FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 227 



and to take care of their own possessions, instead of throwing off that 

 care upon sister or wife. 



Finally, the best of all books tells us that a good housewife "looketh 

 well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 

 Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he 

 praiseth her." 



SAVING STEPS. 



MARTHA T. ADAMS, GRAND RAPIDS. 



The poet has said, "To die is to begin to live. It is to end an old, stale, 

 weary work, and to commence a newer and a better." If by a little 

 thought and foresight, we can devise some way to save steps, and thereby 

 end old, stale, weary work, and commence a newer and a better, our labor 

 will Dot have been in vain. Right habits should be formed early in life, 

 and soon become second nature. Habits of early childhood cling to us. 

 Even a baby may be taught that there are others in the world who have 

 rights and are entitled to privileges, which they must respect. The per- 

 nicious practice of walking with a baby to get it to sleep makes weary 

 steps for some one. Rocking a baby is tiresome to the rocker and harm- 

 ful to the baby. When he is old enough to run around, if he is 

 hungry, have him sit down till he is through eating, then, if 

 crumbs are made, it will be but little work to brush them up. If he is 

 given food when he is not hungry, and allowed to run around, the crumbs 

 are scattered over the floor and many steps are taken, to give the room 

 the tidy appearance that was destroyed by the negligence of the thought- 

 less mother, who is unconsciously teaching her child disorderly habits, 

 as well as to be inconsiderate of others. 



Some mothers give their children scissors and paper to cut; it makes 

 steps for some one, and an exercise of other parts of the body than the 

 feet, to get it off from the floor. If it is fun for the children to cut it, 

 have them think it is more to pick it up, thereby saving your steps and 

 developing their muscles. Let a child amuse itself, get its own play- 

 things and put them away, and never allow them to leave them for some 

 one else to put away. 



Save work by economizing in the weekly washing; plenty of clean 

 clothing is essential to health, and there should be a needful supply, but 

 discard tucks, ruffles, and elaborately trimmed undergarments, have 

 them serviceable and plainly made, and use the time saved in ironing for 

 rest and recreation. 



Inconveniently arranged homes cause many extra steps. As a rule, 

 a small kitchen, where the work can be compressed, where only ten steps 

 are required instead of twenty to do the same work, will prove less 

 fatiguing. Have a store room, if possible, opening from the kitchen; 

 have the stove a convenient distance from the cistern pump, so that with 

 a tin pipe (having a funnel at one end to pump into), the boiler or reser- 

 voir can be filled without a step being taken. Place the wash bench 

 so the tubs can be filled the same way. Have well water piped 

 to the kitchen. Have a woodbox in the woodhouse, with a door opening 

 into the kitchen (two by two and one-half or three feet is a more conven- 



