pains, you will be flung aside like a used-up 
house-cloth. So give yourself a chance—buy 
books and pictures and flowers, and pretty 
frocks and well-fitting boots, and collars and 
cuffs and perfumery, and Castile soap and a 
lmii-brush—and, if necessary, let the family 
go without sugar and butter and coffee. Amen. 
D 0 wfsiic Cc0it0mij 
happens, as is often the case, that several 
have singled out the same place, the later arri¬ 
vals, of course, pass on to the next best plot 
with in wait! chagrin, blaiuiug their wives for 
not w'aking them sooner. As if she. poor 
scape-goat of man’s short-comings, were by 
nature endowed with endurance they never 
expert, in themselves—w orking latest and ris¬ 
ing earliest. In Germany it is the woman who 
bolts the door of the stable and puts out the 
light. And the woman, again, who brings 
daylight to man and beast. It is Eve, still 
bearing Adam's shifted blame; still loaded 
with Adam’s burden. But the yoke that proves 
too heavy will be borne on the day of her de¬ 
liverance. The hardshij >s she has eudu red will 
then be her strength. This latest and earliest 
worker will know' how to work, and liow to let 
the light of the golden rule shine on hearts so 
long asleep to justice. Fields that have been 
watered with the sw eat of her brow, and the 
teal's of children she was giveu no time to 
uurse, will bring forth fruits of atonement a ml 
restitution. Woman's hat vest will not be of 
dead leaves, but fruits of justice and equality. 
And the dawn of that harvest-day will see her, 
as now, first aw r ake, opening the wide windows 
of man’s selfish conservatism for the light that 
will usher in the new r order of life. 
Distinctly, as if prophetic of the coming 
dawn, we recall the solitary voice of a woman 
raised to aw aken the sleepers far and near. 
Young faces, eager with joy and excitement, 
Appear at. the windows and hasten to join her. 
Presently, young men, boisterous with mirth, 
appear ami group themselves around favor¬ 
ites. Then, while the old and indolent are 
gradually awakening to the consciousness that 
it is the morning of the “last harvest" by the 
harnessing of teams, the shouts of inoa-serv- 
auts and the rumble of hay wagons, the young 
folks start ahead to gather the leaves, prepar¬ 
atory to loading, and have their anticipated 
frolic im La vb. On the way they sing some 
appropriate .songs; and from that time until 
the arrival of the wagons, greed and desire to 
get the best arc forgotten in delightful enjoy¬ 
ment. Sweethearts help each other in their 
playful tasks: would-be lovers court favor in 
the"presentation of little lulls of leaves; cruel 
coquettes make the too devoted ones prove 
their softness by a leap from the trees. Alto¬ 
gether, the forest rings from end to end with 
songs and laughter increasing as day ad vances. 
“The last, harvest !” goes from lip to lip, and 
everybody, knowing that it is also the last op¬ 
portunity for out-door enjoyment,, makes the 
most of it. 
Nothing is more sadly beautiful than a look 
in the gray dawn at the gray bare forest peo¬ 
pled with gayety which counts its moments of 
reign. By sunrise work and play is over. 
Long lines of wagons and heavily-burdened 
women are on the road towards home. Young 
girls' heads are crowned with the hut brilliant 
leaves by some devoted worshipper who, years 
after, loads that same head with sacks of sta¬ 
ple-litter. But this is expected, as a matter of 
course and necessity. Women are none the less 
loving, and men. naturally, none the more kind. 
The last harvest, with its contrasting ele¬ 
ments of toil and play, gallantry and oppres¬ 
sion, is over. Let ns hope that the fruits of 
the first harvest, ripeuing hero in our favored 
land of liberty and progression, will also 
be irarnored by our toiling sisters across the 
CONDUCTED BY EMIT-Y MAPLE. 
CONCERNING SPECIFIC WANTS, 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
ECONOMY. 
I am far from thinking that I am the only 
woman in the world who has specific wants— 
such wants as are not, nerds, but a desire for 
certain things that will add much to my 
pleasure and convenience—which I can get 
along without, and for the purchase of which 
I never have money enough left after the 
necessary things have been supplied. So 1 go 
on year after year, hoping all the time to be 
able to indulge myself with the gratification of 
my special desires. That is, my method was 
that, but I have, after great experience, 
changed my plan. I do not suppose any one 
ever yet was so rich but that he was circum¬ 
scribed by limitations. and his designs outran 
his purse if given free rein ; but there are 
thousands of people who feel that they can 
afford certain luxurious items—as dainty per¬ 
fumes, a choice rose-tree, a cambric hand¬ 
kerchief, an artistic lamp, or vase, to say 
nothing of more costly wares. Notwithstand¬ 
ing that it is a general belief that more money 
is spent on women, and by women, than is 
spent on men. or by men (which I do not be¬ 
lieve), it is undeniably true that women, as a 
class, are far more saving than men—they 
economize and sacrifice in a hundred ways that 
men never think to do, nor could easily be 
persuaded to do. 
Now, it may be a heresy in the camp of 
economy to preach the doctrine of self-indul¬ 
gence, but I have come to believe in it “ all 
the same,” I find that if 1 very much want a 
thing, it is the better way to get it, and trust to 
“Providence” for necessities, and as yet 1 
have failed to see that anybody has been less 
comfortable for my self-indulgence; so I con¬ 
clude that where one has a sum of money to 
spend, the best course to pursue is to buy first 
the things she very much wants, and which 
she could do without, and let all the pinching 
and contriving fall upon the necessaries of life. 
