The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-02-22

weave and make them. Nothing was
wasted. Old scraps and pieces of worn
garments We're raveled, dyed and WOW
en- into cushions or chair covers. New
gowns were few and far between, and,
being fashioned with such great labor,
l am sure Martha and all little girls
who lived in her time took the greatest
care of them. Even when she became
the wife of the rich Colonel GUSTS
and afterward of the great and good
George Washington she was industri-
Gus, economical and simple in her
tastes. We are told by one historian
that, although court etiquette pre-
vailed in their public life, their home
life was very transformations. All the
clothes worn by the general and her
self were made in the house. Two
of Martha Washington's best gowns
were of cotton striped with silk, woven
from the Rawlings of brown silk stock
ings and old crimson chair covers"
No high chairs, or in fact any chairs
at all, were provided Tor the little folks
when Martha Washington was young.
Even at the table children stood re-
specially behind their elders chairs,
taking what food was offered them.
In the better families they stood at a
side table with trencher in hand, bring
ing their food from the great table.
They were never allowed to speak ex-
cept to answer a question, and then
with the greatest respect and courtesy.
They ate very much simpler food than
you do, for there were no railroads to
bring them dainties from all parts OF
the world. They ate in silence and as
fast as possible, regardless Of diges-
| ton, being expected to be moderately
satisfied" and to leave the room as
| soon as possible.
There were no kindergartens for the
children of that time. Learning was a
hard. uninteresting process, but the
children were soon put at it and could
read and write very creditably by the
time they We're five years old and were
able to answer correctly every ques
ton In the Westminster Catechism
Boys read Latin and Greek by the time
our children are just beginning to mas
ter the alphabet. Girls had little neet
of such accomplishments, but thei
simpler school,, lessons were increased
by a thorough knowledge of hatchelinE
and carding, spinning and reeling
weaving and bleaching, cooking candl,
and cheese making, knitting, embroid
ering and needlework of every descrip
ton. Satan got few recruits from tn
ranks of the idle. Almost all wakin;
time was filled with some useful occu
patton.
Children had few if any toys. TIL
crudest of dolls comforted, Marth
when things had gone wrong with hel
She may have had some dolls furnitur
cut out by jackknife, but | am sur
she would have thought she was i
fairyland could she have peeped into
modern nursery, filled with it's almos
, living playthings.
, Despite all these drawbacks (frol
our point of view Martha Washingto
> grew into a beautiful, loving girl an
brought to George Washington dome
, tic arts and home learned accomplish
e ments which did more to make hill
e happy than those we deem essential
+ our time. Mount Vernon, that fde!
q home of the southern gentleman of Il
+ eighteenth century, bears witness
: her skill as housewife. The "moth
b and daughter power" of the colonis
9 gave a race of home bred, home lovin
a home honOring women. Although muC
q in their lives seems odd and hard to
born amid the ease and luxury of Il