Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-25
HOME OCCUPATION FOR chill
it4st DRF.N.

cent OF her Mon ana women Oh ihcntai +
md moral vigor from the country. III
Il we're not for this inflow the city I
would soon die. The vigor OF nina
and body of the country boy or girl Is
LARGELY due to the fact that he. or she |
has healthy employment. some re-
,n,nsibility devolves upon him. AN |
jJls brain is the devils Workshop
"Satan finds some work for idle hands |
10 do" When to begin home work?
i think not earlier in the child's life I,
than ten or eleven months. AS soon
MS p child can walk. he can be taught |
I, put his playtfings away: then
soon after he can bring mamma the
thread or papa his slippers, and many
ether little acts of kindness. training
him for the one object in life, namely,
TO be useful to others. The child who
helps at home is less selfish, shows a
greater love for his family.
One reason why n mother loves her
child is because she has done so much,
and bcrne so much for it. When
child works in a home. he increases
his love for the home. The home offers
such variety of work for the child;
Of course. the mother must take the
pains 10 teach the child. but how
amply she will be repaid. The interest
he takes il home. the kindly sympathy
he shows her, the assurance that she
knows where he is more than COM
pensates Then when he does play,
which every child should do daily. he
enjoys his hour of play far more than
he would did he not have some tasks
to do. "All work and no play makes
Jack q duh boy" but all play and no
wor., makes Jack a selfish boy. have
very Matte sympathy with the thought
that school children have not time.
Thirty minutes every morning, thirty
minutes every evening three extra
hours on Saturday equal ten hours
week. for. forty weeks equal four hum
dted hours. Then nNe hours for six
days in the week, one on Sabbath for
twelve vacation weeks equal seven
hundred Seventy-scvcn hours in one
year Fifteen years of such work
would be equal to nearly five years
work at eight hours 4 day. which |
think. will make most any girl quite
proficient in ordinary Homework;
enough so that she can keep her house
in n condition that will not entirely
disgust her husband. and enable her
to cook in such n manner that he Will
not find it necessary to have his stom
ach refined oftencr than every six
months.
/ have not patience with the senti-
ment, 1T is not natural. Some people
take to houscWork naturally. | am
not naturally a musician; but if | had
begun when | was five years old and
practiced even thirty minutes day.
faithfully for the last quarter of a CEN
fury. | think by this time. | could
manipulate the piano N such Il man
ner that one would b. able to recoS-
nize Old Hundred. The only way TO
rise in the scale OF civilization is i'll
doing things unnatural Had the
human race never done anything
aside from what people prompted.
there are people who think we would
still be climbing from limb to limb
and tossing cocoanuts about | am
thankful We live in an age when the
puny. pale, prinking. lackadaisical lass
is not the object to be admired. but
when the popular girl is tn one who
can make her own dress, fr! Ter own
cakes. trim her own hat. row ber own
boat bait her own hook ana paint
her own pic lures. This is the twen-
tieth centuI> girl. Let us open wide
our arms to receive her.
There was 4 time when the world
recognized distinct difference between
brain and muscle work but now psy-
biologists have come to the conclusion
that even in the simplest manual labor
the brain must first direct. | think all
agree that manual training is one of
the best methods of character build
ing. There is considerable chemistry
and good common sense to be learned
in the Kitchen; and the gil who I'M
derstands the intricacies of nousework
will make better wife and mother.
even if the prince royal claims her for
the mistress of his palace moving
how to perform the woriz ne knows
better how to direct the woIn i mistress
who understands work is auch moro
sympathetic and consider;.,e toward
her help.
A family of four children may kec \
a mother busy from morning until
night: but if she does her work on the
cooperative association plan, say one
hour or one hour and a half, daily for
each of her children. she gains from
four to six hours daily for mental cul
ture and recreation. making herself
better fitted to sympathiZe with her
children in their work of mental train
ing. Nor do l think this training
should be confined to girls alone. Boys
can be taught to be helpful as well as
girls. 1t is Il mystery to me why it is
necessary for thousands of boys in our
fair land to be dying physically. and
mentally. and more especially morally
for the want of 4 little healthy employ
ment. just because they happen to be
born boys; and thousands of mothers
dying, and worse still filing insane
asylums. all because of overwOrk
Why can't an equalization be found?
IT'S said eighty per cent. Of our lead
ing men are country born. They are
great for the reason that they had the
Invaluable training of self-reiance.
Now, the city or town does not fur
nish so-called proper work for the
boy. but it seems to me still more
improper for him to grow up in idle
ness, so why not teach him houseWork
too. A good. strong boy can sweep
much easier than his mother or sister.
and With little care can be taught to
sweep the corners clean too. 1t serves
to train his muscle as effectually as
foot BAN a punching bag.
A scrubbing brush in his hands