The Colorado statesman., 1919-02-08
LESSON IN CONSERVATION
BY CAROLYN sHERwlN eAlLgH.


one of the greatest of the good i'm.
pulses born of the recent struggle Is
the ideal of thrift and conservation
that Ii Is bringing to the children OF
American homes. Without feeling the
pinch of actual want, they are learn
| 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 nf an art, and
simple living is going TO make heal
thier bodies and stronger minds for
the children who will bo the citizens
of tomorrow's freedom.
Help the children, through n story,
to work out a plan of conservation
that will fit their own lives. What
on his own plane can little child
do without, share, or put In Il wider
use? The story of THE Birthday
| Cake" suggests food econo..:.:, and af-
ter the children have heard ii they
may make their own application oE
the lesson in other home sacrifice.
"It will need four eggs and n 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.
"It needs sugar. 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 few days.
1t was to be her birthday cake, rich
and sweet, and shining on the supper
table with six pink, lighted candles.
Plan to Be Saving.
"I am afraid that the cake and the
frosting together will use up all our
sugar." mother said MS she came back.
"I wonder" she went on. with just
a little bit of worry in her voice, "if
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
derful part about mother and Barbara,
they so often thought the same things
Then they said something to each
other, laughed, and hugged each other,
and mother put away the big yellow
mixing bowl and -four 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 Ill for long
time. He was getting better and
could sit in the big rocking chair, all
wrapped up in 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 it bottle of
creamy milk and a bag that held four
white eggs.
Here is a part Of my birthday cake
for you, Timothy" Barbara said. III
will make you get well faster"
Granny Blake was just putting her
tea kettle on her stove when she heard
n knock at the door of her little house.
|
who loved Granny Blake so much. No
one could make such nice rag dolls
as Granny, and she was always cheer
full and smiling, even when she had
hardly enough Goals to make her kettle
boil.
Making Others Happy.
Rarbara still carried her basket, and
she took a package of sugar and a
freshly baked loaf of wheat bread out
of it.
Here is part of my birthday
cake for you, dear Granny" Barbara
said. This is sugar for your ten, and
mother made the flour into loaf of
bread for you to eat with it,
Then Barbara went home almost as
happy as if she had eaten large
niece of frosted birthday cake. But
when the day was almost over and 1t
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 surprise
she found there!
In 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 a bowl that held six
beautiful pink roses and beside Bar
bara's plate was parcel wrapped In
pink tissue paper. When Barbara
blew out the candles and opened the
parcel she found pink hair ribbon
for birthday present.
|
"What beautiful birthday this has
been, mother" Barbara said, without
birthday cake!"
Why Delay?
"Take this medicine" said the young