SEED-TIME AID HARVEST 
25 
If she had done so, he would have grown 
to think as a “big boy” that it was manly 
to help his tired mother and would have 
been lovingly on the alert to see how much 
he could save her during his leisure hours 
about home. Is there a single reason why 
a boy should not turn the wringer, carry 
water, hang out clothes, iron towels and 
plain garments, set a table, wipe the dishes, 
sweep, make his bed, bring in coal, cook a 
beef steak or make.coffee? 
And what a wonderful help it would be. 
It would also benefit the boy in three ways, 
keep him from being idle or in mischief; 
train his hands to skill and care, and give 
him a tender sympathy with his mother or 
his future wife, which would make of him 
a far more considerate husband and son.” 
Holiday Hints. 
To husbands—If you don’t have two pock- 
etbooks in your family, don’t forget to let 
your wife carry the (not your) pocketbook 
a part of the time now. Further, don’t 
give your wife a dollar’s worth of sugar 
for a Christmas present. This would be 
a good time to surprise her with something 
else. Dont let Jack Frost bite Tommy’s toes 
for six weeks, that you may give him a 
pair of shoes Christmas. Give them to 
him now, and save a doctor’s bill, and let 
Santa Claus bring him a five cent jews-harp 
then, if he can afford nothing better. 
In general, don’t give anybody any of 
the “must haves,” they are notin reality 
any present at all. The most appreciated 
presents are little luxuries which the recip¬ 
ient could not afford for himself or would 
not have time to make. 
The Housekeeper. 
Did any of the lady readers of Seed-Time 
and Harvest ever use the little burrs or 
buds that grow on Witch Hazel, for mak¬ 
ing little baskets or picture frames ? When 
the bud is ripe and open, break the shell off, 
and inside you will find something very 
much resembling a “rattle snake’s rattle.” 
Cut your basket of pasteboard, sew it to¬ 
gether and cover inside and out with some 
bright colored paper or cloth, then glue the 
“rattles” on to suit your taste. 
Will some of the ladies give plain direc¬ 
tions for making a pretty hood for a baby ? 
How much material and what color would 
be most suitable. “Peggy.” 
Exchange. 
Mrs. W. C. Pratt, Nor well, Jackson Co., 
Michigan, wishes to correspond with a 
number of ladies for the purpose of ex¬ 
changing greenhouse plants, seeds, chro- 
mos, patterns for painting and embroidery, 
etc., for anything suitable for a mixed cab¬ 
inet, such as sea shells, geological specimens, 
Indian relics, pebbles from the large lakes 
or sea shore. Any lady wishing to ex¬ 
change, and her variety seems almost un- 
exhaustible, will address as above. 
Correction. 
In the pattern for edging in the last num¬ 
ber, the first line should read—“Cast on 
nine stitches.” 
Hereafter, those working for this depart¬ 
ment under a nom de plume must also give 
real name and address. 
With the approach of Christmas, we 
come to the conclusion that the time to 
prepare for the holidays is just after the last 
one is past, but after the strain of prepara¬ 
tion is over we forget in the pleasure of 
giving and receiving, and procrastinate as 
nefore. 
But isn’t it more than amusing to see 
how the “dead secrets” will accumulate in 
the family, in the shape of packages and 
strange looking bundles, which, as a gen¬ 
eral thing, fall into the hands of another or 
elder sister with the strict injunction, “don’t 
tell,” 
Gifts do not need to be costly to be val¬ 
ued. The idea of being remembered by a 
dear friend is more to us than the costliness 
of the gift. The love or the thoughtful 
tenderness accompanying the same make 
its value. We do not need to enumerate 
the many pretty things that skillful hands 
can make or money can buy. 
Now a merry Christmas to all. 
Aunt Martha. 
50 
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