186 FARM HOMES, LN"-DOORS AND OTJT-DOOBS. 



and well-being looks "selfish," it looks otherwise when 

 you reflect that upon your health and well-being depends 

 the happiness and best welfare of the household. 



I saw a blessed sight the other day. A lady on the 

 shady side of fifty (why "shady ?" we ought to say the 

 golden side of fifty !) going to her bedroom mirror to 

 fasten some pink and white asters in her hair and at her 

 collar, before summoning her husband and son to the 

 neatly spread tea-table that awaited them no sombre 

 purple tints, such as somehow seem to be chosen by peo- 

 ple of "years," if any are chosen at all, but the bright, 

 delicate coleur de rose that youth likes to select ! And 

 how sweetly they looked in her half-silvered hair, and in 

 the soft white ruffle under her chin ! Her dress was merely 

 a striped print, and her white apron of that ample shape 

 that makes aprons worth while ; but what neatness, and 

 what faint bewitching scents of lavender and rose-leaves 

 enveloped her person ! I am afraid she thought she saw 

 surprise mingled with my glance of admiration, for she 

 said " Do you think they are too gay for me ?" and added, 

 as if half apologizing, "The boys like to see me wear 

 something pretty." 



When the "boys" came in to supper I thought to my- 

 self that the mother's neat, personal ways must have in- 

 fluenced the other members of the household, for the 

 working jackets had been exchanged for clean linen coats; 

 and though very richly tanned, their faces and hands 

 were clean enough to be kissed by queens, while one look- 

 ed in vain for the proverbial "hay-seed" in their well 

 cut and well-brushed hair and beards. And what intel- 

 ligent and up-to-the-times talk there was from the lips of 

 these three plain farm-people ! the mother not one whit 

 behind her " boys," and as dextrous in her views of the 

 Presidency and Black's n*w story, as in pouring the tea 

 and dispensing the stewed pears. 



I fancied it must have been from a home like this, or 



