0 SWEET THINGS TO THINK ABOUT; November 1932; South Dakota

A subscriber to The Farmer's Wife who lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota saves her copies and sends them nearly a hundred miles by car to my prairie home. Eagerly I unwrap the package--for there are always several. Immediately I turn to the special page for us farm women with new thoughts and fresh inspiration for the taking. I save them all for that daughter who may some day be mine.

As I stood ironing yesterday, my mind began to dwell on little troubles, misunderstandings, the slight of a supposed friend, problems which were beyond my control. And as my mind clung to such thoughts, each trouble, or misunderstanding, or slight, seemed to grow and grow and become almost unbearable till I was very blue and even wept a few tears.

Right there I turned about and placed the hot flat iron on the stove. These were not healthy thoughts for a woman to be thinking who is striving to be a wonderful wife and mother, with a sweet face and a true heart. My thoughts were dragging me down and in my mind huge storms were brewing.

Before any more ironing was done I placed my Bible before me open to Philippians 4:8, which verse I committed to memory as I worked. "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on those things." It helped wonderfully. How many sweet things there are to think about!

I believe we farm woman must watch our thoughts to control them. For our thoughts are far-reaching in their effect on our inner selves, on our response to life.