If you do not believe in the wisdom of this, 
try it for one good, long while, and you will 
surely find out! 
The littlo “foolishnesses” that women usually 
want, when procured are nearly always what 
contribute to the pleasure and happiness of the 
whole family, and are of an enduring charac¬ 
ter. And, really, what use or sense lies in 
forever denying ouo’s-self t I have hoard the 
good old ‘adage from childhood, “ The. way to 
do a thing is to do it.” “ The way to know a 
thing is to find it ou t.' And to these I would 
add, “ The way to have a thing is to ha ve, it.” 
Moreover, the quality of self-indulgence 
gives one place and power over self-sacrifice. 
How often do we see one member of a family 
especially indulged in a eertaiu direction, be¬ 
cause his or her preference for a thing is 
specially marked, although every other mem¬ 
ber may like it equally well, but says loss about 
it f Aud how universal is it among wives and 
mothers to sacrifice themselves to the last gasp 
for husband and children, until “mother” 
becomes such a statue of self-abnegation that 
the family ceases altogether to think of her as 
a human being with natural desires for good, 
appetizing, fashionable and stylish thiugs like 
ether people. She pours out the last drop of 
tea or coffee und serves the tinal berry in the 
dish to the family, aud pretends that she her¬ 
self don't care for any; and if there is any 
“scrimping” in the sugar or coffee, she is the 
GRANDMOTHER. 
It’s the little things that make up our lives, 
and the little pennies combined that compound 
a fortune; and how to look after these small 
items is a necessary lesson for every member 
of the human family to learn. Husband aud 
wife should both have a thorough knowledge 
of their financial basis aud carry on all busi¬ 
ness accordingly. It’s of no consequence for 
the former to be a good provider unless his 
family have a faculty for saving what they get 
and making the most of everything. And no 
one can know the difference between economy 
and extravagance until he or she lias kept an 
accurate account of all expenditures. Many 
people who think themselves hopelessly in 
dtbb, could save a home if they only had the 
a dog. Many an ugly cur gets enough to keep 
a man. The waiter at the table should always 
be careful that people are not helped to more 
than they will eat, but never throw away a 
scrap of broad, meat, butter, pie, c ake, sauce, 
etc. If the children leave anything, unless it 
should lie potato, set it on for their next meal. 
In this way they will soon learn. One can 
make a good cake from beef suet, buttermilk, 
sugar and flour, with salt and soda, of course. 
Don’t use as much shortening when the eggs 
are left out. 2d. Take good care of your 
has been its exemplar ! “ Self-sacrifice*—that 
most lovely trait, of woman!” And women— 
geese that they are!—go on in then* self-abne¬ 
gation, until if they should spend one round 
dollar on a first-class dinner at a hotel when 
they went U> town shopping, they would feel as 
condemned in conscience as if they had broken 
the third commandment. If any woman can 
tell what she gains by her continued self-abne¬ 
gation, she can do better than can I. I think 
the self-asserting woman compels and main¬ 
tains an amount of respect from her husband 
and children that the self-sacrificing w oman 
never can aud never does get Human life is but 
a span—wo are soon at the end of it. and if we 
early learn to make the most of it wo are for¬ 
tunate. Above all, oli, wife and mother! 
make yourself the most important factor in 
your family—the most imposing, the most 
requiring, as you are the most, deserving one. 
The more you require your family to serve yon, 
and to sacrifice themselves for your best derd- 
upiUent , l’or your best physical and mental 
good, the better for all concerned, for there Is 
no influence in the family so ennobling, so ad¬ 
mirable, so every-w ay desirable, as a superior 
mother—a mother for the children always to 
respect and to be proud of. 11 make a 
slave of youi'self for your family, you are the 
largest sort of a fool. At the last, for youi 
EATING FOR 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
We were talking about eating the other day 
and condemning the custom of A member of 
our family of eating as if he were taking a 
dinner at n railway station. VVc feel sure 
that by this means hehus impaired his diges¬ 
tion aud perhaps underminded his health. A 
physician who took part in the conversation 
condemned the practice of after-dinner naps, 
stating that ten minutes before dinner would 
refresh more than an hour after partaking of 
a heavy meal, if a person is tired. It is said 
to be a bod thing to eat just before taking a 
bath, or when under great mental excite¬ 
ment, and especially when over-fatigued. 
There are many families too, that give their 
children food between meals, and then wonder 
at their delicate appetites at the meal hour, 
and their disordered stomachs, with uncertain 
health and temper, and it is understood that, 
one can be as intemperate in eating as in 
drinking. High living und a lack of sleep 
make a child or an adult nervous, and irrita¬ 
ble. Shakespeare says “ Our bodies are our 
PLEASANT SITTING ROOMS 
The old-time fashion of using one room for 
kitchen, sitting-room, dining-room and bed 
room bus long since gone by i and only in very 
few* houses in Now' England do you see the 
family congregate around the cook -stove, for 
which fact housewives do feel most devoutly 
thankful; for if there is one thing that tries 
the temper, it is to have a huddle of men and 
children to either go around or go over, or 
shove out of the way while preparing a meal 
of victuals. But those days are passed away, 
and the family sitting-room is a settled insti¬ 
tution, and fully as convenient as pleasant. 
But there is a vast difference in sitting-rooms; 
some are (lark, gloomy apartments, with not 
one ray of sunlight or brightness inside of the 
