The Washington herald., 1912-06-30
Lead to Actual Interest.

tine.
Lead to Actual Interest.
The experiment led to an actual inter
est in planning pleasant variations and
surprises and eventually this home-maker
began 10 look upon her end OF the part
nership as an interesting occupation.
quite worthy her best plans and most ac-
tive thoughts.
It depends upon how domestic work is
done whether or not II becomes a dreary
routine OF deadly monotony or whether
It becomes as exalted as any work In
the world.
The home woman is apt to think that
there are more unpleasant drudgeries in
taking care OF a home than there are
in any other business in the world, but
In this she Is mistaken. Every business
has its drudgeries, and the man or wo-
man who succeeds wades into them at
times up TO his, or her, ears. Whether
these drudgeries wear one to a fraZzIe
all depends upon ones mental attitude
toward them-one's resistance or nonre-
sistance Of necessary work.
I had a striking example OF one OF
our absurd methods OF wasting precious
energy one very warm and humid after
noon last week. I was waiting for a
train at Union Station. Sitting near me
was a woman from whose face the per
spiratlon ran in little rivers. She sat
bolt upright. every muscle tense, staring
hXedly at the exit entrance for incom-
ing passengers-although not five min
utes before the gateman had told her
that the train for which she was wait
ing was a full'half hour late. She was
expending enough energy to have we'll
nigh moved a train, and all to no pur-
pose. Her high tension in no way hur-
ried the cars along, but II did wear her
out, make her exceedingly warm. and
make the time seem doubly long.
Common Examples.
Haven't you seen folk on the street
cars Just as foolishly wasting their vital
strength? Haven't you seen men and
women sit on the edge OF a car seat
their bodies strained forward as though
they were trying TO push the car on to
a faster speed?
Wasted energy! For the pushing with
our bodies accomplishes only WEAKNESS
for US. and the shortening OF our lives.
A noted writer makes herself physi-
cally comfortable before she begins the
dictat!on of a story. She puts on a
soft negligee and lies down on com
Portable couch. There she relaXes the
body, leaving her brain to work with
out being hampered by taut muscles and
tense nerves. She not only accomplish hes
better work through this method, but
saves herself unnecessary fatigue.
When we all learn not to use our mus
cles where only brains are required for
the accomplishment OF a task we will
have learned a lesson that will mean
better health. longer life, and greater
happiness TO US.
Nor, It isn't the work we do-reEard-
less Of its nature-that tires us out so
utterly as the manner in which we &C
cOmplish that work. e.
Any task in the world to which we
bring mental resistance will exhaust US.
So wouldn't we accomplish more in the
way Of work and more in the way of
happiness, II We set about the things
that we know We must do in a cheerful
spirit. determined TO distinguish and
glOrify even the most menial task
through an active interest that will lift
It above the deadly monotony OF which
so many homemakers complain?
The Chicago woman found II worth an
experiment or two, and remember It all
ended in her feeling as much pride in the
meals she prepared as her husband felt
in the work at his end Of the line
And the little children whom God gave
into her keeping are growing into man
hood and womanhood with respect for
their mother, and something akin 70
for their home, which is in
hnitely better than the memory, all
through life, of an always weary, dis
contented, irritable woman ordering their
destinies. .
Don't you think so?