The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-15
"Mrs. Bride Hears Something
About Lies Little Rest Room
Every Woman Should Have Little Nook Corner of Her Own
to Steal Away and Commune With Herself-Label it Mrs
Bluebeard's Closet" What You Wil-Taking a
Mental Inventory AS It Were
BY DOLLY DALRYMPLK

/ days-thnk. have wonderful couch
there and my own little old writing desk
that 1 owned as child and We got
pen that will write and a frivolous lit
tie dressing table, all mussed up with
things that don't have in my own room.
There's where | dismantle; take off my
false hair; put on my comfortable slip
pers and negligee and just enjoy my own
delightful company. | find it's restful,
elevating, satisfying and pleasant
You mean this room of yours is
sort of precious jewel full of books
that no one reads but yourself" Mrs.
Bride classified, land with things that
nobody uses but just you and
Exactly" the older woman confessed,
and l assure you my dear that when
come out after a couple of hours alb
sence from the world of cooks and
housemaids and butchers and bakers to
say nothing of overheated and nervous
relatives that the result justified the
cause"
How did you ever happen to think of
such thing?" asked Mrs. Bride becom-
| ing interested.
MY mother in my young days was an
invalid said Mrs. Petunia and all that
time my father had a great many finan-
cial worries. Our family, While devoted
as any could possibly be, often got at
SKIES and sevens. l used to get terribly
upset. but | found If could get away for
an hour or so. I'd come back different
sort of person, rested and quiet. and my
nerves under perfect CONTROL after re-
! freshing my mind with my favorite books
and detaching myself from the general
worries of the house ! could come back
strengthened and much easier to get
along with"
There was little room on the third
floor of my fathers old colonial home in
the country" continued the widow "and
used TO find myself carrying my favor
ite books up there and doing my writing
there and finally | came to look upon it
as my rest room. The family thought it
was silly but my mother knew. She said
| might have it, and so 1t became my
treasured possession. ! daily left my sur
roundings, just as regularly as | went to
my meals, and in my little rest room /
acquired most of the knowledge that has
since helped me along the rough pathway
of life. | found when | got off to myself
and did some original thinking of my
| own, disrobed myself of the clothes that
spelled society and people and got into a
meaningless negligee and perhaps worked
on some dainty piece of embroidery, and
in the meantime thinking out my
thoughts that | was happier. better
woman than before ! began such things
but people cant 90 that sort of thing
nowadays Mrs. Bride protested. I'VE
are all too busy"
81 know said the widow. that's Just
the point. A rest room is far more neces-
sary to the average woman today than
it was % years ago. She has more to
worry her and fret her. / think every
woman ought TO be self ndulgent to GER
tain point. A woman owes it her hiis-
band and her children and her friends to
take care of herself. BY judicious rest
n nd lAttIrr
and mother would have ten times as much
influence and power in her own family az
she ordinarily does. When she feel sa dis
satisfaction with life generally. the irrita-
hility that she wants to conquer but can't.
She ought to run like turkey off 10 her
little rest room, and forget everything ex-
cept that she's there to conquer"
Mrs. Bride wondered If many women
knew this secret.
Yes" said Mrs. Petunia: II believe
they do. Without knowing It, they have
got hold of a truth valuable enough to
pass on and they ought to do 1t. I know
one woman who has little cottage up in
the country that she drives to in her au-
tombile and stays there for three or four
days at a time, getting herself together.
as 1t were. | know another who has a
little shack down by the sea in the south
ern part of this state, and she goes thare
every spring and fall and rests.
wonder how I could manage" Mrs
Bride reflected, which room"
ANY of them" Mrs. Petunia advised
Your house is big enough for a hotel and
even If you have to go up to the attic
and label your retreat Mrs. Bluebeard's
Closet" you should have 1t. I will anx-
fously wait to see YOU acquire the rest
room habit It's the blessedest thing that
can happen TO a family when the petit
coated head of it starts out knowing what
she owes to herself and her own, and
pays the debt like lady"