Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-09-13
Mistella,leous.
HOUSEKEEPING AND INVALIDISM.

l met, the other day, an old school,
mate of mine-a lawyer of fair ability,
and man of thought and culture. Living
In q country town, on the line of one of
our great railroads, and having the habit
SO common to the inhabitants of such
towns, OF sauntering about the depot at
the time of the arrival of the trains. I
have been in the habit of seeing him oc-
caslonally for the last twenty years.
When we were at the district school
together he had contempt for girls on
account of their physical inferiority. They
We're so .wishy-washy," he said, and cried
II their fingers got cold. At the same
time there was good deal of rough good
heartedness about him, and more than
once he had been known to invest a set
OF aching fingers with his own warm nit
tens
Meeting him some dozen years after we
left school, said, ''How is Mrs.? for
suppose there is Il Mrs. by this time
"No. there isn't he replied promptly,
) and drawing near to the car window he
added, in confidential tone. land don't
believe there ever will be- '.How is
thatY" | asked, amused at the solemn
earnestness with which he made the an
nouncement. Why, to tell you the truth,
/ got so tired of sick women when was
boy at home, that vowed / would never
marry till | could find woman that was
well, and hang me if can find one -
Here the engine whistled, and our CONVEX
sation was cut short, to be resumed after
an interval of two or three years Each
time we met it was the same old story;
but at our last interview, having little
more time than usual, he entered more
nfart Nor .s.,Ig II
up years ago. All the women know are
ailng, and fussing about themselves, and
talking about their nerves, till one is
tempted to agree with the old fellow who
wished that some way had been provided
Tor getting along without them. Tn sor-
ry for them too. The way young girls,
fresh and sweet as roses, are changed in
few years to ailing, faded fretful wo-
men,-hanged if it don't make me feel
more than anything else, that the worlds
a wilderness of VICE. Something wrong
about it somewhere. Wish you strong
minded women would find out what it IS.
Iwont make any difference to me now.
1t was foreordained that should be an
Old bachelor, but if l thought voting would
help make women well, I'd move heaven
and earth to give 'em the ballot" The
engine screamed. and away went the train,
while pondered over my friends words.
something wrong about it somewhere
What is it? To find out that something.
and correct it, sis consummation de-
voutly to be wished"
1t is my experience that there is much
more invalidism among women in the
country than in the city, and l think three
causes can be named that tend to produce
this result. A false standard of excellence
IN housekeeping, insufficient help and
lack of outside interests. To me there is
something pathetic in the crystal clear
ness OF window panes, the spotless paint,
and the immaculateness of stairs, kitchen
floors and pantry shelves in houses where
no "helpn is kept Icannot help thinking
OF what these things cost, of the youth
and freshness, the strength and buoyancy
of spirits, that are constantly sacrificed to
them. l have a feeling that health and
elasticity and good spirits, the bloom and
sweetness of womanhood. are of more
value in a family than unspecked Win
dows, and ''tloors that one could eat off
Of" AS Mr.. Dick said when assured that
the room he had thought of taking was
so small THAT he couldn't swing cat in
1t" 'But | don't want to swing cat;
never did swing a eat;' so we don't want
to eat off the kitchen floors, and why waste
so much of life in keeping them in that
spotless condition The difficulty of get
ting help is owing in great measure to
the high standard of excellence demanded
by the mistress. Raphael wanting an as
sistant and finding his advertisement an
swered by an amiable house-painter,
would be in dilemma not unlike that Of
first class New England housekeeper
with an irrepressible Bridget on her hands.
Their standards of excellence are as far
| apart as the poles. Bridget's good na-
ture may be inexhaustible, she may do her
BEST and still be the despair and torment
of her mistress. Between the two is a
great gulf fixed, and even with the best
intentions on both sides, one can hardly do
justice to the other. The mistress grows
irritable and Bridget discouraged. 1t is
difficult to see how this chasm is to be
bridged over, how the strength of the
Hibernian is to be made available by the
fastidious, but sadly over-worked house.
keeper ''Just think, mamma cried
Brown eyes, rushing in from children's
party, Mrs. S. had five kinds of cake,
and such beautiful warm biscuits, and pre-
serves, and floating islands, and ice-cream.
and she don't keep any girl, and isn't it
wonderful that she can do it all herselfpn
Wonderful, indeed, Brown-eyes, and
feartul-as the dreams you will be likely
to have after eating such a supper"
Greater simplicity in living is the need
of town and country alike. We, of all
nations, ought to illustrate the dignity and
the feasibleness of plain living ana high
thinking. We are constantly quoting the
expression, but how many of us realize
how much the thing itself is neededp In
the whole circle of my acquaintance l
know but one family of large means who
live simply, and by actual demonstration
show how much finer thing is culture
than elegance OF upholstery.
If these model hoaisekeepers only would
distinguish between the essential and the
non-essential, the necessary and the super
fluous, true hospitality and elaborate
feeling between the 1T order a0a ana ehe flean st
business that tyrannizes, they would loose
a milestone from about their necks, and
add clad. rich years to their impoverished