The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-06-28

WHAT GENTLEMEN EXPECT AT
HOME.

HOME.
Not the average man, for he general,
expects so much that he is sure To he disap
pointed; and there is nothing so unt:ailing il
souring the manly disposition as domesti,
annoyance. But, putting aside the averag,
man, and coIningto his superior the stanch
hard-working, methodical, generous, ant
loving man, of which, the Lord be praised
the world is yet full, we must ronceie that
he has some rights at home and in too man ,
cases (let it he said in a whisper ladies, and
among ourselveS) veritable causes for com.
| plant. Admitting the servant nuisance,
a fact that in this country has become Il
foregone conclusion, which, in spite of the
many proposed plans of reform, and the
| frequent Introduction of nationalitieS, still
seems to assert its dominion, we will touch
lightly upon this almost threa,lbare subject.
Servants must be trained as we get them
| No matter how various their quantity and
quality during the year one always has a
chance of securing prize. | have often
heard the remark: why | could accom-
pliSh Il certain amount of work in half the
time that it would take to teach a stupid
Irish girl to do it," Perhaps: but then the
stupid Irish girl would never know her du-
ties. We may Us well learn to look upon
these individuals philosophically, take them
as among the crosses of life, and not become
their slaves, and do their work, either be-
cause they have neglected it or have left it,
or partly poorly done Teach them gratlu-
ally to feel they are relied upon for certain
duties, and they will glide into a habit al
most mechanically.
What men complain of mostly, is the con-
tinual confusion of house cleaning, the ever
floating subject of household cares, the post
ponement of this or that proposition or pleas
urr party on account of wash day, or Bridg-
ct 5 day out or the death of the cooks pro-
verbal cousin, or some other tritiing petty
annoyance that a woman should push aside
as she would Il branch in her way, or step
over as 4 pebble in her path. A real diff
Guilty becomes 4 fretting cause of irritabil-
ity when it is bruited around to the liscom-
have their outside interests that belttle the
concerns of domestic life. AS for wash day!
Is Monday the only day in the week to
wash? And can Bridget not be bribed with
an extra hour or So, to change her day of
peranbuation This, however, is detail
that should be discussed in advance, expert
ence having proved that the best plan in
arranging for the "attcrnoon out" is to
make the day subject to the running events
of the house. Then in regard to the cooks
to supply the vacancy, and there are no dol
lars to quietly invest in a dainty dinner
from the restaurant, little picnic may be
proposed to p"teltdmiliaS, or the misfortune
may be turned into Colonel Sellers Jest
There is always Il way to get out of a diff
Guilty, especially one that need not last long;
for there is no one whose place cannot be
supplied-the main object being not to give
this everlasting housekeeping topic SO much
importance either in conversation, appear
ance, or thought
remember visiting a lady in Lynn, Mas
sachusettS, who was mistress of quite large
establishment. In addition to her husband
and children there were L number of young
people visiting her at the time and this lit
tie Yankee woman had but one house serv-
ant, a female cook, whom no one ever saw
unless going into the kitchen: she may have
come ont of her uuarterS-mu>t have in
deed-tor some one kept the house in order.
We sometimes conjectured that it might he
the madam, she was such busy, sprightly,
Joyous little creature, fitting constantly:
but hey she could find time to work We
could never imagine, fer she was always
ready to take mallet in game OF rfsso4uet,
drive us in q phaeton, or join us in n jolliii-
cation of any kind. Once or twice ! did
notice, when we missed her from the lawn
or piazza, figure very like hers welding
something that closely rescmbled a dust
brush She was never tired. We never
heard her give an order even. The whole
machinery of the house was noiselesS. and
ran us smoothly us the Corliss engine. There
may have been dust in the corners cohwebs
ON the ceiling, or Il spot here and there on
the window paneS, but none of us saw them,
and the little woman herself could not be
made uncomfortable about such tritieS had
they appeared. On another occasion, this
time in Il Boston house, where there We're
four servants, cook, housemaid, waiter, and
coachman, during winter visit of several
weeks we never encountered any of these
personagcs but the waiter and coachlnan
the former only in the dining room, dressed
like 4 gentleman, and the latter in his uni
FORM seated on he carriage-boX. The work
of the house seemed to he done by magic
to try and steal a march upon these good
people, and ascertain 10: the sake of future
convenience what nationality of domestic
kept my room in so tidy and comfortable a
condition. And the directions must have
been given at midnight after we We're all
asleep, or in the morning. before We We're
up, for the ladies of the house seemed al
ways to he with us, always at ease, always
en- toilette, and apparently As much the guests
of the mansion rs ourselves.
What men expect to find in their homes
is comfort. After carrying a burden of re-
sponsibility on their shoulders all day they
look forward with the keenest pleasure to
those hours when they can settle down in
| quiet ease at their own tirc-side. They want
their dinners good and without the bitter
sauce of knowing iii such has been the case J
that there has been domestic broil over it.
They want to feel and see, rather than hear
of it, that there has been deal of consid-
Grafton for them; that their slippers are in
the right place, papers undisturbed, shirts,
collars and cuffs starched and shining, but
tons ON, stockings darned, in short they
want their home life to be- in joyous con,
traSt with their life across the threshold
| And all these little things are matters OF
such serious import that without them tn,
haven of home is transformed into an abode
of discord. ] know the argument on the
other SIDE about grumbling husbands cx.
pecting to scowl their carc-worn wives into
smiling angels. We are not thinking OF
such men: their lives are what they make
| them, AS are all lives to Il certain extent
But experience all the world over prove:
that men are dependent upon good homes
good dinners, and good women for theil
happiness never knew the mascuin,
member of any flmily to look with kindl,
eve upon that period of household purtica
ton generally called house cleaning The,
will submit quietly, even suggest the neces
| Sity of n uanr of panterS carpcuterS pa