Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-08-09
DAILY WORK.

DAILY WORK.
20 trsring tasks so often done,
Yet ever to be done anew,
D cares that come with every sun.
Morn after morn the long years through
We shrink beneath their paltry sway
The irxsome calls OF every day
The restless sense Of wasted power,
The tiresome round Of little things
are hard 10 bear as hour By hour
It's tedious Irritation brings:
who shall evade or who delay,
The small demands OF every hOur?'
So sings one poet. but I want to dis
agree with the spirit OF il. There is a
better way TO look at ones daily work.
IL not . task: IL is a blessing and the
one we are fitted Tor or IL would not be
ours Sometimes. / must admit, IL is
punishment that we have brought on
ourselves. We may have been self-willed
and declined TO learn a lesson that would
have fitted us FOR something better. II
such should he the case. let's take our
medicine and keep a smiling face.
The bitterest woman l know Is one
who married in the face OF opposition
Her mother and father were dead. for
tunately. for the results OF the marriage
would have broken their hearts.~In ten
years he drank and gambled away
beautiful town house and a nice farm,
besides money in the bank. She forgets
that her present home, a two-rOOm log
house on another mans farm is the
prophecy OF her family. She is the sort
that complains OF the trifling tasks so
often DONE" yet she has never lifted her
hands 10 better her condition; she spends
her time right there and every thing Is
spotiess. for she has her pride and en-
ergy Of a certain sort But on! she Is so
bitter
What would you do under similar cir
cumstancesT' am asked. And / frank
Is say that I do not know. 1 don't be-
Heye I would have ever let my home
60. though married woman who has put
up with almost as much as Mrs Grace
says she let her home so to save her
mind. He was running her crazy with
the constant nagging and harsh language.
But is not all on one side. 1 have
heard men bewail the fact that they
we're wasting their time doing things
that "anyhody could do" and the ''tedi-
Gus iteration was almost more than
they could bear. In this country there
is chance for every one. IL the stablli-
~ and singleness OF vision is there
A farmer on a rented place does not
have TO stay there many years. / know
men who we're half troopers" who are
now owners OF fine, well stocked farms.
They must be up with the birds in the
morning and really take an interest in
things. Sleep at noon. but don't sleep
after 4 in the morning The wives OF
lazy men are the real sufferers; they are
keepers Of the cOmmissaries. and if
there Is nothing there TO supply the de-
mand then there is trouble and NORTH
cation Here is a better verse 10 say
as the tedious round OF trivial tasks is
done:
10. amid the press.
The whirl and hum and pressure OF my
day,
1 hear Thy garments sweep-Thy
seamless dress.
And close beside my work and WEAKNESS
Discern Thy gracious form. not far
away.
But very near. o Lord. to help and
bless"
Some Of the most helpful women 1
know have always been tied TO ''life's
trivial tasks" as the world looks at
them. and have pondered over the beau
tiful in life and tried to live beautiful
lives tilI their cOuntenances shine. one
OF this sort sews by the day and takes
care OF a blind sister. We see mono
logues and hear stories OF gOssiping
seamstresses, but Miss Cora" is a well
come guest wherever she goes. Her
heart is obliged 10 be heavy very often,
but no home is made sad by her tales
Of her sisters ailments and her strug
giles / know for, a fact that she has
set at the table and eaten dry bread
when the poor blind sister had a beau
tlful quail. Birds cost 80 cents and IL
had been lCnged for until Miss Cora
took to money and bought the bird.
Did her sister know It? Not at all.
They chatted as happily over that meal
and discussed the flavor OF birds bought
in the market as those trapped on the
the old place. just as il both had birds.
Can't this be a lesson for some Of US?
We have too many things that are really
not necessary.
/ know there are many who never have
even all Of the necessities. but their time
Is coming II they don't form bad habits
or let procrastinatiOn steal their time
away. Don't sit and dream and say II I
had the opportunities OF So-and-So I'd
succeed Make your opportunities by
doing your present work so well that you
win have time to devote to your prefer
ence m work Grasp every opportunity
TO educate yourself. Tell me what you
read and I can very nearly always tell
you what you viii be. I do not say q
word against novels OF the right sort.
clean language. wholesome IN thought
and showing the lives of wellbred people.
Many a SRI. or boy, has come into the
larger life OF the city and met its prob
lens because Of the frst-class. whole
some literature at home But who can
form a true character from Laura Jean
Libby or that class2 There are such peo-
pie. mOre's the pity. but theye or their
ancestors were made 50 by Just such
trash I am told that Mrs. Holmes did
not allow her girls TO read what she
wrote Ot-hoilers." she called them.
How does this come in with your title,
Miss ThOmas?" I hear some one say.
Most assuredly IL is a part Of the days
routine TO read something. Have a
thought tackled on the kitchen wall un-
al you learn il. Take a week. II II is
necessary to read a good short story. and
the god editorial How many OF you
read the editorials I'm this paper? You
who do not are missing something. Let
your minds be filled with these and high