iMAKiNG THE BEST OF IT. 405 



mother, simply because she had not learned to sacrifice the 

 lower things to the higher. 



First of all, we want to ask our sisters a few questions. 

 When the plants are too thick in your flower-beds, what 

 do you do ? Thin them out, of course. When a fruit-tree 

 sets fruit too thick ? Thin it out again. Of course, that 

 is the only proper thing to do ; common sense teaches that. 



Then why not apply common sense to something higher? 



Do you rise in the morning feeling worn and tired, as if 

 you had just completed your day's work, and were more 

 than ready to rest? 



Says a farmer, "If you should happen out our way, 

 doctor, I wish you would just look in at my wife. She 

 seems kind of out of sorts." 



' ' Ah ! What seems to be the trouble ? " 



" Well, seems as if she is n't so strong as she used to be. 

 For instance, this morning, after she had milked the cows, 

 and got breakfast for us men folks, and washed up the 

 dishes and started in at the washin', she complained of 

 feeling sort o' tired and weary like. I reckon her blood 

 wants thinnin." 



Oh! blind man, blinder than a bat! " Her blood needs 

 thinning! " Rather does it need thickening, and yours the 

 "thinning." 



Some thinning is needed, it is true, needed at once, too. 

 But it is the work, and not the blood, that must be thinned. 

 AVife and mother, tired at noonday, tired at night, tired 

 in the morning, w^hen you should be bright and buoyant, 

 take heed ! 



Are you wasteful of food, of money? Nay, you are 

 careful, you guard against waste; if the one is limited, 

 you try to make the best of it ; if the other is scarce, you 

 seek to make it go as far as possible by living frugally and 

 cutting down every possible expense. 



