IS THIS YOUR WIFE OR MOTHER?
How One Wife and Mother Kept Things Going Till She Fell By the Wayside.
THIS is what a mother of five children tried to do:—
Keep house.
Do her own washing and ironing.
Do the family sewing.
Do the family cooking.
Do the family mending.
She said servants cost too much to keep.
And the clothes always came home torn when she gave them out to be washed.
And it was simply out of the question to have her sewing done, so she did all these things herself in order to save a little money.
Her house was a big one of ten rooms, with a basement and an attic.
Her children were all pretty big, and went to school. When they weren't at school, they had11other things to do besides helping mother. For instance, the girls each had to practise on the piano an hour a day, and the boys had to play ball. The girls belonged to a rowing club, and the boys to an athletic association. The girls didn't dare to sweep or wash dishes, even if they had a few minutes to spare, because it spoiled their hands, and made them rough and horrid, but they liked awfully well to play basket ball for exercise, or tennis, or golf, or some games like that. The boys made bicycle runs when they had time to spare. Each of the girls belonged to a sewing club, and they met around at the houses of the members once a week, and had a lovely time making things for the poor savages. Mother, of course, sewed for the girls. She mended their stockings, and darned socks for the boys. She made all the party dresses, too. And all the school clothes, but of course the girls made that pretty piece of Battenburg lace on the parlor table, and embroidered their new summer shirt-waists. The girls bought new hats this year, and had them trimmed at the store, because mother wasn't up-to-date in making chiffon bows. Mother wore her old hat, but she put some flowers on it that the girls didn't want any more. She never went out much anyway, so it didn't matter what she had on. Father never could button on his shirt collar.
Nor change his cuff buttons.
Nor find his socks.
Nor shut the bureau drawer after getting out his underclothing.
Nor brush off his coat.
Nor take a bath without "mama" had the tub full of hot water ready for him to jump into.
Nor find a bath towel.
Nor his slippers. So—
Mother did all these things for him, and put his dirty clothes in the wash as well. The boys always got their feet wet when they watered the front lawn, so—
Mother did it. She got up every morning at five to cook breakfast, and went to bed about twelve every night, when the work was all finished. One day she didn't get up.
Father sent for a doctor.
Then for a nurse.
Then for a funeral director.
There was a beautiful funeral.
And lots of flowers.
And ever so many mourners. But the mother and the wife was gone. She might have been here now. Was she alone responsible?—Selected.