Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-02

"sHE'S A GOOD

sect Mrs. Smith on your committee % saith Mrs. Brown,
she's a good worker" So Mrs. Brown Immediately tee-
phones Mrs. Smith, and Mrs. Smith, after taking a hasty ment-
al inventory of her engagements, agrees to serve.
Mrs. Smith is a "fne woman, . a "good woman-a thor
oughly good woman" and as Mrs. Brown and the whole parish
know, she is ga good WORKER For those simple reasons, no
committee is complete without her. She is not only substan-
ial and dependable, but she is also enthusiastic, all of which
accounts for the fact that whatever she gets behind is always
successful. She can push a church supper or a hospital benefit,
or a womans club department, or a huge charity ball, and
each one is notably successful. And at the same time, while
she is in the throes of all these activities, she is carrying her
household along capably and cherrily over its smooth tracks,
with all the wheels CREASED, and with herself usually the entire
crew.
Mrs. Smith is ~forty-two. She has been carrying all these
kinds Of activities-some Of us would call them burdens-for
nearly twenty years. Her home is not neglected, nor her hus-
band, nor her children. But Mrs. Smith is neglected. The mass
of details that are constantly crowding upon her to be taken
care of, one by one, leave her no time for mental relaxation. Ii
she were to confess, her brain gets tired, and her head acnes,
and there are many hours in the night when she does not sleep.
So, in accordance with her habit OF making moments count,
she utilities these moments of seeplessness for planning out
more details of her many interests.
If Mrs. Smith by any chance should read tnese words oI
truth in regard to her, I am sure she wouldn't recognize her-
self at all. Because she thinks she is only doing her part,
and besides, 'Mrs. Smith is not her real name. But she lsa
real person. She lives in every community, and IN every cnurcn'
and in every club, and in every benevolent order.
Just now one "Mrs. Smith went past this window. her
cburch is having a sfair'', and I am sure that she has conCrlDu-
ted an immense number Of articles to that falr-aH OF nr OWL
manufacture. I should say, for a guess, that she mas nyPno-
tized her sewing machine into making a dozen a = Ms api amd
with real buttonholes, and the seams nicely hnlsneo), ana
that she has made half a dozen dainty linen nanoAeIcne,s'
all this week. And for another guess, | should say tnat she
has probably made this morning, a beautiful layer cake OF
two. the kind that really does melt in your mouth. and cruiiers
that are equally perfect and two or three molds OF thas creamy
gelatine that looks like ambrosia and a Few pounos q naa y co.
candy 7 also know that when her husband comes home 1or
his lunch, and the children drift IN from scnool, 5ney :
have to 90 to the pantry shelves because 1t II mo'ner 8 DuSs
day. They are fed adequately. as usual ~ c-.A
Do Won know what 7 should like to tell TINS MIS-. omte
and ali the other Smiths? 1 should like to speak in words OF
fire. This is what 1 should say: Learn to say Moi =. De om a
committee once in a while, if you feel that yor must keep your
community spirit in repair, but say NO as often as you can.
Then take a little time each day for doing something dengn.
FIJI. if II is only a lazy hour with a frivolous magazine that you
know is a waste of time. Or call up that delightful woman
that you haven't had time to call on, and ask hr II she wiz .
at home to YOU. She will be delighted to get out hr ioveiy Tea
service. and you will wonder how you could nave iet all hese
months 90 by, when such a treat was there all the time' a"alE
ing you. o4.. .ho,+ ! saving
NO. and that is this: When it becomes DEFINITELY onaers.ooo
that q can and do refuse to shoulder all the big JOBS, tnere
will arise other women, many Of them, who have anihIy ana
enthusiasm that would never come to the surface II the oppor-
unity r. NOT presented to them by your refusal. 1t will DO
them all good to take their turn, and perhaps your gooo y
ample will teach them to stop, as you are gong u STOP "nn'
+Lara ia vet time.