Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-07
Useful
The C,onservators
Making Old Things Do Art TO Be
Cultivated
tBy Ada Pnttcrson.)

She Is tall and has complexion lik,
cup Of weak chocolate. a wide pleas
ant smile and kecnly obscrvant eyes
She is that helpful institution for bus,
women in large city, the visiting
maid.
''Yes nam" she said. scrutinizins =
girdIe and giving testing tug at a
shook to see whether IL were stronE
ssenough 10 stand the days strain. Il
m,saw her throw away a good jacket
EShe threw IL into the middle OF the
lgstreet. She says / Amt Eoin't to wear
|sthat thing no more. II amt the style.
"a made up my mind that was going
sSto get that coat. Id havc been glad
ito wear H. Bat by the time l had
4 locked the IRON, and back door al
,Aways has 10 90 thst in that ;hievin'
y neighoorhooG--it was gone"
g Title IS one OF the worlds tonserva-
d tors. Mollie. her neichnor. IN one OF
i the crowded tcncmcnis near North Riv-
er, is one % is MASTERS Tillie knows
\ that whatever j. clean and MAJ be
i made whole-she IS AN artist III these
. ing-can BE used somewhere. some
how. Hence her mourning Of the cast
OF jacket
II, might no. have been good enough
for MolltC - wear - church or when
she goes OF; walking Win her young
man, but Il was GOOD enough 10 throw
over YOUR head when YOU 50 10 the
butcher. ana 70 wear through the halls
on cold MORNINGS when YOU so 70 the
door for the milk Il would save her
better one ana make your ne~ ore ;ast
LONGER I does hate 20 see things
Thrown away
Titles lanientatior mean; more than
the accumulaiiye instinct OK some 9:
her race /; denoted her as one 81
the valuable class Of persons who are
the ca-e-take-s Of The world.
l. - not III all 90 rs TO build she
had not the power TO orsanize. 20 con-
struct. 20 erect monuments OF indus
try. Il Is no; IN al! Of Us 10 heal. Our
tongues may be too like the stiietto
points. our hands too heavy. perhaps
our hearts TOO hard or the area OF seuti-
ment in our character map too arid.
But We can all be conservators. We
can take care OF what is. We can pre-
serve.
Show me what u woman does with
her clothes n night and ! will tell
YOU whether Sro : a conscrvator or
n waster. Does she spread her gown
carefully over chair back, turning
the lininL outward to Vcniilate the
garment. and letting the folds hang
straight so that they Will not wrinkle?
II she does that she has earned the
title OF conScrVator. or does she fling
it IN neglected heap upon the ioor
or leave II wherever IL drops? The fate
OF the "astcr j. awaiting her around
the corner.
Does the housckeeper Let the gas
stove burn while she pccls her pota-
toes; Does she throw into the garbage
can Il half saucer Of berries left from
breakfast" Does she make more starch
than she needs for washing" Does she
throw out bones wi.h numerous bits
of meat sticking to them" Does she
~ ha ic
100 careless or thoughtlcss TO rescue it
from the dissolvinG water OF dishpan
or washtub? Then is she a wastcr
For the conscrvator would not turn
on the gas Of the stove until the po-
tatoes were peeled and ready 10 be
set on 10 boil. The Conservator would
make the remaining berries the basis
for pudding or AT least the flavor Of
a pudding. She would calculate to a
1"asDoonful the amount Of starch she