The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-30


had been termed exactng; now, his wite's pre-
vision left no room for eXactons. He had but
one iault-like the Israelites of old he was
RAPIDLY falling into idolatry and his wife was
the queen OF earth and heaven Her first letters
to us we're filled with such 'ioyous romancing1
my husband called IL "hiqh-fown nonsense
which he could not realize, but which 1, in a
far off dream, seemed once to have known. . .. .
In a month came my anxiousy -looked.for
epistle, which was 10 contain rules" for my
guidance. Yes, mine Ia wife and mother Of
two children Had ever seen any weakness of
purpose in Bertha should have had no eond
dence; but in all her management in all the
ordering of her own ways, she was to NV
human vision perfect; yetit was with tremblinS
that l opened her letter; felt that in every
line l should be condemned-her precepts and
my practice | knew would not agree | need
not refer to any note-boOk to refresh my memorv
but, setting aside all the love which welled
forth from her heart and found fitting place in
her adectionate words, give the rules them
selves;-
Early rising uctuality-Despatch. Duties
TO, be instantly performed, however in them
selves disagreeable.
"In every household, large or small, palace
or cot there must be a place for eUe71Hbin1.
and the mistress must see thai e1e1gtting be kept
m ITS place. This matter is generally prolific
source OF unpeasantness between domestlcs and
mistress or housekeeper. There is rarely to be
found any order or plan in unframed servants
Everything is put out of hand at the readiest
vacant spot till confusion everywhere is appa-
rent unless supervision be exercised day after
day; in TACT it Is daily duty, and must be done
despite the tossngs OF the head, or the thump-
ing of various articles, or the banging of doors
by the enraged damsel, who tells you that no
lady would do such things, and as | don't
seem to give satisfaction | must co. In nine
cases out OF ten this is the result;
but either one must be subject to ones servants
or one must be mistress. It is in this point that
young and inexperienced mistress breaks
down. 1t is troublesome to be poking every
where at the risk OF stirring up tempest, but,
oil ha rtI,a
be met every morning it will soon cease to worry
the mistress or annoy the servant. To master
this most essential duty one has to conquer
ones own unwilineness for the task, as we'll as
indolence-hence the hardship. Some mistresses
have peculiar talent for looking after things;
these get well served, and can never be made to
understand the natural timidity and shrinking
from an act which is felt to be unpleasant; but
whether brave or timid, strong or weak this
necessary daily act is one OF the first of house
keeping duties"
On reading this felt self-condemned; dared
not look too closely into IA region at the back of
the kitchen, which, like Dinah's drawer was a
receptacle for everything, from nutmetgrater
to candleends. In fact, had now commenced
my inquisitorial visit, Bridget would have pro-
tested by leaving me. So put this rule on one
side, to be acted upon when Bridget's successor
should commence her reign. | was found want
ing, too, in the next rule
Keep a rag.bag, paper bag, and string
bag, all conveniently at hand; a small drawer
with nails and tacks, hammer, pincers, and
chisel; but all these tools, with the addition of
glue-pot, keep under your own eye, or, like pins
and needles, they will nowhere be found when
wanted.n
Oh, the lectures have had from Bertha about
wasting rags
ut is SIM" she would say, "to destroy that
which our paper manufacturers are at their
wits ends to obtain. Every particle of rag
should be saved"
''Oh, nonsense it's such a little which I
make, II cannot affect the paper question:" was
my laughing reply.
Bertha looked at me gravely.
"Milly, Milly, grain OF wheat is but small,
but numbers feed nations. A pound of rags ia
little to make in one year; but if every woman
saveo that weight, would there not be millions
of pounds ready to be converted into one of
the actual necessities OF civilized life The
miser gathers his hoard penny by penny; you
save in money, not by the sovereign but by the
shilling, and even by less"
Bertha had most convincing way of putting
things. | could not deny her arguments and
therefore set up rag-bag, and hencetorth made
| II point OF conscience to take care of the
scraps. AT the end OF the year | was astonished
at the accumulation which sold, and transferred
the money to my childrens money-box. The
Never crowd too much work into a given
time, by having three or tour rooms cleaned in
| one day."
Bertha showed me the folly of this proceeding
| before she lett. We had but eight rooms; the
| two sitting-rooms underwent tolerable cleaning
| every day, and when ore bedroom only was dis
| turbed at time there were plenty of others for
occupation; besides, Bridget could compass this
| much without effort.
| "Never allow dilapidations of linen or articles
| OF furniture to remain unrepaired the latter
| give an untldy appearance to q house, and the
| former is subversiVe OF all comfort. pair of
| stockings may be mended in quarter of an
| hour, more or less. This portion OF time will
| scarcely be missed, while to mend two pair will
take alonger time than can, perhaps, be spared"
| When | read thus my eye wandered TO my
| basket OF llnen-lts contents accHmulatng daily;
with heavy sigh 1 turned away.
| -Four times year have the beds and mat
| tresses beat, and shaken in the open air; once a
| year, If needed, have the latter re-made. II the
| bedsteads or boards OF the room contain unplea-
| SAINT ntruders eXpel them at once by brushing
| every crevce with strong brine, and let it crys-
| talllZe on, and so remain, instead of removing
| IT, Be careful IN this process to brine the floors
| before taking the bedsIeads to pieces"
| Bertha got that hint, / know, from my own
mother, who used to say, IN reference to 1t, that
| equally simple remedies for many nuisances lay
| always close at hand, If we had only the wit or
! knowledge to use them.
"Dlark all linen with the best markingnk
| when If il should be obliterated in washing rest
| assured that the laundress has used chloride OF
| lime In the operation of cleansing the clothes;
the use OF soda will only make the ink become
! blacker.
Let every article be marked so that it
| becomes a perpetual register so long as the
marks remain; thus-supposing there are six
| arliCles-say tOwels-of a particular pattern.
| mark your initials, the number OUer these, and
| the individual number, with the date under the
| initials; by thus doing, at any time, if YOU are
| in doubt about the towels, you can be sure you
had six OF this particular kind, and you can also
| directly tell which of the numbers, from to g.
| is missing. This manner OF registering linen is
| so correct in its application, and loss is so
| readily discovered, that the method should be