the confidante, the counsellor, the optimistic teacher, and the
appreciative audience for six children and a husband, besides a lot of
neighbors who carried their troubles to her. She performed more mental
work than it takes to manage a billion dollar trust. She kept six
children, not only out of mischief, but _happily busy_ at all sorts of
household and outdoor work which it was well for them to know. They
learned to keep house and farm by keeping them, whilst she sat by and
enthused and directed their efforts. She made them _love_ it all. She
helped them over the hard places in their school work and enthused them
to do better work. They carried off the school prizes under her
admiring eyes, and ran straight to lay them in her lap and receive that
proud and happy smile of hers.

Her husband worked like a slave _with the heart of a king_. She thought
him the best, bravest, brightest of men, and told him so a dozen times a
day, besides _looking_ it every time he came in range of her big, loving
brown eyes and smooth, rosy cheeks.

I never heard of an unkind word in that family, and those six children
grew up into splendid young manhood and womanhood. Their mother is still
the blessed sun of their existence. She is prettier, healthier and
happier now, and so proud of her fine children.

And she is _up-to-date._ She has studied and read with her whole family
and is interested with them in the world's present events, art,
literature and religion.

Do you think that woman ever complains of loneliness, or "tries so hard"
to draw husband or children "nearer"? No. She long ago chose the "one
thing needful"--_a faith-full heart_. Her physical strength would not