The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-09
In Woman'S World.

I do not believe that / ever had a chat
exclusively with girls, and perhaps |
might have gone on without thinking
anything of 1t had the subject not been
brought to my mind by the heartless con-
duet Of a girl toward a poor, overworked
mother, says the Philadelphia Times"
l witnessed the deed, and wished, for
half a minute, that It was possible to af-
feet a change of place that the selfish
daughter might realize something of her
mothers cheerless life. There is nothing
like actual experience you know, to car
ry Lessons home to the heart.
The mother is one of the sweetest and
most patient women in the world. There
in lies her only fault. She ought to have
brought up that strong. handsome daugh-
ter of hers to be a direct blessing and
practical help to her A grown-up daugh-
ter ought to take almost the entire re-
sponsibility from her mothers shoulders
to ease the burden she has carried so
long and allow the poor, tired woman
the rest she has earned, and she who
does not do it Is thoroughly untitled to
make a good man happy
In some old-fashioned homes it is the
custom to distribute the work among the
girls Of the family, changing It from
week to week. SO that each may become
nrofcient in every branch. The girl VINO
markets and cooks for the family one
week exchanges work for the next seven
days with her sister, who makes the
beds and cares for. the rooms The next
week she assumes charge of the family
mending. then makes her way back again
70 her first duties. The mother merely
directs and criticises the efforts OF her
ofrsprings and finds time for her daily
nap. the reading which she had to drop
when her children were small and the
many other little interests that make ire
worth living. That is one OF the gooo
old fashions that is passing away. Mores
the pity.
The daughter of the present day finds
no time to help her mother during the
schoolday period, because the list OF
studies is SO long and hard. After she
graduates she keeps up many OF her
studies and takes UP new ones, joins CLUBS
and goes in for charity work and atm
letics. There is no time to help mother
then. and the poor parent has forgot
ten to expect it. So this thoughtless
Young woman accepts everything ana
gives nothing until the tired mother will
inelv laws down the burden of life or
some man discovers in her, or thinks ne
does. the necessary traits to make his
future happiness. ~
Mothers are largely to blame for tins
stata of affairs. | know. They should
have begun to train the girls when they
reached the helpful age. The children
sbould have been taught to do every
thing that saved steps for mother. They
z-.-z 100, o;xon q weekly allow
ance. as small as you please, and peen
taugbt "a understand that an obligation
was attached to it. 1t must be earned
ether than be accepted as a free gift.
know a little girl who. washes the
dishes at home after each meal and puts
them away in return for a weekly al
,ouance Of fifty cents. As no domestic
;s hired in that house the work OF tnat
ohild eases the burden of housekeeping
o,,ite a little, and the weekly stipend
lteans the child in hair ribbons and many
otber little tribes, teaching her at the
soma fine 4 lesson In independence and
n nersonal expenditure. can piainly
see that .child's future. She will be the
mainstay of the family, not financially,
perhaps, though even that might happen.
b,t in matters calling for strength OF
body and mind.
There never was and never will be any
work so noble as the care or the noihe.
It is a thousand pities that the dear wora
has come to often mean a mlseranle tt-
tie cooped-up existence in a lew uncoH-
Portable rooms: even the pleasure OF the
family board is denied the occupants
Apartment life has been the Anoehou'
HOW to the real home, but, please Goa'
recovery is possible, and 1t Is not lnpos-
sible that the pendulum may swing iar
IN the other direction some day ana Drlns
hack to us the old-fashioned home life
with all 1t means.
The use of evergreens at christmas
saws "self Culture comes from me
Romans. who thus ornamented theli
TEMPLES during the feast of Saturn, wnhs
wv was universally used in feasts u
honor ~ Bacchus. The ancient Druids
hung green branches and mistletoe over
their doors as a propitition to woooiano
s~nrites: they used also to cut green trees
ond Garry them into their houses TO pro-
feet the spirits of the forest and streams
from the death-dealing winds, tnlnKlns
tho sn,rits thus protected, would go fortn
~ tho snring to reelothe the forests wife
beautiful foliage and unlock the ice-oounu
streams. A survival of this superstluoA
was found among the English ~peasantry
,o+ moro than two hundred years ago
Tbev hung evergreens in their cottages
in the belief that they would attract
s~nrites and that the boughs would remain
,1nnipped by the frosts and furnish a snei-
ter for the woodland delties. Standare
trees, in the city were originally 'nahee
f,,le of holme and ivy showing that tne
EXTERNAL aspect of C-hristmastlde was 9
public concern in the days Of our ances-
tors.
AS mistletoe and holly are our prineipa'
decoration. it may be we'll to know the
origin OF their use and their supposed
power. The Druids at Yuletide used te
cut the mistletoe to place upon their altar.
with elaborate ceremonies. Their name
for It was All-Heal or All-Healing. There
was a large procession, headed by tht
Druidical priests, with bards singing can
ticles and hymns; then a herald preceded
three Druids, furnished with implements
for seve~ing the sacred plant; then tht
nrince or chief of the Druids, accom-
named by all his followers. The CHIEF
mounted the oak and with a golden knife
detached the mistletoe and presented i
to the priest, who received and bore ava
the branches with great reverence. Two
white bulls were sacrificed during the rite