Jcpijimimt 
Edited by Aunt Martha. 
-:o:- 
All communications for this department 
should be addreseed “Household Helps” 
care of Seed-Time and Harvest , La Plume, 
Pa 
“The twilight hour brings all God’s creat 
ures home 
From wanderings wide through earth and 
air, 
The cattle set their faces homeward in 
the dusk, 
The birds at e’en seek their nesting boughs, 
Our souls at night-fall homeward turn.” 
— Rev. I. W. Oowen, 
And now when the evenings are length 
ening, and the cold December winds whis¬ 
tle “around the corner,” we draw nearer 
our cheerful fires and seek for comfort and 
amusement in-doors. Excursions and sum¬ 
mer resorts have become things of the past, 
and we have only the vases of mosses, grass¬ 
es and ferns to remind us of the grand old 
woods where we scrambled over rock, and 
down declivities in search of the treasures 
concealed in shady nooks and cool depths— 
and as we “toast our slippers” we remem¬ 
ber how with hands and arms filled to over¬ 
flowing, we scampered “back to camp” in¬ 
haling large draughts of pure invigorating 
mountain air—the memory of which is bet¬ 
ter than the reality when viewed in the 
light of a cold December morning. 
These and other like pleasures have fled 
with the daisies of summer, the new mown 
hay, and the golden rod of autumn. 
So—we are at home again, and parents 
who w ould fain keep the loved ones of the 
household together, must be sharp to find 
study and amusement for restless Harrys 
and Johns as well as the Marys and Nel¬ 
lies. 
Oh yes I while we are planning our winter 
campaign and visions of tidies, rugs, laces, 
sociables, tablescarfs, lambrequins, sleigh- 
rides, etc., intermingled with the less or¬ 
namental household duties, float through 
our busy brain, let us remember to give the 
children a share of the time. 
We believe that every child whether rich 
or poor, as soon as sufficient age and 
strength is acquired, shonld be trained to 
habits of usefulnes—taught responsibility, 
having his or her own alloted tasks in help¬ 
ing to make home a pleasant and desirable 
place. Not only this, but to be ready to 
lend a “helping hand” to another in time 
of need. 
Parents should not feel “too old” or “too 
dignified” to join with their own or their 
neighbor’s children in innocent recreation. 
Good Housekeeping says: 
“The child is always ready to play and 
will swallow a large dose of instruction, or 
perform a vast amount of work, if it can 
be presented with a very thin coat of play. 
Games and toys are not necessarily costly 
and if the “little folks” are rightly instruct¬ 
ed and encouraged they can prepare their 
own material for amusement, accomplish¬ 
ing two things, acquiring mechanical skill 
and the making of.the toy or game for rec¬ 
reation afterwards. 
If the home influence be not greater than 
that which is outside and inducements and 
pleasures made more attractive at home 
than elsewhere, the young will seek other 
resorts. 
Oh fathers ! if you wish to keep a hold 
on the children and in so doing be able to 
train and store their minds for future use¬ 
fulness, be confidential, find out their wants 
and endeavor by sympathy and a remem¬ 
brance of your own boyhood, to direct their 
minds into channels wffiich will not sting 
in after years. 
And ye mothers! keep your sons and 
daughters near your own heart—by advice 
and wise counsel sympathising with their 
failures and encouraging them to avoid the 
pitfalls which insnare the young. 
Let the boys help in the house. How 
often one sees a poor tired mother dragging 
herself about the house, doing up the woik 
with her last remnant of strength, while a 
strong hearty boy takes his ease on the sofa 
or lounges in the rocking-chair. 
Now why in the name of common sense 
shouldn’t he help her? And now why 
didn’t that woman teach him to be on the 
lookout to see what he could do “to help 
mamma” in the way of errands, little chores 
and saving steps generally ? 
