The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-01

establishments a good housekecper IS an IN
valuable treasure in the domestic department,
how much more must such be IN the person oil
a vile to q man with a small incOmeP , go
"How serious you are about triies, Bertha !"
"There are no such things as tr1hes' Irl1es
make the sum OF human things; minutes the
hour. hours the day, and DAYS the year.. With
out the pence 10 pounds can be mace A trltie,
if you will have 1t so, leads to death, The
smallest theft makes the thiet a sudden blow,
murderer. Then v hat are trlnes r
Here we were interrupted by my husband,
who wished to know if we intended sitting up
all night. The next day found US at home,
where everything at hrst seemed 10 confusion.
Bridget was TO stay week to get the girl into the
ways of the house; but, poor Bridget, she only
got us all INTO muddle. She had oeen her own
mistress Tor some time, and all discipline and
order had been forgotten. was glad when she
went. II was days and weeks before l made
any progress in Housekeeping beyond my usual
habits. Mary was helpful Girl. She at once
asked me for her weekly allowance, a term
did not understand.
"My usual butter and tea and sugar, ma'am,n
was the reply, in answer to my inquiring look.
''N hat have you been accustomed to havep ~
said |.
"a quarter OF pound of tea half pound OF
butter, and have always had shilling week
for extra"
But you can use from that which give out"
said /.
''sometimes YOU may think do not make it
go far enough, and ] would rather you would
give me my own ii it made no difference to yoJ,
ma'amn
l considered the matter over, and found Mary
was right; her suggestion brought me comfort
She had what she needed on a Monday morning.
and | had no further trouble with her require
ments all the week. As she had no access to
my stores, could not but be satisfied. gave
out each morning everything that was required
for consumption during the day, and | saw that
everything was in its place. 1t was labor to
me a, first and most especially was it veXatlous
to be Obliged 10 give up playing with my chll-
nT IN of mi nqt nCGn al Int h1t
the habit soon grew into a pleasure, for, no
matter how / might be occupied, or where |
might go, had no fear but that the meals at
home were right. Gradually found tnat, by
close attention to bLtteS, | was ultimately en- a.
bled to appear very liberal house keeper;
indeed "eXtravagantH was the gratuttous title |
earned. By close attention to the trlhes | once
despised was enabled to make twcnty-scven
shilllngs week go as far as l once COuli treble
that amount.
need not say that l had no margin for
waste; indeed, TO purchase the needfGl require.
ments of wear SnI tear OF furniture and house
linen, and also TO pay the washing bills, both
myself and husband were obliged to give no a
portion of the money originally set by for
clothes. The children began to get expensive,
and still their requirements had to be met. |
learned the art OF dreSsmaBing from one who
came TO make up the chlldren's dresses: IT had
not | could not have managed to put out the
work. Once in two Years / got a silk dress, and
that well made; this was the extent OF my
extravaganza.
In fact, found the only way to manage was
TO make myself acquainted with every useful
household art; and amid all this call upon my
time and energy, at every spare moment as
siduOusly pracused my music, which was fast
slipping through my fingers: l also cultivated
the talent possessed ior sketc hing. No motive
short OF eoucating my childIen, which, of course,
! was obliged 10 40, would have enabled me TO
bear this extra ST. ain upon my time and temper.
l should say hore that my husbands health,
which had never been strong enough to follow
his profession, gave way when my eldest child
was Fix years old. He became afflicted with
spinal complaint, which LAID him nearly pros
trate for the space OF eieht years, and during
this sad time all our available resources were
needed.
The eight shillings a week, resulting from the
&20 per annum which we had reserved as a fund
Tor emergencies, was ali expended i'll what was
absolutely required to meet his case. The most
skiltul economy alone enable me to keep out OF
debt. Had been in the country 1T would have
been altogether another thing, but in London all
eataOles we're expensive, though London had an
equivalent advantage in that we were not obliged
to know any one. There was no one that we cared
about to whom our servant could tell that we
had only potatoes and bacon tor dinner, or cold
meat more than Two days following; though
certainly the latter circumstance did not happen
very often, for experience taught me that cold
meat was heartless meal excepting now and
then, when salad OF fried potatoes ma lie it,,
perhaps, more agreeable than a hot dinner.
II wever, we lived unknown and unsought eX-
cept by our kind friends the Grays, who too
nearly resembled ourselves tor them 10 be Criti
cal about our doings.
educated my children myself, and in doing
so found great delight. Each year my troubles
seemed to grow less, for became economical
not only OF money and money worth, but OF
time also, as my husband needed the greatest
care and attention. We had scrupulo dsly kept
up the insurance upon his life TOR the $500,
| though each year the payment was increased.
| As IT entioned before, learned to 90 every
| thing myself, SO that was, IN measure, indie
| pendent OF skill in a servant. | changed often
this was unavoidable; each went away $40
better herself, to be succeeded by incompetence
and, too frequently, idleness.
| The changes came so frequently Servants had
! altogether altered from those OF Bridget's days;
! they found it so dull, or they could not rise
! early, or always wanted to be running ouO, that
! | msenslbiy made up my mind that these mise
! ries were a-t becoming an established order OF
things, and resolved to bear them as unrutlled
as l could. Even Bertha Chapman com Dlaned
| that, since the death OF Door Robert, things in
| her domestic meRdge had altered. Two of heI
most trusted servants had married, and she
! could not replace them: several were tried, but
were not equal to their duties. There is DC
help Tor MS" she wrote put Tor mistresses to
| educate themselves 50 as to teach their helps. y
had long ago found this out, and for so lone
as had my health all vent on well. But fell
pity always or every mother in delicate health
a prey to her servants IN her uncomfortable
home. TheIe were comfort and peace and love
in our dwelling, albeit the sickness OF my be
loved husband greatly oVershado we'd our Joys
My experience OF the past has been, that had
| sci out III lite with but trile OF reliable prac
tCe in domestic matters, such as | afterwards
taught myself, and With moderate aspiring as Il
any position which two hundred year income
would warrant, and that had |, or had we both
set out with sufficient moral courage to despis
shams, and not have endeaVored 10 appea
otherwise than we were-persons OF very mode