The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-09
Moving and Cleaning.

The following extract is from "Rural
Hours" a volume written by Susan
Fennimore Cooper, daughter of the
American novelist, and published by
G. P. Putman's Sons:
The great spring house-cleaning is
going on in the village just now, and
formidable time it is in most families,
second only as regards discomfort to
the troubles of moving. Scarcely an
object about a house seems in it's proper
place-topsy-turv is the order of the
day. Curtains and carpets are seen
hanging out of doors, windows are SASH
less, beds are found in passages, chairs
are upside down, the ceiling is in posi-
session of the whitewash brush, and
the mop '..has the floor" as the reporters
say of Hon. M. Cs. Meanwhile, the
cleaners, as relentless as Furies, pursue
the family from room to room, until
the last stronghold is invaded, aud the
very cats and dogs look wTetched Sin
gular as it may appear, there are some
active spirits in the country-wOmen
spirits, of cOurse-who enjoy house,
cleaning-whO confess they enjoy it.
But then there are men who enjoy an
election, and it was settled ages ago
that there is no arguing upon tastes.
Most sensible people would be disposed
to look upon both house-cleaning and
elections as among the necessary evils
of life-far enough from its enjoy
ments.
One would like to know from which
ancestral nation the good people of this
country inherit this periodical cleaning
propensity. Probably it came from the
Dutch, for they are the most noted scour-
] L, -
to believe that such sober, quiet race as
tho Hollanders could have carried on
the work with the same restlessness as
our own housewives. We are said to
have taken the custom of moving on
May-day from our Dutch forefathers,
and | believe there is no doubt of that
fact; but then, we may rest assured
that whole town would not set about
moving the same day in Holland. In
that sensible, prudent land, not more,
perhaps, than dozen hOuseholders at
a time are expected to sacrifice comfort
and furniture by such step. On the
Zuyder Zee, it probably takes a family
at least year to make up their minds
| to move, and a year more to choose
a dwelling. But see what this custom
has become under the influence of 90
dheddjSn1! May-day, for ages asso-
/ CldL6u WIFI mes, sweet OIOSSOQB,
gayety and kindly feeling, has become
the most anti-poetical, dirty, dusty, un-
fragrant, worrying, scolding day in the
year to the Manhattanese. So it is
with the cleaning process. Most civ
ilized people clean their dwellings.
Many nations are as neat as ourselves,
and some are much neater than we are.
But few, indeed, make such fuss about
these necessary labors. They contrive
to manage matters more quietly. Even
among ourselves, some patriotic women,
deserving well of their country, have
made great efforts to effect a change in
this respect, within their own sphere,
at least; but alas 4! in each instance
they have, we believe, succumbed at
general custom, tyrant that few have
the courage to face, even in a good
cause.
1t must be confessed, however, that
after the great turmoil is over-when-
the week, or fortnight, or three weeks
of scrubbing, securing, and drenching
are passed, there is a moment of de-
lightful repose in family; there is a
refreshing consciousness that all is
sweet and clean from garret to cellar;
there is a purity in the household at
mosphere which is very agreeable. AS
you go about the neighborhood, the
same order and cleanly freshness meet
you as you cross every threshold. This
is very pleasant, but it is pity that
it should be purchased at the cost of so
much previous confusion-so many
petty annOyances.