Thursday, December 14, 1905.
PROGRESSIVE FARMER ANt COTTOK
OUR SOCIAL CHAT
All letters Intended for this department
chnnld be addressed to Aunt Jennie," care
Of i c v " " - o "
Aunt Jennie's Letter.
V
An old member has returned to
gladden us with her presence. Plum
is vith us, and we hope that she will
not again absent herself. Although
our band is a large one, we miss the
links which bind us if one is absent.
Did you ever try to sew on a ma
chine when the band or belt over the
irlipols had been fastened with a
crooked piece of wire? Well, I have.
and at each revolution there was a
click that caused me to quake with
fear lest somewould would break or
g3 wrong. Now when one of you fail
to write, I feel right much the same
way. Not many of-our Circle have
died during the seven years since we
organized, but some have emigrated
to other States, and many have mar
ried. The latter classes we still hold,
and they most of them have prove 1
faithful friends of. our department.
This we appreciate and will strive
with renewed energy to merit.
Mamie says that "anyone who is
working away on a large life plan
should take advantage of every day
and every hour." How does that
strike you, or have you a life plan?
You can't work an example if you
simply sit and hold your slate.
I must say that Jack's letter on
literature was fine and I trust that
you read it. Bad books are just like
bad associates; one is as apt to con
taminate as the other. I believe that
bad books are worse, for they give
our young people false ideas of life
that are as unreal as unwholesome.
Christmas is coming when the pa
rent is worried as to what to give
the child. Toys are for amusement,
and Dossiblv f 0 one day only, as they
are soon broken and cast aside, but'
give the children good books those
that uplift, elevate and those that
teach life in its reality and have
noble, true characters, and ere long
your child will take them as his own
standard in life. Then he will learn
nobleness and truth, and it will seem
a necessity to do right, for is that
not what their ideal character in the
book would do?
But let me tell you don't forget
your own example counts. You can't
fool the children every time you think
that you do. They have little eyes and
ears, but they see and hear a lot.
One poor woman wrote me not long
since to please write an article on
"The father's responsibility to his
children," and tell our readers that I
believed that the father was the sole
cause of his children's worthless liv
ing. Now I can't agree with that
sister, for I hold that both parents
are responsible. Neither of them as
parents can evade a God-given duty
without His penalty. A mother came
to me once with tears in her eyes
and explained how her husband had
come home drunk and had insisted
on drawing water from the well un
til every vessel in the house was full
to overflowing, then he deliberately
brought the bucket in from the well
and sat it on her newly-made bread
which sat on the stove. It . was lu
dicrous and pathetic, as that cake
combined all the meal they had. I
gave her more and she waited until
he fell asleep and then cooked it;
however she remarked that "if their
children ever amounted to anything
in the world, it must be solely through
her efforts." Now, she felt all the re
sponsibility on her weak shoulders
when in her girlhood she had trusted
this man and believed in him. Who
was to blame for her loss of confi
dence, him or his dram ? Bemember,
he could not swallow it with his lips
closed and no one compelled him to
nnpn 1-iiQ mrmt.Ti
By the way, I cannot close without
telling you that there
ters in the Ladies' TTmriA .fniivnal fm.
- w wuk -A. V -A.
October, November and December
mat 1 wish every mother and daugh
ter of this Circle to read. They are
simply nne and the lessons are whole
some.
Now don't let yourself be too busy
to write to me right away DonH dis
appoint me.
AUNT JENNIE.
When Reading is Not to be Commended.
Dear Aunt Jennie: I appreciate
what you say this week about people
letting opportunity pass for making
others happy, especially when you re
fer to the man who never tells his
wife that she has been a good wife
to him until he, is saying good-bye
for the last time.
This, I think, should not only ap
ply to married people. but to friends,
sisters, and brothers. A little visit
to my home, and I can tell sister how
much I love her, and tell my brothers
how much help they are to me, and
my dear father what love I have for
him but I did not learn to tell moth
er that I loved her until it was too
late. It not only helps them to tell
them these things, but it makes me
feel that I have had a good time, and
surely I have. The sweetest part of
our lives should be without people
and should come from the known love
that exists between us. It certainly
cannot hurt us to say, "Sister, you
grow sweeter every day. I so proud
of you." "Father, it makes me feel
good every time I think of what a
good father you have been to me."
Little things like these go further
than any one thinks.
I also notice in this week's Chat
that our friend Jack has something
to say on reading, which is very
good. I agree that it is a good thing
when, it is properly done, but it is
also a bad thing when it is not done
rightly. It is so very unpleasant to
see the head of the family buried in
his newspaper from supper to bed
time, while the oldest daughter is
equally as much absorbed in a book,
arid mother and the smaller pnes en
tertaining one another as best they
may. When the readers are asked to
lay a stick of wood on the the fire, the
harsh reply is, "Do it yourself ; I am
reading." And so they read until bed
time and know very little of what has
been going on in their own homes
from night to night.
But do not misunderstand me.
Look at the other side. Let father
take his paper and ask the rest of the
family to permit him to 'read the new
to them. Thev all consent. They all
hear it and then they all discuss it
together, and so passes the evening1
off very pleasantly and beneficial. The
next night sister wishes to read ' a
good book aloud. All the family catch
on to the story and every one arrows
interested, so much so that she has to
stop for some one to put the wood
on the fire, so that none of the
storv may be lost by anv one. ' .
These little things where all tho
family take a part in and all are in
terested, go to make homes happv and
create little incidents that will al
ways be remembered by the members
of the family. I speak from exner-
rcn TmT TTT A TT
ience. on.Axtxx vv ixixu.
Harnett Co., N. C.
Ruby's Views
Dear Aunt Jennie : I have been
thinking of writiner to the Chat for
some time, but as Jack Klinnard's
letter caused such a lively commo
tion. I thousrht I would wait till the
war was over and neace declared be
fore venturing on the battlefield . To
Jack I say, Hold fast to your princi
ple and ideal, but sir, please accord
the poor, overworked, tired-out (men
tally and physically) ? mother, laun
dress, seamstress and oh ! so many
more vocations the privilege of
dressing as she pleases, be it wrapper
or tight-fitting dress, f Or to me Com
fort domes before looks in dress, es
pecially when standing over the hot
stove putting up fruit on a hot Au
gust day or over a steaming tub of
hot clothes. It is utterly impossible
for any manual laborer, be it man or
woman, to look as neat and "dressy"
at dirty work as if they were sitting
in the parlor; though of course Lad
mire and love to see every one dressed
in pretty clothes, but suit , the dress
to the occasion. RUBY.
Mecklenburg Co., N. C.
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If you wish further particulars,
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An Old Member Returns.
Dear Aunt Jennie : Do you re
member me? I trust that I still hold
a membership in your Circle, but
have taken such a long vacation that
I suppose I am forgotten by most
of the Chatterers. I have spent most
of my time during the last four years
over in Virginia, and since, my re
turn to my country home in the Old
North State I have found much
pleasure in reading the Chat.
Poor Jack Klinnard! I feel that
I must give him a word of sympa
thy. I don't think I . read his first
letter. But I must think that he gave
us some good advise. And although
the men need it as well (for I think
it applies to farmers' daughters as
well as wives), we should appreciate
it and take courage and say some
thing about the men's dress. Jack, it
is not always convenient for us to go
as tidy around the home as we would
like, but I must say that " I detest
dressing sacks on the streets It is
unnecessary and very unbecoming to
young ladies.
How many of the chatterers have
studied stenography ? Or held a posi
tion? Let us hear your views on this
subject. It may be instructive as
well as interesting.
Yours cordially,
PLUM.
Gates County, N .C.
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