The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-11-01
The idle Minute" Book.
By Mary e. Wilkins.
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"A than SoO years ago, when young
girls led very different lives from the
girls Of to-day. All about the people
were food and apparel and warmth
and light in the crude state, but their
utilization depended upon the un-
ceasing individual effort of women as
well as of men, of children as well
as of adults, This struggle with in
animate things-the rocks of the
New England fields, the great trees
and strong underground of the vir-
| gin forests-necessitatcd constant in
dustry. 1t was war to the knife be-
tween man and all the other king
doms of nature, and the knife could
not be for an instant laid down, or
there was vantage point lost which
could never be regained.
Thus it happened that Angeline had
her idle Minute" ook 1t was rude
affair, for paper was scanty and coarse
in those days, but Angeline consid-
cred her book very dainty. 1t was
tied with blue lutestring ribbon, and
there was never blot on the pages,
which were covered with the record
in the finest, most acutely cramped
chirography.
Angeline used to look at it and think
what pity it was that the record was
OF such disgraceful nature. Her
eldest sister, Mary Ann, had FIRST sug-
gested keeping it to her mother. Mrs.
Jehoram Littlefie1d was married when
she was only Is, and was hardly 16
years older than Mary Ann, and SO
made confdante of her eldest
daughter. There were three girls
and three boys between Mary Ann
and Angeline, who was Is.
"She is as old as was when I was
married." Mrs. Littlefeld said to Mary
Ann. "And only to think how much
work used to turn off, and look at
Angeline! l declare, sometimes it
doesn't seem as if she could be my
daughter. Why, my linen chest was
filed to the brim with my own work
by the time was Ia, and only look
at the blankets and quilts! And
used to make all the candles and soap
for the family.
"Angeline seems to me sometimes
as if she was good for nothing as far
as work is concerned. She does not
seem to have any idea of the respon-
sibility which her birth has brought
upon her. She is nothing but child.
have had the minister talk with
her, and her father has talked, and l.
have talked, and you have talked, and
none Of it has seemed to do a mite
Of good. She seems to mean well
enough. and she never loses her tenn
per when she is talked to; sometimes
/ wish she did. l don't know but it
would make her have little more
spunk.
"There, this morning she was late
to breakfast again, and breakfast
was late, too--four o'clock, when it
is usually half past three! 1 gave
her a good faithful talking to, and
it wasn't half an hour before I sent
her up to make the beds. When she
didn't come down went up after
her, and found her sitting by the win
dow, staring out at that red maple
tree in the yard, and doing nothing
at all."
Then it was that Mary Ann sug-
gested the Idle Minute book, and her
mother grasped at the idea eagerly.
She was SO honestly anxious about
her idle little daughter that the tears
were in her eyes. "Maybe it will set
her to thinking" she said. So that
very day Mary Ann made the book,
and Mrs. Littlefleld gave it into Ange-
lines keeping.
"Now, Angeline," said she, "here is
a little book which your sister Mary
Ann has made for you, and you are
to keep in it record of all the idle
minutes which you spend every day.
We hope, dear child, that it may
help you to amend your ways, and
not waste so much of the precious
time which God has given you"
Mrs. Jehoram Littlefeld, for all she
was such capable and Industrious
woman, was very gentle and soft
spoken. Her sweet voice faltered as
she made that addrsss to Angeline,
and as for Angeline, she fairly burst
into repentant tears.
80 mother, will try to do better!'
she said, as she took the Idle Minute
book.
WELL" said her mother, "put the
book away carefully; then go out into
the yard and stir the soap-kettle.
And tell Mary Ann to come in and do
the spinning before dinner"
So Angeline obediently put her book
away, and went out into the yard
where the great soap-kettle was hung
over fire which was lashed one
way like red flag by the wind.
Mother says that you are to 60
into the house and spin, Mary Ann,
and I am to stir the SOAP said An
geline.
"Well, be careful you don't let it
burn," replied Mary Ann, and yielded
up her stirring-stick somewhat dubi-
ously to Angelene Then she went in
to the house to her spinning rather
Il
Mary Ann was herself old enough
to be Angeline's mother, and had a
pretty, gentle, sad face. All the 9TH
er sisters were married, but Mary Ann
had been disappointed in tragic
way. Three years before the young
man whom she was to have married
had been taken prisoner by the In
dians, in raid upon the border set
Element Of Deer6eld, where he was
at that time with his uncle;