The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-04-02
domestic happiness, thou only bliss
OF Paradise that has s,,rvtv ed the fall -

L Ne
domestic happiness, thou only bliss
OF Paradise that has survived the fall"
Mn. EDrToR-lfyou think the follow.
ing observations will be acceptable, or
useful to your readers, and will give
them place in your paper, you will a.
blige plain unlettered Individual oc.
cupying an obscure corner in this great
city OF Alexaneria--but his very obscu-
rity gives him an. opportunity of some
times peeping behind the curtain OF do
mestic life, and thereby making discove-
ries the evil tendency of which, by points
ing out remedy, may perhaps render
these few remarks useful to his fellow
citizens.
Ihave always thought grea, deal Of
the unhappiness experienced in lie, par.
ticularly by married people, originated
from an iDattention to the minufis Of do
,nestic concerns and carelessness as to
the manner in which servants and chill
dren are permitted to waste and destroy
articles necessary to the comfort of eve~
ry family. My object is merely TO state
few OF the causes which appear TO be
most prominent in rendering domestic
life occasionally scene Of discomfort,
and ioquietude and do not hesitate in
giving 1t as my opinion founded on OBJ.
servation,( and | appeal to the experience
ofyour readers if such is no. the fac,)
that large family of servants is one of
the greatest evils with which house
keepers have to contend. For If the at
fairs of the household is left entirely to
their management, ruin must inevitably
be the results for having 10 interest ia
making every article go an far as possible
and even If perfectly honest, not under
standing how to arrange matters on strict
economical principles they are not TO be
depended on, not one in thousand and
il the mistress has to pay particular at.
ieDtioD TO them, the moro she has TO
look after, the more her time will be
occupied unprofitably ; and very likely
iajure her temper, and affect her happi-
ness, for it is daily and petty crosses u
vexalions, which are hard to bear with
fortitucc and patience. Let any man
make calculation Of the expenses Icon-
Aistent with comfort) of the board and
clothes of one individual which can be
dispensed with, to say nothing of the
trouble of making this individual attend
70 hiss or her duties, and he will soon be
convinced that the saDo money could be
laid out In manner which would con-
tribute much more to the comfort OF his
family. Fellow cIIizens, suppose you
were to organize company for the pur-
pose OF conveying water through our
srreets, and into our yards, what think
you would be the expense and would
not the comfort every housekeepsr would
derive from such an object being ac-
complished, be great indeed |? Make
the calculations, my friends, and see If
You would not by retrenching in the way
above alluded TO, find yourselves in
few years much richer, and ten times
more pleasantly situated than you are at
present. The colored population ofthi,
town is becoming serious evil. Louk
al the numbers that swarm through our
streets on SUNDAY, see their dress. and
remark the parties given by this class of
our community & surely the most super
fiCIal observer will at once discover that
all this fiBery and prodigaliiy is not the
gains of honest labor. II such is the
fact, and deny it who can, where does
the means come from! If expenses
are Incurred by those who have no vi
sible way Of defraying such expenses,
those EUhO hare must be the losers and
ought you not to remove the evil if
practicable morally and reIigiously
speaking, is il not your duty TO adopt
some means by which this great and in
orcasipg source Of domestic misery can
be iessenede
Some will perhaps reply to this state.
EOen,, by saying, our establishments are
SO Az sDged as to render the number of
doDeslics now kept unnecessary, how
can these poor creatures be suppo, ted,
and where are they TO get employment.
liz answer, would merely say, that
by cuiivating the ground, which, par.
,iculsrly this city,is very destitute
Of agricultural improvement, employ
ment, innocent,usefal employment, could
be found Tor all those who cannot pro.
cure it within the houses Of the citizens.
The free population can rent small par
GELS Of land, which by euItivating with
care and industry, with the cid Of COW,