The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-07-19
Mother Who Always Finds
Excuses for Youngsters
Untidiness and Way of
Turning Home Into Dis
order Wonders Why She
Never Can Keep a Serv-
ant and Blames 1t on Bad
Luck.
BY ISOBEL BRANDS.

n 4 RS. JENNINGS is one of tho
III women who Just can't keep
v maid" or as she naively
puts II, "she hasn't any luck
with them" It's a marvel to her, too,
because she always helps with the
housework and does almost all of the
cooking, and helps with the children,
ana Is the industrious. work from
dawn-to- dark type. Mrs. Jennings at
tributes 1t sometimes to the fact that
she has four children-two big. romp-
inS boys and two healthy. active little
girls. scattered between the ages of
z and ~.
pens to have one-work all day. their
span state that one would expect.
There's a very simple cause for the
hou.ehold--the fact that the entire
family, although neat in person, are ex-
traordinarily untidy in habits, and ut
terly without considerations for the
Little Jimmy. age seven. jumps out Of
his pa1amas In the morning. leaves the
said garments and HIS bathrobe
wherever they happen to fall. drags out
fonier.. selects one. let's the others lie
around on chairs. and repeats the per-
formance with other items of apparel
The Dash for School.
Luella's departure for school might
well he announced with the anclen. cpl
gram. After me. the deluge.' She
leaves a trail OF ribbons. pencils. note
paper. half-worn dresses somewhere
along the road from her room to the
tire family are Impressed into service
to search out her rubbers. which she
hasn't the faintest notion Of ever plac-
Ing In any one spot. She Is sure that
them on the last cleaning day. when
the long suffering Nita mad the cour-
age and hardihood to endeavor to put
her wardrobe In shape.
with social ambitions. doesn't believe
Il lady-like to stoop and pick up things
as long as there Is q maid in the home.
So she consciously and deliberately per-
70 pick up and fetch for her.
As for rhornton-quite a young man
at fourteen-he doesn't feet that he
should be expected to pick up his things
Too much like an old maid! Fathers
alkwed to sC-.Sr cigar ashes over the
bel rug II he feels like It. and to him
IT'S an evidence Of manhood for a
e2st anywhere he happens to pull them
A Little Planning Needed.
Nobody can demand that father re-
form, II he has grown up in habits of
personal carelessness. He's probably too
settled in such habits for preaching to
DO any good. Besides. being usually
the hardest worked member of the fam
fly he has a right to comfort, even II 1t
adds q bit to the household labors.
But there Is no reason In the world
why children should be permitted to add
10 the burden of housekeeping by their
careless habits. It's unjust to the child
a. we'll as to the housekeeper. The lit
tie actions that make for personal neat
noss-the thoughtfulness for the conven-
ience Of others-can become an uncon-
ocious habit Just as easily as the care
less, inconsiderate actions. Sometimes
Il takes the iron hand of a very wise
mother to enforce neatness and thought
fllness where II Is not habitual, but it's
an effort worth the price!
Mrs. Jennings doesn't know why she
can't keep a maid. When the maid on
one or two occasions rose up In wrath
after having to spend half morning
picking up" Mrs. Jennings offered
some excuse for the children-they were
'1ate for school," or too tired last
There 10 always some excuse for the
children. Mrs. Jennings doesn't recog-
nize that her children can possess a
fault. And she is wearing herself thin
catering to their untidy habits!
Copyright 1870.