SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 145 



No place has so many advantages for forming correct, useful 

 characters as the country, if under proper influences. Many of the 

 best and most influential women of to-day spent the early years of 

 their lives as rural lasses, subject to all the environments and influ- 

 ences wh'ich such a life means. 



But still much more could be done than now is, but how are we 

 to do it? A question that many times perplexes the brains of the 

 father and mother that wishes to do all in their power for home and 

 children. 



First, make a home in every sense of the word. It is not neces- 

 sary to ha^e an abundance of this woi'ld's goods to do that, for some 

 of our largest houses are entirely void of the home feeling. Love to 

 God and man, contented, cheerful, willing hearts, together with 

 neatness, order and cleanliness, are a few of the requisites to make 

 a home, whether of great or small dimensions. 



Now to acquire a happy medium in the government and manage- 

 ment of our girls. If there were more home pleasures and not so 

 much seeking abroad for that which is not allowed or tolerated at 

 home, would it not be better? Don't forget that we were once 

 children. Provide good, healthy amusements, or else those of 

 objectionable character will be sought. It seems to me it is more 

 essential, or equally as much so, for rural fathers and mothers to 

 have a 'deep interest in, and personal supervision of, that part of 

 their children's early years, which conduces so much to their 

 happiness. 



I once heard a young girl say: "If papa would only provide me 

 with a horse and buggy, so that I could sometimes go without 

 bothering some one to take me, or having to wait until it was con- 

 venient for them to do so, I would just as soon live in the country as 

 in town." That father is abundantly able to provide the family 

 horse, and is he careless or thoughtless about it, or is it because he 

 thinks she has enough pleasure already that she is denied this? 



I do wish the husband and father would stop and think. Would 

 he like to always be obliged to wait until the good woman of the 

 house could find time, or wait her convenience, to take him some 

 place, before he could go? Women enjoy an occasional feeling of 

 independence (speaking from personal experience) very much, and 

 now, dear, good man, whenever it is in your power to contribute 

 such pleasure to the members of your household, provide the good 

 family horse among your horses, and I don't believe you will regret it. 



Early teach the girls the care, management and use, not abuse, 

 of the horse. 0, the importance of early training in regard to kind- 

 ness to animals. More depends on that than, perhaps, we realize. 

 Don't give a child even a cat or dog, or pet of any kind to amuse 



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