, 1876-07-08
HOUSEKEEPING.
THE SUCCESSFUL HOUBI3KEErEh.
III iha Editor af TAe Tribune.

1
10 soy this tltno may not he altogether original,
hut II will at cast bave tho merit OF degree III
rc1evanco and logic,-two particulars quite as
valuable in this department as In every other.
The especial objects about which my aucries
and syllo9iems shall group Themselves this time
shall lo that fortunate, satisfactory, and not at
all exceptional claraeter,-the successful house.
keeper. Considered apart from her humanity, and
NJ part Of tho economy OF nature simply alc |
forms very important iactora q well as fact.
and In this light her nature and origin may bo
well considered. Let no onc imagine that In |
dealing with her as though she wcre botanical |
OF geological fact, wo are lacking tn regard for !
her. On tho contrary, quite The reverse.
To speak moro directly, and In the name Of
by far the majority Of my Bcx, let me soy that
regard the successful housekcepcr as not only |
most pratscworthy individual, but ~ ono 10
bc ctnulatc as we'll as admired, and for our own
sakcs We would scck to know tn what the cla-
mcnts of her nucccss arc to be found. Ia
y, indeed, tr3le that tho auscsssit,l = ~ houso- a.
pocts 1s the = special creation Of pspyl-
;%ssi aay from II, he IT, Ssanns, @ e IS .oe =" Getvs lie
saints 10 be, or has bls dcrlvcl her peculiar
power. by direct suecessions only through
gifted line q Housekeeping anscstorsa .,.,.u
had i]rm belief In sixth sense which VII
necessary to the successful lnuscwife. This
they .lciomna.cl " faculty" And in their eon,
ytction that no power, human or divine, could
shaken ~ In their filth III TIC o.nnlprctcnt evil
poVcr Of witches and devils. Was Mrs. Smtth's
bread always perfect II its delicate, crisp white
ness, her pe,crist alw9ys Of Just tl;e proper
golden hue, It's swcct odor, aud fayort But Mrs.
Smith, and hor mother, and her grandmother
had all been possessed Of this
si ssyaoe Aa ls 5snss SSus wose sf house o$as Sas
always at rtxcs and scyens, whose family ate
the abrcatl Of ailIctIon " throughout. tho year,
and whose biscuit and rlra possessed spot,'to
haunt The uigh!-vtsion, q the unhappy partaker
Jones Could hardly he held responstblo for any
Of these Ills, for her ancestors from tIme immc-
mortal had hcen Of families whtcl, Ind no "fac.
ulty." Is the problem. then, thus solved, and
common sense and industry
Allowing all that can in fairness bo ascrihcd
to "knack,n which Is but another name for
dettness aid 9aptabity botl faculties capable
With tic forco Of an apl,uftsrH, to wit: That,
given sincere desire 10 meet all tho require
nents Of hsr work, and systSmat1e arssion
Of time and energy, any woman possessed Of or
d!nary Intelligence can become good house-
keeper.
| lhGTC "a surely U3lnlIlE ADHtFuEE tHE 6Clello
1T / may use Tic word scIence-of work Tint Is
often 50 lightly spoken q. Il Is simple
effect, a. readily learned as rule Of arithmetic,
question Of NATURAL philosophy. uIndcr, like
conditions, certain combinations will always
produce tt,e same results. II tho experiment
fail, tho error lies in tho varying con con-
t0 wsa ssess ssn of fsrG Ge e'sy ssue 81 % as
keeping consists tn such complete understand
| Ing Of conditions that their changes can never
| work unfortunate tusults
Ia The dc1irc to excel tho first necessity
THIS certainly Is the primary requirement In all
other buaness, and cannot but think that when
women apply tho rules tint are absolutely cs-
scntial IN i'll other lines TO- this, they will find 1t
san Insure ti,e patient Investigation q detail,
tho tiligcns trial Of experiment, ths forbearaneo
tic 7!story in tIa struggle for SUCCESS. j have
housekeeping, and fave seen many cascs ot 1t,
some vcry amusing, aud some patiettc, but l
never vi Jaw fhe ease In ,xh!eh a stu
core wish to perform tho work successfully
frct that you regard the work as not only. very
hnrd, but In measure degrading, stand liz the
way Of your trying 70 excel It, Oh my ssstcra It
Is hard, Of course. ! admit that; but do yot,
cr'sj or an editor'st q clerk'sf a drcssmaker'sl
Having done 80, Will you candldly tell nc that
you prefer the hcmonotonou grind Of these employ
work and the performing Of . share Of It your.
sclfl Will yon tell me that Its occasional dill.
Guilty Ia not more than compeueased for by the
Independence OF sctton.-tahss s,. knowledge that
strain @ s you i'i's from coming and going - any ca
nrice MAY euggcatl And, besides thIs, there I,
no kind 6f work that know that admitn ol
moro variety: Not only do the regular daily
months il tho year, but cach day, when its
regular tasks me complete, sonlo now plan may
be carried into effect which shall add to ths
pleasure and beauty Of home and everyday life
you choose to think 81 It. Perhaps this ID toe
strong word TO be admissible In tllis democrat
ic land and age, but haye known many women
and many Of them quito too ecnsiblc to holt
Of Tic duties of Housekeeping "a though thef
performance lowered . woman bath socially ant
intellectually. l know QUO lady, both brillian
aud wise IN other matters, who tor many year
any Of the details Of housekeeping. "lt u
not know how to do these THINGS" sAs argucs
shall never be obliged to do thcul.'a Aud. +
my wonder, this woman can never be made U
see the Injustice OF her position Her husbans
Is a professional man, who tolls early and late
ttlat she may have every luxury her heart dc
tlrcs; Is It not = pot'r return for his klndnes
that shs should refuse to take any respons
!
yors her With tr1istwortly, capnhlu servants, al
goes we'll In tler abo.le an,l his peculiar posltto
scems justiflable enough, hut when contlngeI
cies befall their household, help proyeh in
capable or leavea without warnsug. blush !
own TINT her l2,ebAild leaves his study and goc
Into tho kitchen to make good the dcildcnetc
that her scltshness will not permit her 70 pTt
hut It has always seemed to me tint this wona
was lacking In the most common pEincples
honor.
How a woman csa turn aside with such II
pugnance from tasks actually necessary to I'll
comfort and happiness of thoso she loves, Il
hard to understand. 10 work Tor those NC los
ls'always honorable. The mnst glorious spec
men of manhood that ever lived said that h
caIne to earth q not to he mintstcrod unto bt
. to minister" To serve tho happiness Of other
through love, ought to ho = blesaed taals, an
alwnya is sure OF ia reward.
After having accepted the work Of houoekcc'
Ing with alt ts Responsible there falis to o.
: !. lat the question Of how the task can be 1ustl
a lighlened.. And to this end would assure IT
! sisters all that the Introduction Of =
u u the system available will provo Of vel
= = great assistance. You haYs heard !