The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-12-07
BREAKING OF HOME TIES.

The following from the Iowa Home
stead was handed to US by a Brook
ings county mother, with the hope
that It will help some father or moth
er to solve a difficult question:
A grain-belt mother awoke one
morning with a sudden sense of loss.
She lay still several moments before
the thought came in tangible form.
1t was this: The house that once
echoed with happy children's voices
and later on came to know the day
by.day chatter Of a half dozen grown
girls is now still; solemnly, almost
scarily still. Why is it?"
And then she took stock of the
situation. She had six daughters.
Five of them had left the old farm
home and gone to the city. Only
n of the six was left, a girl of
seven. She, too, would probably fol-
low her sisters, over the hill with
a last wave of the hand to the moth
er standing at the gate) and then out
into the big world.
Why had all these girls left the
old farm home?
When the mother arose she wrote
the five daughters who had gone and
put the question to them plainly.
Ida taught school, Rose worked out,
Sadie did dressmakins, Annie and
Florence had earned enough money
doing homework to put them through
business college. Ida answered her
mothers question first. Il was tired
Of asking pa for money every time
l wanted some of my own" Rose
answered next. Il wanted nor good
time" Il wanted pretty things, moth
err said Sadie. Annie and Florence
answered, I'VE wanted life"
The mother looked at the little
sever year old at home and her eyes
filled with tears.
But there was something else yet
to be learned. Had the girls met
their needs and ideals in the city;
were they disillusioned; did they ever
wish themselves back in the old farm
home? The eldest girl, who teaches
in the fifth grade of a city school, re.
Piled: Il get along we'll in my work
because 1 love it and for that reason
l have been benefited and b~roadened
by taking up this work, for l try to
get all I can out of it. A teachers
associates are, as a rule, intelligent,
refined people, and a girl teaching
does not zee with the same tempta-
as those III other vocations.
Yes, ] Am glad l came"
The girl who left the farm to be-
come a servant girl gave her views
quite emphatically. 81 didn't have a
very good time in the country" she
said, "and never had a cent to call
my own and worked all the time, too;
but just the same l wouldn't advise
any girl to leave a farm home to
work in a city woman's kitchen. Out
Of every ten girls who come to town,
there are eight who work out At
home a girl may be considered as
good as anyone, but when she be-
comes Mrs. Smiths hired birl' she
might as we'll be a pickpocket for all
people will think of her. In the
country, when she helps a neighbor-
ing farmers wife with the housework,
she is treated like one Of the family,
so it surprises her some when she
door and entertaining her company
in the kitchen she takes as a matter
of course, but when the high school
miss next door turns up her nose at
Smiths kitchen mechanic and pre-
tends that she doesn't see her, if they
meet on the street, it sets her think
ing. l suppose l ought not to mind
these things, but most s~elfrespecting
farm girls do.
II chose housework as my work be-
cause l really like it and can do it
than I could anything else. l
get $3.50 a week, with my evenings
and Thursday afternoons for myself.
do not have such a very good time,
for the kind of parties and entertain
ments that I am welcome to are not