THE SWEET OLD PLACE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8080, 10 April 1906, Page 4

THE SWEET OLD PLACE.

Wow he™ f dm m the sweci old placeYes, little mother, I'm here to stay ; Let me hold your hair against my face, And kiss both cheeks in the dear old way. Just loo); at me hard—l'm well and strong ♦ Just fee! my arms—they'll stand the test; I'll go to the kitchen where I belong ; You go and lie down and rest. Now, hear, little mother, you dear little mother, Bo sure and lie down and rest. I liked my teachers, I liked my books, I had my share of the pranks and fun ; But my heart came back to the sweet homs nooks, And rested with you when the day waj done. I used to think what you had for tea ; Just what you were doing, and how you were dressed ; And somehow or other it seemed to me You didn't take half enough rest. You sly little mother, you spry little mother, I'm going to have you rest. Dear little mother, it brings the tears Whenever I think what I've let you do ; You've planned lor my pleasure years and years— It's time I planned a little for you. So drop that apron and Bmooth your hair; Bead, visit, or knit—what suits you best; Lean back in your chair, let go your care, And really and truly rest. You neat little mother, you sweet littlt mother, Just take a soft chair and rest. Hatch-making Mammas. Here is a hint from that latest book of confessions, " The Confessions of a-Match-making Mother." This confessing mother made matches for her eight daughters, and, as she herself assures us, her " success Ims been and is brilliant." For the benefit of mothers with marriageable daughters who haven't the book at hand, the following is quoted: 44 The world has grown to look upon match-making mothers as detestable, unscrupulous harpies, spiders lying iu waii to seize poor innocent husband liics and crunch their bones. Nonsense! If any woman ever had a happy married life with a husband she loved, and who loved her, she must be an unnatural wretch if she doesn't want her daughters to have the same." And again: " The really wise and kind mother looks out for the men whom her daughter's special qualities will most attract; she selects one of their number whom she considers most win the girl's love and to make her a good husband; and then she secretly but firmly flings them together under circumstances which will settle the match. From her own experience in life, she knows that poverty is not a thing to desire. When it comes in at the window, love is apt to fly out of the door. It is as easy for a girl of nineteen or twenty to love a rich man as a poor man, so her mother naturally throws her into the society of the man who can afford to keep her—the wife he marries. It seems to me that, as girls can't possibly do all this planning aud manoeuvring for themselves, their mothers are bound to do ib for them, or else they shamefully neglect their duties. So far from a match-making mother being looked on with scorn and derision, she ought to be regarded with respect and reverence—at least, that's my view of the matter." Things the Housewife Should Know. Never permit the sun to shine directly on a mirror, it ruins it for all time. Brasswork can be kept beautifully bright J>y occassionally rubbing with salt and vineInvest in a wooden tub to wash the dishes in and you will not have so many dishes 4 broken. A thin paste made of whiting and cold tea is a splendid mixture with which to clean mirrors. When boiling fish, if it is put in hot water with a little salt, it will keep the fish ' from breaking. | Cakes will never burn at the bottom when baking if a little salt be sprinkled on the oven under the cake-tin. An excellent and simple method of making ft lamp throw out a clear, bright light is to place a small lump of camphor in the vessel with the oil. The best way to clean doormats is to turn them upside down and give them a vigorous stamping with the feet. This frees the dust better than shaking the mat. It is not healthy to sleep in a heated room. Keep the bedroom well aired, and your sleep will be much more restful. Always keep the window open a little from the top at night. In ironing handkerchiefs it is useful to remember that the middle should be ironed first; to iron the edges first causes the middle to swell out like a balloon, and makes it difficult to iron satisfactorily. Test the iron carefully before using it; a piece of rag should be at hand for this purpose. Grains of Gold. The best cure for a man's conceit is a woman's laughter. Every good act is a flower, which will beautify our final home. It is from the dark clouds in our sky that the showers of blessing come. Nothing worth having is got by sin ; noth ing worth keeping is lost by serving God. There are sadder hearts than yours; go and comfort them, and that will comfort you. God makes the life fertile by disappointments, as Be makes the ground fertile by frosts. Cheerfulness is an excellent wearing quality. It has been called the bright weather of the heart. There is no surer, quicker means of finding happiness than the wish and effort to make another happy. If a man has a right to be proud of anything, it is of a good action done as it ought to be, without any baso interest lurkiug at the bottom of it. • Kind looks, kind words, kind acts, and warm hand-shakes—these arc the secondary means of grace when men are in trouble and are fighting their unscvn bait Jos. Seek to mingle gentleness in all your re bukes; bear with the infirmities of others; make allowances for constitutional frailties ; never sur h«ih things if kind things will do as well;