Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-01-20
"wousd it have hurt the house to go

would 1t have hurt the house to go
a month longer"
mo, but, father, l didn't want peO
pie saying"
"NIy dear, do you care more about
people than you do about Burton"
'But the work.
do you care more about work than
you do about Burton? My darling,
listen to a few words Of wisdom from
your wise old father. Burton didn't
marry you because he wanted house
keeper; he married you because he
wanted a companion, a comrade. Doubt
less he'd get some one to do the work
if he could"
Hes always wanted to get a girl
for me, but it seems an extravaganza
when his salary's so low and l am per
fectly able to do the work"
But you make him pay just the
same and something worth infinitely
more to him than money. Is it fair?"
do you think we ought to have a
grip"
mot necessarily. Have you ever
studied the question of wise neglectY
But. father, just think what every
one would say if"
'sDo you really love your husband?
Or is pride more to you than love?
Let me whisper secret in your ear.
What people say should never come
between two people who love each 9th
err Sacrifice your pride-just a little
of ito your husbands happiness"
Genevieve was silent. And after
moment her father went on, very grave
ly this time.
"AIy dear, / have seen many mar
riages spoiled by this fetish of house
work. A man always prefers his wife's
company to a spotless house. Just
think about that seriously, dear child"
| Genevieve did think about it. His
words sank deep into her heart, until
finally she decided to act upon them.
| She could not make a great change at
once, but little by little she learned to
eliminate the unnecessary thing A sim
pier breakfast, she found, enabled her
to appear at the table with an I'M
| flushed face and an unruffled temper
| and Burton never seemed to miss his
more elaborate meals, though he bright
ened perceptibly under her more gra-
| ciOus manner
She put away useless bric-a-bra so
there was less busting to do. She gave
up her plan Of always having cake and
1
| stituted simpler desserts for the GUS
tomary pies and intricate buildings.
| She did less sewing; she wore simpler
clothes and had less ironing; used the
sweeper instead of the broom occasion
ally; let the windows go unwashed for
more than week sometimes-and was
amazed to find how we'll the home
looked in spite of her neglect.
She found herself sitting down at
the piano now and then, and taking up
the old song. She even ventured to
| sing for Burton one Sunday afternoon
and was almost shocked at the magni-
| tude Of the pleasure he evinced. She
stayed awake evenings, and once sug-
gested a call upon a nearby friend that
Almost resulted in expression of graft
tude from her bewildered husband.
AS, little by little, the old compan-
! ionship was resumed, Genevieye awOke
to the enormity of the wrong she had
done both her husband and herself
This was life; this was growth. Now
they were really becoming one, as they
had once dreamed of in their court
ship days.
| Compared with this, what was house
work but a false god that women
raised and worshiped, ofttimes to the
Punishment of their own souls and the
destruction of the peace and happiness
of their loved ones. God forbid that
she should ever again endanger the sta
bility of their home by any such wor-
ship of idols. The true ideal is home
making, not housekeeping, Genevieve
had learned, and the motto to be kept
ever in mind, wise neglect Good
| Health.
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