OCR Text |
Show i n sail ii How to Vse the Long Evenings From Farmers' Revel w: Ono can not but noto nt tills season tho gradual grad-ual shortening of tho days nnd tho corresponding lengthening of the evenings. even-ings. Many country peoplo dread the season of long evenings, as tho time often drags slowly for tho want of i.ongcnlnl employment. Tho women or tho household nro most easily provided provid-ed for, as they have resort to knitting and various kinds of fancy work: but tho male members of tho family and the children usually find tho evening, wcarlsumo long before bed time. Tho wise house mother provides ngalnst this' emergency long before tho tlmo arrives by finding something for tho entertainment of all to bo hold In readiness. Most farm houses contain con-tain somo musical Instrument, and this Is nn excellent tlmo for cultivating the muslcnl tasto of tho wholo family Let ono or more do the playing while nil that can Join together In the singing. sing-ing. Don't worry about now music or old, but play tho old familiar tunes that father and mother lovo. If the home Is not already well provided pro-vided with good literature, both books and periodicals, nttend to tho matter at onco. Good books are so cheap now that there Is no excuse for not having at least a few volumes of the standard works that everybody should read Dickens, Scott, Emerson, Tennyson, Ten-nyson, Longfellow, Bryant, Holmes. Alcott thete names and many more should bo as familiar to tho rising generation as their own. But It Is not enough, In this age ot progress, to read books alone. In order or-der to keep abreast of tho times one must know what the world Is dolnc and thinking. Tne only way to do this Is to read tho best of current literature, litera-ture, and only the best; nnythlng less should not be tolerated In the homo Every family should havo at IcaEt one clean, reliable newspaper, several farm papers If the head of tho bouse is up to date and wlslies to make progressive pro-gressive farmers of his hoys, a household house-hold magazine or two and ns many literary magazines as Inclination nnd purse will allow. A good young people's peo-ple's paper, but bo very suro thnt It Is good, will ho appreciated by the young folks. It Is a good Idea to sut asldo a small sum every year as a "literary fund," to ho expended to tho best ad-vantago ad-vantago in providing tho year's literature. litera-ture. If tho young people havo no tasto for reading, begin at onco to cultivate a liking for it by reading aloud to them. Seloct nn Interesting storyand read a chapter every evening. Soon thoy will beg for moro or bo willing to tako a. turn In tho rending. A few games will bo found interesting interest-ing to both old and young. They are cheap when purchased, or may often bo home mado. Tho old favorites dominoes, checkers, fox and geeso, Jack straws and many moro never lose tholr charm, vhllo thero nro many fascinating new games. For tho llttlo ones, chopped cards nnd animals may bo mado of advertisement cards, cut in nieces, each Kent bv Itsolf In nn nn. in pieces, encu uept uy itsoir m an envelope. en-velope. Largo colored lotters, cut from advertisement posters, will supply sup-ply much umusement to tho larger children. Let ono select tho letters of it word and, after jumbling together, pass to another to put In order again. Social life should not bo neglected, as many wlutor evenings nro moU delightful de-lightful for riding out nnd the farm truiua nro nt leisure for driving, t'hen tho farmer's fuinlly should Improve Im-prove tho opportunity for visiting and entertaining their frlonds. Iudeed, fJ,o winter evenings should bo tho must onjoyablo'tlmo In tho year. Gertrude K. Lambert. |