Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-03-26
Ffarm ann bouseboln.
March Work for Housewives.

This is too early for regular house clean
ing operations in our section OF country.
but there is much preparatory work suit
able for this season. which will greatly
tighten the grand seige itself
A celebrated mathematician said that
IF he had but three minutes in which TO
work . problem on which his life depend
ed. he would spend two of those minutes
in considering which was the best method
OF doing it" So about this gigantic prob
lem OF house cleaning. the time spent in
considering is very proiitably employed.
Look over your carpets as they lie on
the floor, and If there are worn places. con
slider how you can reconstruct them to the
best advantage. Measure. and study well
over them. and have your map thoroughly
planned out before YOU draw the tacks. II
will be so much easier than to see YOUR
way through ii when it lies all in a heap"
on the floor, after it has been shaken.
Hyou have. in some bedroom, an old
WORKOUT carpet or mating. which is dis
tress 10 you every time you sweep it. take
1t up now and scrub up your floor. Lay
rug or strip of carpet down before the bed.
aud see il il is not a comfort to you every
time you enter the room. There is no COM
pIr.son between neat. bare floor, with
mats laid down. aud an old ragged dust
and dirt-trap in the way of worn out car
pet. \ bedroom. the floor Of which is
wiped up every week. is far healthier
room to sleep in than one with the finest
carpet on it. The flakes of wool. and
clouds of dust are forever arising. and are
most disastrous 10 weak lungs. and are not
wholesome for anybody
shake out your heaviest woolens and
fur, if your climate will permit you to Law
them of. and put them away in sound pa
per bags. Moths will not set their dainty
teeth on edge trying to get through such
castings, any sooner than they will attack
an iron clad safe. Often the remedy lor
an evil i the very cheapest thing we can
try and the one nearest at hand.
A. you have time. daily work of a few
small items of the spring house cleaning.
and have them done with You can't
think how much these little things will
save your strength and time by and by.
See that your empty fruit jar, are all wash
Ell of outside. a of course they have been
thoroughly cleaned inside, and pack them
away in box FOR use when summer
comes. Let the children try their hand at
the wood-house. some sunny Saturday.
where things have had 4 tendency to accu-
musate the past winter. and it will be a
help, if it does not thoroughly accomplish
the work. On warm days, see that the
dooryard i. attended to. Let the odd cor
ners be looked offer. Pick up stray sticks
aud barrel hoops, and any odds and ends
which may be drifting about. Ii seems
strange sometimes where they come from.
Out there they are, when the snow leaves.
and very unsightly they make any ones
premises. Every stick you pick up. is so
much done. And it is many a little
makes mickle.' You will not miss the
time you spent in such work, when it is
only minutes you give to it. But if all are
neglected, by and by it will give you some
very hard days work, and that too when
time is most precious. and work most
pressing. This minute-work is one of the
great savers of time. strength and subsist-
ence, not to say OF comfort.
You will never get better time to look
over your own and the girls dresses. and
see which you may wish to make over.
Try and have. for each, one seasonable.
respectable suit in readiness before the
weather changes. 1t gives such sense of
comfort and independence to adopt this
plan, and it could be done much oftener
than it is. if mothers would only Jeoia in
season. knew lady with large house
hold. who is very skillful at all devices for
making over."-whose children are AL
ways seasonably clothed. I'VE make IN
great many clothes in the winter,- she
said to me one day (which are TO be worn
In the summer" 1t might seem incongru-
Gus to be working over muslin and light
caiicoes when the snow was on the
ground, but it paid, nor did you ever find
her children shivering in thin clothes after
lrosts come. She was what all should aim
at belng, "a fore-handed home-mother. y
Ii one cannot attain the highest standard
IN this respect, it will yet be great ad-
vantage to all depending upon her, if she
Will but aim at such a standard. No one
can do more than their slevel best
j. T., ". e., an Neac England Turner.