Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-04-20


plea of the woman who stays at home?
She may say that she hasn't time to sc
about, that she needs all her spare
money for some certain future. 1t il
worth while for her to take half an houl
off some day and determine what she is
going to gain in exchange for all she is
giving up.
[ do not for a moment approve OF
women negecting their homes for the
sake of running about out Of doors.
That mistake is as big as the other
But there is such a thing as middle
course though this is not often popu
lar with women.
The woman who makes her one idea
that of keeping her house in spicI and
span order pays pretty dearly for lndul-
gence. She thinks that there is nothing
of more Importance than Tor her to save
money for her husband by econOmizing
in service. She therefore does as much
Of her own work as possible. TO do this
she must deny herself outdoor exercise
So she pays the price of her complexion,
her health, and often her temper. All
these are sacrificed to the saving of
money. 1t is absurdity to call this
economy. 1t is instead absolute thrift
lesSness and extravaganza.
Someone has said, that economy be
comes dreadful only when some light
ming fash Of truth shows us that our
painful frugality has been really the
most lavish waste" Such a lightning
flash must come to every woman, sooner
or later, when she appreciates the fact
that she has worn herself out, lost youth,
health. good looks and the capacity for
enjoyment in the effort to save money
ard gear. The sooner the lightning
happens to flash in her naighb0rhood
md wake her up to see things as they
are, the better for all concerned.
The best way in which a woman can
fit herself to see life steadily and see it
whole is by getting into fresh air. By
the time her body has been there for a
while her mind will be clearer and she
will be able to perceive for herself how
mistaken are some of her economies.
When she gets into the outdoors, when
she has had the exhilaratiOn that comes
from long sweeping walk or an inspir-
iting spin on a wheel, she will look at
life from an entirely different point of
view. She will wonder why she ever
thought it more important to dust every
nook and corner Of che house every day
than it was to fill her lungs with pure
air. She will see that it was a poor
economy to make her own frocks in
stead of having a dreSsmaker in once a
while and gaining tile opportunity to
read the new book or learn the new
song or devote herself to giving her
husband jolly evening, such as they
used to have when they were first mar
ried and took it as matter of course
that there should be an occasional little
supper and small party Of friends to
eat it. She will LEAN that it is not econ
Omy TO put few yards more trimming
on the children's clothes instead Of get
ting their garments ready made and
saving the time to give herself to her
growing boys and girls in indoor and
outdoor sport.
When the sensible woman has once
walked up to this state of affairs she
will set about making a change in her
habits. She will bring fresh air into
everything thoughts and all.
She cannot expect her children to come
to her, in the position of mind and body
that years have won Of her. Instead Of
this, she must go to them and bring
them up, if possible, to where she
stands. She may make them more ma
ture by this. 1t is very posi- tive that
she will make herself younger.
More than this, she will get better ac-
quaintanCe with her children than she
has ever had before. lie she has been
saving time by staying at home and
working for them she will find some
thing pathetic in the joy with which
they will greet her arrival among them
the share she takes part in their occupa-
tions.
Children are loyal little creatures.
To their mind there is no one like the
mother. as companion, and it is emin-
emily worth while for her to economize
on her own employments and pleasure
for the sake of sharing in theirs. Let
her follow Fr0ebel s advice and live
with her children. Let her try to forget