MOTHER AND HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16583, 16 November 1921, Page 9

MOTHER AND HOME.

♦ ' Honour of AVork.—Ruskin, in his “ Seven Lamps of Architecture,” says: il Prefer , what is good of a lower or inferior work or material to bad of a higher, for this is the way to improve every kind of work and to put every kind of material to better use.” This is a, theory that many will be only too pleased to apply; also, it is ono that will be comforting to those engaged in humble work—work which, perhaps, they feel to be beneath them. No matter how humble our work may be, it is never so insignificant that it cannot be well done; and work well and conscientiously carried out tends slowly, bub purely to work of a higher order. Preserving Cut Flowers. —Salt ir» the water helps to keep flowers fresh, and j so docs a small piece of charcoal. The sterns should bo clipped every day, and the flowers kept in the dark as much as possible. On no account must they l>e left in the room after the gas has been lit. Some people keep some flow- : «rs in sand. Health Before Learning.—YVhile a i child is out of school gaining health j and vigour from freedom, fresh air, and ; regular food, it need not necessarily altogether vegetate; there are many les-j sons it may be taught the way of courtesy to its elders, consideration for the old, the poor, the helpless, and the dumb creatures about it, also consideration for the sick, the blind, the deformed, and the crippled. The learning of kindness and gentleness is quite as important as arithmetic, grammar, geography, history, botany', physiology, for it is the foundation of character, and character, after all, is the chief thing to be considered. Beautifying Nature.—Among the careers for girls is to be numbered that of tho beauty specialist. Face treatment almost merits the dignity of being termed a profession, since to be a | really successful operator a knowledge of physiologv is almost an essential. The training should cover at least eighteen months, and should be thorough for there to be any chance of real success, for it will readily he understood that clients do nut care to entrust themselves to inexperienced hands It is often possible to obtain a small salary whilst apprenticed, but it should be thoroughly understood that a good training is a capital in itself, and it is entirely useless for any woman to expect to make even n competency un- j less she is well trained. Jealousy no excuse. —If it is argued that the husband has under all circum- : stances the right to open his wife s j letters, it is difficult to see that a wite is not equally privileged with regard j to her husband’s correspondence. Alost . wives prefer to reserve the right to . open their own letters, and are quite willing to recognise the husband s right "to do the same with his, and aj proper arrangement, too. Even jealousv is no excuse for opening cor- I respond once addressed to another, even though that other be one’s life partner. ! Making a play-table.—A play table j may be easily made of two small I boxes and a board, and will give the j little folk unlimited enjoyment, be- 1 side-5 saving the knees of many stock- j ings. The two boxes should be about a foot and a half long, a foot wide, and a foot deep. Stand them on end like little cupboards and put two shelves in each one. Now get a i smooth pine board, six feet long, a foot wide, and about an inch thick, j vSet up a box under each end, and you ‘ will have a nice long table with two j cupboards for playthings. On the long board mark out a railroad, having switches, side-tracks, etc. If the < hild has toy cars he will amuse himself for hours with this railroad alone.