The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-07-22
BUSY MOTHER.

The mother, in homes where the
family income is but an average one,
is q pretty busy individual-notwith-
standing the idea the teachers seem
to have, that mothers haven't much
to do and are Sinking that. 1t is
mother, il such households, who arises
early in the morning, gets breakfast
started, and then arouses the sleepy,
irritable youngsters, helps them dress,
combs the snarls out of the little GlrPs
hair, sees that the children's5 faces
and hands are clearly, serves break
fast, and sees that the little folks are
hurried Off to school in time. That
means at least two busy hours or
more for mother in the morning, after
which She washej the dishe3 and
sweeps and dusts and makes the beds,
and by that time it is time to prepare
the monday meal for the noisy, hun
cry brood Of youngsters-an mean
time there are countless things to do
Tor THE littlest one who is too young
to go to school, but who has to be Civ
ell a drink OF water or have an in
jured finger kissed and tied up by
mother, or numberless other little at
tentions given that add to his comfort
and peace of mind.
After the children are again at
school and father off to work, and the
dishwashing again looked after, and
the days mending attended to, mother
may have little leisure, but that ends
with the return OF the children at 4
o'clock, again hungry, and demanding
lunch to appease their raVenous APP
petites until the evening meal. They
have their stories OF the days tri-
unphs to relate in order to secure
their mete of praise from mother, or
4 days misfortune, in the form OF a
failure in their lessons, or quarrel
with a childhood friend-and then
mother must mend the broken hearts
and cheer the little folks and send
them about their play, before she
starts on the third meal of the day.
And the day does not close for her un-
til she has tucked the youngsters away
in bed, meanwhile having Gained nu-
merous quarrels-for children, being
still in the barbarian stage OF human
existence, and full of energy as well,
are usually quarrelsome.
And while mother is doing all this.
in the morning teacher may be eat
ing a leisurely breakfast and prepar-
ing a careful toilet before starting on
her days work. And in the late al
ternoon and evening, while she may
have some examination papers to go
over, or some school work of that sort,
she is more apt to be going to the
movies with some young man, or read
ing a magazine, or playing tennis. Aid
her Saturday and Sundays are her
own, as well as two-thirdS OF the sum
mers vacation, even though she may
have to attend a teachers institute and
possibly summer school, in order to
keep up with her work.
Mother seldom gets vacation, that
is, the mother in the average Ameri
away from home she usually has tC
take some OF the children along with
her, and every mother will tell You q
child is twice the trouble away from
home that he is at home.
So, while the teacher has hel
troubles, and her complaint that par
ents are trying to force too much o.
the work that belongs in the homes
upon the teacher is true, and while
much of the criticism from teacher:
is justified and many parents are
careless ct their children's welfare
beyond seeing that they are clad ant
fed, the accusations do not apply tt
the mother in the average household
She is still on the job, and it is he
influence and her example that girl
and boys who grow up to be decen
men and good women have reason Il
thank. -Abcrdeen News.