THE BLUES.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 106, 11 October 1879, Page 2

THE BLUES.

la the spring oomcs on, almoet.evory It wonld seem ee tfthe lovely' eprini; daye, toe warm mjenw;Uio tight oTbuddi«g taw* end epringiiig .flowers, would put new life m our vuiiw;; nnd, to ncor. tent nYgrte, tlwydu.fiwlien u.i ami do

us good; but we almost all overtax oursolve* in the spring. J$ there is any season of the year when children should, be leniently treated an tot letaons, it is in. the spring, Housekeeper* that are wise will clean bouse in tho fall; the spring cleaning is a sure precursor of colds and nerv.ous fevers and utter prostration. But before, or eometimea.in the place of colds andfevera, we have the "blues." Thing* are no worse than, they-were a month ago. but we eon "only 'look on .the dark side, i f Bridget fcrcaks • dish, it is always, at this season,' the pn'e you cared' for the most. Th* cluUdren*sW*cbievo«* pranks are almost unbearable, and it Heenis as if John whistles' "Silver Threads Among the Gold*' 'so indefatigably just to aggravnte one.' I-feel cross and.nervous and tired—you ought to feeluo too, is, I fear, the secret opinion of too many of us when wo feel "blue."

■Mary "feels.blue," so she does not exert herself to dress, hut sits sewing, tho very worst thing one can do when lowspirited ; or being very conscientious girl perhaps she suddenly remembers that she resolved .some time ago to read Locke on, the "Uhdorttonding.v or Dacon ; pn "Advancement of Learning." • She . is about as tit to read such works as if she should undertake to eat a pound of beefsteak when she has not a particle of appetite. She sits and pores over the book and, wonders that things, look horribly dull and'flat to her all day 1 I venture to say hid Mary given her* self a g:od day's work, such as sweeping and dusting her room,* arranging her bureau, &c., and then take a brisk walk, taking a litte thought as to her " best things,"- they would have vanished. 1 have a friend who says whenever she feels blue she put* on her best clothes, and really some of us will find that will do us good. Find out some one to holp or to cheer you if you con, but do not refer to your down heartedness. The moment .we confess a feeling, be it love, hatred, or low spirits, we intensify it. Act and speak cheerfully, and you will find you are feeling brighter soon. I should like to whisper a word to some, of the husbands scattered through tho laud. In the spring of the year "mother" gets nervous—snaps at the children, tella Tom too shaiply to stop that "whistling" and perhaps suddenly breaks dowu and takes to her bed. The poor husband is completely surprised—can't understand the matter at all. lie goes to his business, or works' upon his farm day after day, and is in and out from morning till night. He sees his business friends from day to day, and seldom -is troubled with tho children's racket, for they are trained to be qmet and to have everything in ordor when papa comes home.

But all through tho long winter how different it has been with the wife. She has been, from morning till' night, from week to week, and mouth to month with .three or four children constantly demanding her care, her thought and patience. Her servants are a eare, and part of the time, if in the country, she may have been without any. Li nine coses out of ten she has not been fiee from this care, away from the four walls of her homo for two days at a time within six mouths. She needs to breathe a new atmosphere, to sWsoiric other scene thau the home scene, l>c it ever so lovely,

You propose leaving home, —she" can't manage it,' but this should not be allowed, let us women be more unselfish in this matter. If you have a friend who is tied to her home by the care of two or three children, can't you offer to keep house for her for a week or two ? Even suppose yeu only change homes for'a time—any change is good.

If moi-o husbands would but realisethat their wives must have their holiday from the care of children and servants, and this holiday had better come in the spring of the year, I am sure that wo should have fewer people suffering from the blues; but there arc some \rh» aro tied to their post; who had uo choice. Is. there no help for them ? He who gave thfni their lot in life is ready to gire> them strength to bear it; but they must ask for that strength, and the -jreat trouble is that we forget that we doW get Krodgth for the morrow's task. Go forth* daily, the hourly task, being sure tbo work we aro doing is ours, not anothers and we will never be refused. I must add one word to explain that '•not anothers." women—aro so foolish in this matter. Poiiiaps they are. told by a thoughtless husband to mako bricks without straw, and instead of just not doing it they turn, and twist and-contrive, and what comes of it ( Having managed once they may do it again. As long as thero is money for tobacco and cigars thero is no need of a woman wearing her strength out day after day to do the work of two. Where tbore is no Sttuey, of course the task is really \ma, and ibo must try to do it. In tba vxm way uiauy a mother toils from murnnig till okht, doing work she should IMT* to iMfdtuAura. To tako the burdani ol others is not always <"'% • od ">** «e •» not in the path of fluty wa do not got iMftOKth.Uoj* Wvard ia tfe CluuUw Union.