The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-25

in CONSERVATION ut the cruel red mark
which disfigured the countenance of his
young hopeful, declared that had "no
business TO put on such iiub-duds" when
| had baby in my arms. Collar, rib
bon and brooch were ut once laid aside,
and the loosely tied handkerchief re-
placed them. That couldn't injure or
be injured by baby.
BY the time all traces of supper were
falrly away, dress as well as apron and
collar bore marks Of hard usage, and
were not MT TO appear in genteel society
without the renOvating influence Of the
wash-tub; and when | took dOwn-Or
was II took of?-my back hair that
hlght, L iound the once beautiful rose
wllted out Of all semblance TO its former
self.
But then these domestic reformers tell
us '1t costs one nothing to keep clean
except a little soap, water and elbow
grease" The soap and water I don't
mind; and if they would only donate
the elbow grease, / wouldn't begrudge
that, either. ] would dress myself out
spick-and-span clean every day of my
life. But of my own elbow grease i
choose to be somewhat sparing. l never
read an article containing advice of this
sort that | do not long to put the writer
Of it over n wash-tub filled with dresses,
aprons and collars, which have done
service in fulfilling his ideas. Then,
when the washing is done out, would
let him have the pleasure and privilege
or "doing up collars, aprons and
dresses, starching, fluting, ironing ruff
fies and gathers, and making those ar
ticles assume that freshness and crisp
ness essential to a good appearance.
Don't complain, good sir; il is only
| little expenditure of elbow grease, and
the heat of the fire and the irons will
make it flow all the more readily, you
know. EXpend it literally, or be pre-
pared to recant.
Somehow, my experiment, as I inti-
mated at the beginning, wasn't a de-
cIded success there were so many side
issues involved, which, no provision he
ing made for them i'm the plan prescribed
rather marred the general effect, and to
tell the truth, completely discouraged
me. Since then, as before, when / am
IN the Kitchen, or liable to be called 10
Kitchen work, l have chosen to keep
myself IN kitchen trim, and that doesn't
consist of rosebud sprigged dresses, !
white aprons, pink ribbons and faultless
collars. II any persons coming to see
me think fit to take exception to NV /
dress, let them, that is all. As soon |
require an apology from blacksmith |
or mechanic of any sort that his face,
hands and dress bear the marks of his /
daily labor, when you happen TO stop at /
ms shop few moments on business, or
insist that farmer shall plow and har-
vest his crops dressed in broadclOth and
spotless linen, with an equally balanced
neck-tie and a bOquct in the button
lnln a his gnnf Il. -, l. ]
pleasant object to the passer-by, and so
he shall look neat and attractive TO his
wife when he comes in tired and per.pir-
ng to his meals.
And why isn't there another side to
he question? Why should not our
husbands be reminded TO make them
selves and their homes attractive to us,
or fear we should let ourselves or our
ancies wander from them? In this
matter OF personal adornment there is
less excuse for man than for woman.
man does have time, after his DAVIS
work Is over for change of dress. lie /.
has, generally, whole evening TO look
pretty and smile in. Unfortunately.
some of them prefer to do their "smil-
ing" away from home. But working
woman's kitchen is her shop and her
farm, and she has no stated hours of
ldooT. lney begin when she rises; they
end only when she goes to bed. If she
does not literally spend all the inter-
vening hours Of the day within the pre-
cincts Of the kitchen, engaged i'm its
actual duties, those duties string along
so through the day that there is scarcely
an hour in which she can say for her
self, "NOw, for this one hour can dress
up and feel secure from disagreeable
and dirty work" There is no hour of
the day in which the mother is exempt
from little clinging hands, which pull
and haul, aud crush and crumple. and
little feet whose activity soon takes the
dainty freshness out of the most becom-
ing robe. And as the practical house
wife finds il Necessary to dress i'm a styIe
becoming the maid-of-all-work, so The
mother will soon learn she cannot dress
than as a nurse.
sermon is unfinished without an
application. And now, gentlemen, lend
me your ears. You may not have been
very much interested thus far, but that
5 no reason why you should not he
lrofited now.
Let men quit lecturing women on
hings about which they know little
ma understand less; for If they feel ,
hey have a special vocation for reform 4,
ng the world, they can find ample field /
or labor among their own sex.