Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-07-07
A Mothers Lesson.

have, to-"
snow, my dear friend, do not say
that which is in your mind. Indeed,
should pity you sincerely should your
implied wish be granted. just think a
moment what it would mean for you to
find, say within a week, that you had
nothing to do but to begin to bring
your home into the state of perfection,
as regards housekeeping arrangements,
which your ideal presents to your
mind
Mrs. Spencer's caller Ia middle-aged
woman whose family, herself and hus-
band included numbered seyen,) turned
look OF panied comprehension upon
the face OF her friend.
81 think | understand you, she said.
in low voice. 'Of course | would not
have things any different, really; it
was thoughtless way of speaking,
and | do so admire your home"
1T is but natural, for you are lover
of neatness and order. have nothing
else TO do but clean and garnish my
home, and | try to keep it as nice as
possible. There was a time" she con-
tinued, with a sad, far-away look,
"when | had as you have now, so
much to do just to keep my family com
Portable, that | had positively no time
for garnishing or beautifying; dust ac-
| on INFLATED In Snita of mo apd | UaS On
foolish as to allow my mind to be very
much disturbed in consequence. | saw
the homes of my neighbors who had no
children, or not so many as | had.
where order reigned, and | blushed
and fretted when any Of them called
upon me. | knew they must see the
dirt which | could not get time to
clean; | felt sure they must be taking
mental note of the frayed spots on the
sleeve of my dress, or, perhaps, "a soiled
spot upon the skirt; | imagined they
must be thinking that my sturdy boys,
full Of animal life and spirits as they
were-and always sure TO rush in and
show themselves in their worst light
when | had visitors-were rude and i'll
trained; in short | was miserable and
discontinued without any reason what
ever Indeed, | can now see that |, or
the contrary, had every reason to feel
myself a blest and favored woman.
THAT was ten years ago. My hus-
band was living and he was one of the
best of men; my five boys, aged five,
seven, nine, twelve and fourteen, were,
as | have said, sturdy and healthy, full
TO the brim with animal life; and now
looking back, with eyes cleared by
tears of sorrow and repentance, | can
see that they were good boys, each of
them, with many excellent attributes.
All! to think that | let these foolish
worries come between me and my boys
in the least degree! / would not resur
rect my sad past, only that | have no.
ticed that you were getting daily more
and more in the way | was then, and |
believe my experience will help you.
Let me hasten TO finish my story.
There came II day when my husband
fell i'll, and in one short week | was a
widow. Then, one by one my children
died of diphtheria, till, within fort
night of the day disease first entered
my home. | found myself a childIess
widow"
There was silence between the two
women. Each was too agitated TO
speak. AT length Mrs. Spencer re-
sumed
"That was how | came to have so
much time to keep my house in order
1t is all the comfort-that is, home
comfort have now, and sorry conso-
lation it is, too, for what | lost
When Mrs. Fenton returned to her
home that afternoon she never thought
Of the difference between her home and
her friend Is, only as regarded the empti-
ness and sad stiffness of one and the
blessed opposite in the other-her own.
These are my jewels, indeed" she
said, as her boys rushed in from school,
and disorder in his face or about his
clothes, and loud cry of irrepressible
JOY on his lips; and each of the eight
solled boots bringing in generous
complement of mud. They soon be-
came subdued, noting a difference in
their mothers manner, which they
could not comprehend. They did not
realize that from that time henceforth
she would be a surer reliance for them,
better mother in every way, and a
happier woman; all because she had
learned, by the relation of another's
experience, not to gauge her home
happiness by the number OF grease
spots on her kitchen floor or the rents
in her boys clothing, but by a very
much higher tandard.-Good House
keeping.
The Washington Post says: 1T
sometimes requires more and better
courage TO stay at home than TO go to
war. Many man who, il duty would