Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-17
WHAT AUGUST TEACHES ME.


The days of my life are all full to
| overfowing 1t seemed to me, years
| ago. that surely as i grew older and
! became more skillful in conserving my
energies and making my duties fit into
the days plans that / would have more
time to call my own, that l could claim
| at least one hour each day, or one
day each week for things that did not
have to be done right then. and were
put aside to mbe done leisurely and as
a recreation.
But that time seems as far away
now as il did twenty years ago.
/ started to tell friend that this
month had been the busiest in my life,
but the thought came to me that every
month seemed that way.
| But | am glad that my crowded hours
dc not fret me. 1 do just as much as
| can and let what is impossible for
that day go into the next. Canning, saw
| ing seeds, looking after the home and
flocks is not a small job, but last week
we had all Of that and services in our
little church. Up with the birds in the
morning, and the morning routine over,
we have canned tomatoes, made water
melon rind sweet pickles, put things in
brine, taken off baby chicks, doctored
small turkey and have been to church
twice each day.
1t has been a week that will be re-
membered for many reasons. One is
that we have seen the sort of hospi-
| tality that should be in all communi-
| ties inaugurated We have cooked
bT eakfast and dinner at the same time,
not the sort one takes to a picnic, but
vegetables, bread and other things. We
have visited from house to house and
noted the abundance of good things. no
waste. mind you. but homegrown
products, well cooked and daintily pre-
pared.
It is a pleasure to say to a friend,
come with us today" and then go home
and take up beans. beets corn, a bak-
ed chicken and out of the safe get
bread, potato salad and a glass of jelly,
have fresh butter and buttermilk and
serve them without the heat and IA
tigue that so often accompanies the
noon meal. Try it. you who have been
stewing and baking In the heat
My life in the real country far from
the throng has taught me why so many
farmers wives have broken down, why
they go crazy or die, and l pass the
thought on to you. farmer goes
into a field and If he is not trifling. he
works steadily until noon. He eats his
dinner, rests and goes to work again
When quitting time" comes he leaves
the field and if he has not finished he
goes back until he does. The average
farmers wife has dinner ready at noon,
then she does not sit down fifteen or
twenty minutes and let the hot kitchen
cool little. She rushes into the work,
goes from one thing to another all day
long and often it is bed time when she
leaves the kitchen, or If she has an early
supper she mends or sews the long, long
seams until bed time.
I am not going to tell anyone how
to manage their home affairs, all of us
have to overcome our. own difficulties.
But | will tell you from my own expe-
rience that little rest at noon means
more work accomplished during the day.
Rest does not always mean doing abso-
lutely nothing, though it is a good thing
to lie flat on ones back and relax the
tired frame or sit on the piazza and
read little. 10 ah.E .-.
Get in the coolest spot you can find
and do your mending IF you cannot af-
ford to sit down without some sort of
employment. Do not misunderstood me.
1 do not advise anyone to shirk a duty.
but ones highest duty is to keep in a
condition fit for work. Look over your
work, take time to really see what is
before you for tomorrow and plan it so
that it will not fret you. Make up
your mind, my sister that three hot
meals are sinful if that third meal
means the wear and tear of your tenn
per. l know women that have spoiled
their men folks until it would be very
disagreeable for the wife If a cold din
ner. or cold supper should be set before
them. Talk the matter over and let
them see that it lis a cruel thing to
demand and most of the men will see
rea son.
do not believe many men would en-
joy hot meal that they knew meant
the shortening of the wife's life. / have
the faith in humanity that teaches me
that there are more good people than
bad ones, and a man should practice
some self denial in his home Try it
and see how it works out And right
here l want to say to the men that a