196 MORE POT-POURRI 



it might be unnecessary to undeceive the public, or to 

 endeavour at the reformation of innocent folly productive 

 of no evil to the commonwealth.' 



Spending youth in school may prevent a young servant 

 from knowing her duties as a servant so well as if she 

 had been brought up at home ; but, on the other hand, 

 being moderately well educated makes it far easier to 

 learn, and I maintain that with a very little practical 

 teaching the modern schoolgirl makes an excellent 

 servant. But no one can have a well-ordered house on a 

 small scale who is constantly leaving home or constantly 

 changing servants. An indifferent servant who knows 

 your ways is better than the good servant who is quite 

 fresh to the work in your house. Leaving home often 

 means a badly kept house, of that I am sure, unless many 

 members of the family remain at home and give plenty of 

 employment to everybody. Then perhaps the real mistress 

 of the house may be very little missed. 



The fulness of life, the selfishness of life, often prompt 

 the modern housewife to throw up the sponge, to rush 

 away to the idleness of the hotel or the lodging ; but it is 

 a cowardly wish a wish, except in real bad health, to be 

 ashamed of. Our troubles and sorrows, be they real or 

 imaginary, go with us, and our only usefulness is at home. 

 Here is a poem written by one of that brave trio, the 

 Bronte sisters Ellis Bell (Emily Bronte) which, if not 

 so subtle as Lionel Tennyson's ' Sympathy,' has a strong 

 ring about it that hand-shake in life's way which helps 

 so many : 



SYMPATHY 



There should be no despair for you 



While nightly stars are burning, 

 While evening pours its silent dew, 



And sunshine gilds the morning. 



