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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1907)
m V 10 The Commoner. . J' VOLUME 6, NU1VJBER 51 i a m JCtlUwi tTi l"i ii ! i t ii i rtTTnuMiTmnB Lo SM. J jMOm'r Jhaey Jbjsxstr jJP (L3 1 1 ..jjjaar-'"1 ' Conducted by mrwwsa$M& ilDepanmeni OJA Snowed Under Of all tho things that the year snowed under, The busy Old Year that has gone away, How many will rise in the 'spring, I wonder, . Brought to light by the warmth of May? Will the rose-tree branches, so wholly hidden' -, That never a rose tree . it seems to be, At the sweet spring's call come forth unbidden, And bud in beauty and bloom for me? Will the fair, green earth, whose throbbing bosom Is hid, like a maid's in her gown at night, Wake out of her sleep, and with blade and blossom Gem her garments to please my sight?. - - , , Over the knoll in the yalley yonder, The loveliest buttercups- 4 bloomed and grew; "When,, the snow is gone . tha,t .drifted them under., Will they shoot up sunward and' bloom anew? When the wild winds blew "and . the. sleet storm pelted, . :i ,4i 1 lost a jewel of pricelesswworth?" ' It I "walk that way when the snows ' have melted, ' . Will the gem gleam up from the bare, brown earth? IJaid a love that was dead--or dvinir. For the year to bury and ;hide from' sight; But out of a trance, will it. waken, crying, And push to my heart like a leaf to - the -light? Under .the. snow- lie - things so cherished Hopes, ambitions, and dreams of men, -Faces that vanished and trusts that perished, Never to sparkle or glow again. The Old Year greedily grasped his plunder, Covered it over, and hurried away; Of the thousand things he hid, I wonder, . '. How many will rise at the call of May? Ella Wheeler Wilcox. For the New Year Did you do all the things you prom ised yourself to do during the year S S2f8!S in "story? Perhaps v ? I the wlsh t0 d0 them made you better and stronger in future, S.iyou Wl11 try hard enough. Many things we might do, if we but thought i,R. n;,vr t "" r11 ut to --, ulclu la-one cnmg to whioh LTl1,?11 Z attention get the agea "' " not for" lBtnne Sf "? rS,l ?unshie pathway, nf . ' ,a iT "i. c alnS He oia nor; r ;m,," .0-..ma.ny an ness of agefto Be ;Vtheyor" generation ,i ..V ."IB ?.unger v.. " ' , " ouuu nome, tnouch they may have every kindness -a ! .xvyxi mem, with all uf ?vLD AND WKLL TniRD RKMWDT find colic and 1, tho bw remedy to? .'wenty-avecentB bottle! Iowea7 Ior diarrhoea. material wants supplied liberally, they may yet feel a pitiable sense of. de pendence and pauperism because, no body thinks to put a little money in their purse that can be spent abso lutely unquestioned, as thdy choose. Often the little things they crave seem so utterly foolish and useless to younger persons, that it seems but a waste; but do not w'e all waste at times in our money spending? Are all our purchases "bargains?" What of the little wants their loving care so willingly catered to in our helpless childhood? This withholding of the hand may be but because of thoughtlessness; or it may be because of lack of money on the part of the younger family. If one should suggest to certain people that the old people might like a little spend ing money, the answer, ten chances to one, would be: "Why, what use have they for money? We get them every thing they need."- But do you? To be sure, they do not ask in so many words; but give them a handful of change, and see how their eyes bright en! Do not begrudge them the Httle sumsr even if, the giving does cost you some, self-denial. Do you think they thought it a waste to. gratify your enactions when you were the de pendents? Ah, no. To please you was their one thought and joy. What 'did- they not bear in toil and caref that you might have your .wishes gratified! 1 Little Earnings - There are many things by the doing of which, .the old people could earn a little money for themselves, and the doing would bo a pleasure and a re lief to them. Grandmother could piece quilts, knit little articles and garments, cut and sew filling for car petsfbraid rugs, darn, mend, or stay with the little ones while the mother went out for an evening or afternoon, while -grandfather would delight to do little tricks of furniture-mending, help ing with the garden, . doing, easy chores, sharpening tools, and many like little services for a neighbor, for which he would be glad proud, to receive the remuneration, and the work would, in either case, serve to keep alive the waning faculties of the feeble old body. If such little "jobs" are ottered them, and rrmv mm n. cept, let them do so, glad that the stagnation of their lives" can be "thus broken up. Just now a letter came to me, writ ten by one of our readers in far-away NewEngland. In the little farm home there are just two old', ailing people, and somehow, I think you might like to read this little extractperhaps it might set you thinking. Some where, near your own home, there may oe lonely old people like these. She says: "The Christmas festivities are in projtreBS all ahmifc im. huf -nr strangers in a strange land in it, but uul oi it. -me temperature is down almost to zero, and last night we had a howling northwest wind that shook the windows and loose boards with a sound like the Fourth of July. We do not enjoy such weather. I never dreaded the cold of winter so much as I do this season. It is hard to keep warm, now, and it will be much harder when the snow lies two or three feet deep about us. If we had OUr WOOd CUt and hnnlorl nn i . ghed, the work would not seem so readthe letter, how ."grateful these old people would be if their younger, strong'neighbors would but meet some day and cut, haul and store their win ter's fuel 'for them, ready to their hand, and' thus, with no appreciable loss of time, in a fdw hours, do what it would cost the old people days of hard work and suffering to accom plish. "Inasmuch 'as ye have done it unto the least of 'these ye haver done', it 'unto me.'