Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-02-13
LESSON IN CONSERVATION
By CAROLYN sHERwIN BAILEY.

BY CAROLYN sHERWIN BAILEY.
One Of the greatest Of the good i'm
pulses born of the recent struggle Is
the ideal of thrift and conservation
that 1t is bringing to the children OF
American homes Without feeling the
pinch Of actual want, they are leara-
ing the useful game of making the
best and the most Of things. New
values are being discovered, economy
is no longer looked down upon, but
Is raised to the level of an art, and
simple living is going to make heal
thier bodies and stronger minds for
the children who will be the citizens
Of tomorrow's freedom.
Help the children, through q story.
to work out a plan Of conservation
that will fit their own lives. What,
on his own plane can a little child
do without, share, or put to a wider
use? The story Of "The Birthday
Cake" suggests food economy, and af-
ter the children have heard 1t they
may make their own application OF
the lesson in other home sacrifice.
ut will need four eggs and a cupful
Of sugar and some milk and some
-four" mother said, as she went to the
pantry to get the yellow mixing bowl
and the sitter to make Barbara's birth
day cake.
at needs ugar, too, for the frost
ing, and please make very thick frost
ing, mother DEAR" Barbara begged.
She was standing beside the kitchen
table, watching, for she was going to
be six years old in Just a few days.
It was to be her birthday cake, rich
and sweet, and shining on the supper
table with six pink, lighted candles.
Plan to Be Saving.
II am afraid that the cake and the
frosting together will use up oil our
sugar." mother said as she came back.
II wonder" she went on, with just
a little bit Of worry in her voice, III
we could manage with two eggs In
stead Of four. Eggs cost so much
now"
"Well we have to make a birthday
cake, don't we mother, because ! al
ways cut it and share it?" Barbara
said. Mother looked down in Bar
bara's kind little face and she thought
q moment, too. That was the won
derful part about mother and Barbara,
they so often thought the same things.
Then they said something to each
other, laughed, and Rugged each other,
and mother put away the big yellow
mixing bowl and flour sitter.
The next day was Barbara's birth
day and two people who didn't have
birthdays had surprises.
Timothy, whose mother did the
washing, had been very i'll for a long
time. He was getting better and
could sit in the big rocking chair, all
wrapped up in a quilt, and try to smile
out through the window when Bar
!, bara passed. Barbara stopped at
Timothy's door ON the morning Of her
:, birthday. She had a basket on her
arm. She took from 1t a bottle Of
creamy milk and a bag that held foui
I white eggs.
Here is a part Of my birthday cake
for you, Timothy" Barbara said. 1T
!, will make you get well faster"
: Granny Blake was just putting her
: tea kettle on her stove when she heard
! q knock at the door Of her little house.
J When she opened it she saw Barbara
/, who loved Granny Blake SO much. No
one could make such nice rag dolls
, as Granny, and she was always cheer
: full and smiling, ever when she had
} hardly enough Goals to make her kettle
, boil.
Making Others Happy.
] Barbara still carried her basket, and
I she took q package of sugar and a
, freshly baked loaf Of wheat bread out
9 of 1t.
Here is a part of my birthday
, cake for you, dear Granny" Barbara
said. "Thls is sugar for your tea, and
mother made the flour into q loaf of
bread for you to eat with it."
Then Barbara went home almost as
, happy as If she had eaten a large
|. piece Of frosted birthday cake. But
when the day was Almost over and II
! grew dark, Barbara began to wish
, that she could see the six pink lighted
, candles shining for her birthday. She
. went slowly in to supper, thinking
!. of them. And, oh, what a surprise
she found therei
In a rosy circle in the middle Of
! the table shone six pink, lighted can
, dies set in six pink rosebud holders,
In the center of this birthday circle
Of lights was o bowl that held six
, beautiful pink roses and beside Bar.
. bara's plate was a parcel wrapped in
pink tissue paper. When Barbara
blew out the candles and opened the
parcel she found a pink hair ribbon
9 for q birthday present.
"What q beautiful birthday this has
been, mother" Barbara said, without
a birthday cakef"