Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-05-13
CLEANINe HOUsDI
BY SUSAN sNAPF.

The exclamation point dear sisters, IS
intended not to give special emphasis to
the subject in hand, but simply to fright
@ men away from the corner. / don't
wish them to hear what have to say.
OF the human species, there are, in
house cleaning time, only three varieties
Of the adult male-the helpful man, the
dazed man, and the man who can be
6kened to nothing else than a restles ele-
phant in q china shop. or the first new
& speak. He IS the angel in the house
Of whom Coventry Patmore does not
write; the comforter, carpet litter, and
friend whom no true woman can regard
without emotion. The last, also well
Let alone, leaving him to his own de-
stTuction but for the second-that poor
dazed mani would put in a beseeching
word. No, not exactly so; for this IS
just friendly gossip. / merely propose
that We should put our heads together
and agree that this year the poor fellow
Our poor dazed fellow-shall have a
better time oft than formerly.
You know how we have generally
treated him in other house-cleaning sea
sons; how, from the moment the first
alarum of the scrubbers sounded, not
moments peace could he know; how we
upset the house from roof to cellar, Ieav-
ing him no bedroom, no library, no anv
where; how he ate in the kitchen. slept
in the clothes-press, and washed in the
entrys how ne found ladders and pals
IN his study, soap on the stairs, and wet
scruDDlng cloths IN his best boots how
Wretched and desolate he was; how in
Jurea and majestic we, as wife and
LaothSr; and how self-abased the poor
fellow was made to feel for even ssyvon
dering where his newspaper couId he
Itreally was so, wasn't it / don't think
It was one bit fair on our part. I for one
am going to reform.
This year mean to go to work sys-
tematcally, so that John shall have no
idea Of what my right hand doeth. Iohn
IS one Of the dazed kind. He's lordly
enough all the year round, genial
enough, too-a blithsome, strong, bal
anced man, with flowers in all his gram
Ite creVlces. love him with my whole
heart until the house is upset in the
spring, and It S time to take up the sit
Ling-room carpets; then-well. YOU all
know what your dazed man is at such
umes-he IS just pitifuI and that's all
we can say. But it shall be so no Ionoer
II l can help it. mean to think o9er
matters carefully before | bepin and
plan the campaign 50 skillfully that onIv
y the dehclous, soapy, lirny. clean odor
ol everything the added neatnees .,,l
sweetness the roominess Of onre-r,,-1,-
9ered shelves and the shiny. omen win
uoM aspect OF his home, shall he walzen
tg We iaet that house-eleaning has taken
Place-that the broom-spirit has Co41,a
seen, conquered and gone. ''-0'
4Ais snail be done by leisu1,eIx, tal-i,o-
uP one room at a time, or at noost +,yo'.
y neVer oeing on with the new brooy,1
osioIS am on with the old bv bal,;7,er
~ @Itlly OF house-cleaners who ,,,,,sss
Lesll eilIough the entire premises i, or-
-. y ii'est other engagements. bv let-
iE my own two housemaids. with Mrs
onaPP assistance, work at it in the lat
IeI PR o. each week. may put out my
- .Si.ls ioI fortnight or so and let the
80 s.ye al liiat extra time to rest and
leailiilg)' and by timing the vari-
Gus processes so that inevitabIe rIiea
greeabIeness shall always occur 5,,-;1,rr
John.s absence. | think the tbi1g ca6
De done. Our girls are wiIIino and
hearty, and can rest them when the
Worstls over, by a dress or two from
my scanty stock, or a suitable off If
money. surely If John and can af-
IOIu y1hing IN the way of luxury. we
can lndulge in this method of exorcis-
ing tne Schoonmaken-demon. / l.Schoo1-
b7Gke1f IS the grand Dutch annual bouse-
cleaning we have a right to the word
since we follow the custom.l
Another thing, sisters. Il is well to oct
through with this business before f6e 1ve
weather becomes too warm bnt On he tl,e
other hand, we in the country esneciailv filS
must be careful not to take doTCn 1,@-rly, ~
stoves too soon. Nothing is more cbeer- \ sT.
less than room too early putin its -slSn, e,,r,
meT array-thin white curtains roa3tire, NJ fin.
and an hermetically-sealed stove-n;nes sls.,1;l-e
or fireplace too often cheat us of baIf
ne sweetness Of spring by nlal-inor ns re. re-
alze ITS occasional chiIIiness. Nanv a
tune have known an entire fsT5;i-33 70 .
De made uncomfortable thropgbont ,t1, tbo -
l4lter part OF April and Nav inst be-
cause OF the ruling opinion that # would
never do to have a fire after the house r.le-
Sleanlng was over. Such a web in tbe
BRAN Of few housekeepers i o,,ite te
enough to make a neighborbood I'm I'm
healthy. The true miasma that troTb-
4Ss them IS in the trail of the dismaD-
ued stove carried too soon to garret n,
ceilar.-HeayzH and Home. s''''>' -