? Would it not be well? For the Girls at Home "There are many hundreds of young girls who, having finished at school, are at home for the first time, this winter. Before the end of their first year at home many of them will, be unhappy and discontented, unless tho future has something definite to offer them. Many of them will become simply unsalaried servants in the home," says an exchange, "and will not take cheerfully to the task, while oth ers will go into business, or wage worldng, or learning an occupation. But there will be hundreds who have neitlier tfte desire nor the aptitude, for joining, in the struggle, and the prob lem is, what is to be done with them. One wise mother suggests a' cpurse which she' hopes to pursue with her own daughter. She is going to turn over tie housekeeping to tier, daugh ter, and the young lady ' will, each week, Receive an envelope containing the amount which must Otherwise be paid to 'a TiOusekeeper. The ydung lady will be taught to buy everything that conies into the house, and can, if she buys wisely, save from ' the amount that is stipulated for house keeping expenses." This plan has much to recommend it, as girls would feel much more in dependent in their own home, and would be less likely to make a love less marriage, or enter into the struggle- with the world, if they could feel that they were earning something by the work they do, and that the money they spend is justly their own. The sense of responsibility in 'the social rush would give them the intellectual poise that is so necessary to one's happiness, and the experience in real, boni fide housekeeping would be of very great value to them in fitting them to keep homes of their ownV The amount of wage might not be so .great as they couid earn in some gainful occupation, but the work in the home would carry with It no sense, Te.al or fancied", of degradation, nor would it servo to set them outside the pale of social life because of the mistaken no tions held in general in regard to the status of the ."hired girl." The"n, too, the mother who has tolled and moiled and saved, it may be, that her daugh ter should have the best there was to be had in the way of schooling, would be able to rest and take her rightful place among her friends and asso ciates. The daughter's work in the home should be treated in a strictly business way, with no mistaken senti ment, and in this way, both the par ents and tha girl would be greatly benefited. In many families there will be more than one daughter, anct in this case, the work might be divided, each -serving In the capacity most suited to her tastes and abilities. To those whose position in life forbids their going out into the world to become Independent workers,, some such an arrangement might enable them to do in the homo A Woman's Worries It is the fashion to scold the women. Sometimes I think a little v of it is deserved but not all, for many of us do such senseless, useless, silly things under the impression that it is our duty so to do, or that it ia expected of us by our associates or demanded of us by our position. But Is it, really? It is safe to say. that every wqman knows her own complexities, The same things do not- press with equal weight upon usi'aU; but it is. not to be denied that there is too much worry goes to .the maimers of housekeeping; there are too many preserves, pickles, canned fruits, cakes and confections; too many tucks and ruffles an,d trim mings that go to the elaboration of the gown that is" in .season so brief a while; these elaborations add but lit tle to the beauty of the garment while adding immensely to the labor of the sewing woman and the laundress. But if we suggest such a thing to the aver age woman, she gives us a frightened glance and turns hurriedly to the lat est fashion plate for .defense, while she knows and you know that it is but the race with mothers to see which can transform her young into the most perfect imitation of the monstrosities therein pictured. Not a stitch less will be taken, for all your preaching. Women's fetters are largely self made. Carving, upholstery, draperies, brasses, bronzes, and other useless dust-catching tilings that cause frowns, backache, headaches, lrrita- Mr. Metcalfe's Book "OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM" And Other Stories from LIFE , - NOW READY FOR DELIVERY A. compilation of tho spools! urtloles written by Richard JL. Motcnlfo for Tho Commonorand now published In book form. Cloth bound, printed from clear typo on hoavy paper, gilt sldo and back stamps. 200 pagos. Sent postage prepaid on recolpt of 11.00. Address Richard L. Metcalfe LINCOLN, Care The Commoner - - NEBRASKA. housekeeping, by which much of their expenses as to clpthing, pin-money, etc., might-be met, thus greatly rGl lievingthe father in helping him to boar the burden of their support Tho Boy's Room Be sure and make the boy of tho family feel that e has a p-'art in the home, and is one of its supporters. Give the boys a room, collectively, if it must bo,, but individually, If pos sible. Let the boy have his own "say" so far as convenient, as to how the room shaH be furnished. Let him have one place in the house where he can be himself, in which he is reasonably sure of having a little privacy for his leisure hours. It 'may be only a room up under the eaves, but it should be his, absolutely and permanently. Give him a large measure of responsibility as to the care of itt and thus cultivate a taste for order, and the ability to bring it about. Let him collect and keep all his "traps" together here, and let it be to him a refuge to which he may turn at any time for privacy and relief from the worries which often beset him; for even the boy has worries, and there are times when nothing seems so desirable to him as to get away from every worrying thing. ".nd do you know, I though,, as I other work than that of the necessary .-"" v ..-gx. , T ' ?- idfete6t'iUi