may take comfort in knowing that the
Princess of Wales also comes under that
category.
There is no doubt that a great change
has taken place as regards the frequent
interchange of calls as compared with
that in force in former days. Many
things are accountable for this. among
others the AT home" day and the GER
tainty of not finding friends and acquaint-
anees at home during the regulation cali
ing hours other than on at home DAYS
The fashion of remaining at home to re-
ceiye callers on certain afternoons in ev-
cry week is a by-gone one and 1t is not
100 mucn 10 say that no one willingly re-
mains at home to receive chance callers;
outdoor life draws all society forth one
way or another. driving, hiking, walk
ing and the rest. Even brides are re-
leased from the irksome custom of re-
naming at home TO receive bridal calls
day after day for some three weeks after
the return home, and are at liberty to
make use of the afternoon hours in any
way most pleasing to themselves.
Il does not follow that, because the in
terchange of calls is not maintained to
any extent, calls on arrival in town are
not as imperative as ever. On the con-
trary. they are more punctiliously paid.
AZ possible, than heretofore, as thew are
the pivot on which all social engagements
turn. To call on arrival in town, to call
after dinner parties, to leave cards after
receptions and dances are obligations
carefully fulfilled. Again, afternoon par
ties are so numerous that they almost set
constant calling on one side, as to attend
them is tantamount to calling. Occasion
ally. when an invitation is a first one to a
house, a call Is made during the current
week. or cards are left; but few have eis-
ure to do even this. and avil themselves
Of the noncalling rule after afternoon at
homes now in force.
1t would appear to be simple nough TO