The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-07-03
|l|R|{|I|IE|+|E{Ig||IEF[H# |l|ER|E5IHEE! R{E|!I ||{jIg|| IFE[H#||0| \

CuTely IeUCeu III. TUT Iuen uOWtIo
only bring cares, without enjoyment.
A few in the vegetable garden would
give real pleasure and save much
worry and care, but the good women
never seem to think they should let
the flowers alone until the yard is in
proper condition. There are weary
women all over the land who spend
hours putting brush over flower beds,
fencing them in with bits of lumber,
training the family dog to drive out
the intruders, and who make them
selves regular slaves for the sake of a
few forlorn plants. Better let these
alone forever rather than wear your
self to thread trying to have them.
And then the company some coun-
try families have! 1t is common
sight to see three or four buggies,
Sunday after Sunday, in certain farm
yards. Now it is pleasure to enter
tain your friends in moderation, but
some women stagger along under a
regular burden of cooking, year in
and year out. In one family the
baby suddenly sickened and died,
and the physician gave it as his
opinion that the child had too much
excitement and handling from COM
pany, not only on Sunday, but on
many days in the week. The mother
handled and dandled the poor child
until its frail body could not stand
the strain. Mothers with little chill
dren would do well to let company
alone, especially in hot weather.
Aside from the fact that Sunday
should be day of rest and quiet
during the hot months, from a phys
ical as well as spiritual standpoint,
it adds nothing to the pleasure of the
family to see pack of children run
ming wild and running their clothes
on the day of leisure.
Another good thing to let alone is
elaborate clothing, if you do your
own washing and ironing. I love
pretty, dainty undergarments, but I
do not love to stand hours over an
ironing board smoothing them out;
so my wardrobe is plain. If l had
plenty of time or could hire some one
at a fair price to do the laundry
work. it would be pleasure to wear
the rufiles and embroideries, but time
and money are often scarce; so it is
well to be economical of both. Some
women think it speaks of cleanliness
and energy to display row of white
petticoats on the clothes line every
Monday morning, but there are 9TH
ers wiser who know that gingham
and sateen give just as much service
and comfort with one-tenth the wsrk,
and that the soft woven underwear
can be pulled into shape without IRON
ing at all.
Unless there are grown daughters
to help with the cooking, it is we'll to
let all fancy work" in this line alone.
In some homes there is ample time
for the elaborate cakes and puddings,
but the busy mother who tries to keep
her table spread with all the deli
cacies her neighbors boast about,
when she has little children OF much
sewing, is foolish in the extreme. 1t
is hard to take modest pan of rolls
or articles bought in the grocery to
the picnic, and find the others taking
out wonderful cakes and desserts, but
just say to yourself, "When my chill
dren are grown up, can make fancy
cakes, too" Or it may be that aged
relative has claim on your time,
making anything but the plainest
kind OF housework out of the ques-
ton. In any case, remember that
after while there may be time for
the things that you enjoy doing, but
just now duty comes first.
So try to think out the best plan
for yourself and try to follow it up.
1t is hard to give up the things we
love to do, but by and by we may see
our way clear to take them up again.
1t may be we must put aside reading.
flowers, fancy work, elaborate cook
ing or music for the sake of our
health and the comfort of others, but
there Is no loss without its corre-
spending gain. Anything that over
taxes the strength or makes one
cross and peevish is good thing to
let alone.-Hilda Richmond, in the
Country Gentleman.