A Remedy for Moths

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 6, 1866

A Remedy for Moths.

We were examining our wardrobe after the summer, and found to our surprise and grief, many of our choicest articles of apparel sadly damaged by the moths. In the midst of our trouble, and the discussion as to the best modes of protection against moths, which had been handed down by tradition, aunt Julia came in.

"Aunt Julia, how do you keep your winter clothing from the moths?" we both asked eagerly, as that good lady proceeded to lay aside her handsome shawl which looked as fresh as ever, after seven years' wear.

"I used to suffer from moths as much as any one once," replied Aunt Julia, taking her knitting from her little basket, and sitting down; "but I found a recipe in an old-fashioned book which has relieved me of much solicitude on the subject. It was many years before I could be persuaded to try it. In my young days money was not quite as plenty as now, but provisions were cheap, and a farmer's daughter began her married life better supplied with linen, blankets and bed-quilts, than many a jewel-bedecked city belle. As I was an only daughter, and was not married too young, a noble pile of blankets, feather-beds, bed-quilts, &c., became my portion. For many years after we removed to the city, I used to dread my summer work of airing beds, and packing very fine home-made blankets, and quilts stuffed with the finest down. I tried snuff, tobacco, camphor, pepper, and cedar chips, and yet as we changed our place of residence several times, some colony of moths, old squatters among the beams of the garret, or in some unobserved scrap of woolen cloth, would perforate tiny holes in my choicest possessions."

"Why, Aunt Julia, I thought you had a cedar-closet."

"Yes, when we moved into our new house; but by that time my closet was too small for my increased wealth, and till I used this recipe, I seldom passed a year

without some moth holes, but now I have not seen one in nine years."

"What was it Aunt? Have you the book? or can you repeat it from memory? It is too late to save these things, but I will write it down, and try it next Spring." So saying, Anna took out her little recipe book and pencil, while Aunt Julia prepared to recall the moth preventive.

The book was an old one with the title obliterated, and title page torn out by some careless child, but the directions were these:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt."

"But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."

"O! Aunt Julia, is that all? How does that help the matter?"

"Wait, Anna, and hear my story out. One day as I was mourning over my choicest blankets, eaten by the moths, and airing my down bed-quilts, and feather-beds, which had been rendered obsolete by the introduction of spring mattresses, as I stood ready to cry with vexation to see my choicest articles eaten in the most conspicuous places, as you have experienced to-day, my eye rested on an old Bible, which lay on the top of a barrel of pamphlets in the garret. I opened it, and almost unconsciously read the recipe for avoiding moths which I have given you to-day. I then recollected that they seldom troubled the clothing in frequent use, and that the articles which caused me so much care were not needed twice a year. I then thought of Sophy Baker, with her large family and sick husband. They had been burned out the Spring before and were just entering upon a cold, long winter of poverty. I sat down, and writing her a note, sent two feather-beds and four blankets, and an old-fashioned 'coverlid,' that very day; and two more blankets I despatched to a poor old rheumatic neighbor, whose destitution had never occurred to me before. I then began to breathe freely; and before another week two more blankets were gone to comfort tired limbs and aching hearts. The cast-off coats, cloaks, and old pieces of carpeting which had long lain in my garret were given to the deserving poor. A bag of woolen stockings, and socks which had been kept for cleaning brass were sent to a charity institution, never again to become a temptation to the moths. I inquired particularly the next year, and found the beds and blankets were in such excellent preservation, that I cheerfully laid up more of my surplus property 'in Heaven,' and out of the way of moth and mould. My cedar closet and trunks hold all I wish to preserve, and when they begin to run over, I commit more articles to the keeping of my widowed and fatherless acquaintances."

"But Aunt Julia, yours is a peculiar case. You had the home-made outfit of a rich farmer's daughter, and could not expect to make use of it; besides, the Bible don't encourage wasting our goods extravagantly."

"I do think the Bible leans to what is called the extravagant side. The rest of the chapter following the verse I have quoted gives little encouragement to much forethought, either in food or raiment, and in another place says, 'He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none.' This rule leaves little to pack away in a cedar closet. In my opinion God's providence is far from encouraging extensive accumulation either of money or possessions, especially among Christians. — Fire and flood, drought, mildew and moth stand ready to rebuke that spirit of covetousness which the Lord abhorreth."

"Surely, Aunt Julia, you wouldn't have me give away the new furs you gave me yourself last winter."

"No, my child; but let us examine for a moment this moth-eaten pile. — Here are three coats of your husband's which he never could wear again."

"Those are for fishing, Aunt."

"How often does he fish?"

"Once in four or five years, perhaps," said Anna, looking slightly discomfited.

"Well, here is a bag of outgrown, shrunken socks and stockings, and these old dresses of Ada's, and those overcoats of the boys' that I heard you say were unfit for wear, even on the play-ground; and besides I think you remarked that the whole difficulty originated in an old carpet, which has been harboring moths many years, when it might have been out of harm's way upon some poor widow's floor."

"Well, Aunt, I believe you are half right."

"Try my rule, Anna, not after your property is ruined, but when you find you can spare it—even at the risk of sending some of your treasure to Heaven before you have obtained all you could from its use. Many an old garret have I known to be infested with moths, ruining hundreds of dollars' worth of valuable articles, when the whole evil might be traced to an old coat, or carpet, selfishly or carelessly withheld from the poor. We are God stewards, and our luxuries are not given us to feed a 'covetousness which is idolatry;' but are talents which may be increased ten times before the great day of final account. When people ask me how to prevent moths, I always long to say, 'Lay up your treasures in Heaven;' because I have found from experience it is a sure and convenient way."

"Well, Aunt, I own I never thought much about it before as a matter of Christian duty. I will try before another year, to confine my case to the articles I need, and I shall hope for better success."