The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-05
TOpsy-Turyy Time.

He must be deep psychological stu
dent, or person with an intuitive
knowledge of The Sex, who can really
tell whether or not the average Ameri-
can woman likes housekeeping -
time. The social satirist boldly insinu-
ates that she dotes on it. The para
graphist of the period levels at her his
perennial jokes. Unfeeling men every
where ruffie the tempers of their wives
by saying, with lift of the eyebrows
and curl to the lip that are more hate
full than even the words" And yet she
is not happy!"
The average man persists in holding
to the notion that house-cleaning is a
needless nuisance-& mere housekeep-
er's device for turning things topsy-tur-
Wy, creating a necessity for new carpets
and curtains, turning the furniture
around, and hanging the pictures in diff
ferent positions. He often says, in the
severe and conclusive manner charac-
teristic of a man who doesn't know what
he is talking about, but has neverthe-
less very decided opinions, that if he
were in charge, he should have the
house kept so clean all the time that
there would be no necessity for semi
annual reign of disorder and grand car
nival of dirt and discomfort. With men
so aggravating, it is no wonder that the
women settle to the unacceptable job Of
removing their environment, as Joseph
Cook would say, with spirit and vim
that lend color to the charge of real en-
joyment.
The annual raid was begun little
later than usual this year, owing to the
backward way in which Nature has
come forward; but it is at last fairly I'M
der way. The verandas and back-yards
bear unmstakable evidence that the
campaign has opened. The bare win
dows, the gaping doors, the cluttered
halls, the puckered brows crowned with
handkerchief turbans, all tell that
eel 'arin up time" has come. The dull
strokes of the patient carpet-beaters
echo in unbroken succession across the
land, as Webster said the British drum
beat rolled round the world in the path
way of the sun. Men furtively slide out
of their houses at lunch or dinner time,
wearing upon their countenances the
unmistakable cold-bite ~ look so in
separable from the period. The smell
of suds is in the air Clouds of dust
make "the sunlight hateful" The
spirit of discomfort is everywhere ram.
pant.
Everywhere, did we sayp Not quite
For here and there woman has learned
the art of house-cleaning. She begin;
with one or two rooms-no more than
she can tear up, clean, and settle in one
day, without hurry or confusion. She
employs good strong help, and neither
uses herself up at unusual labors fol
which she is not fitted, nor demoralizeS
her regular servants by putting upon
them double duty. Saving five dollars
in help, to pay twenty to the doctor, is
very common form of domestic econo-
my, but it doesn't pay. The sensible
house-keeper will not crowd the season
1t requires four weeks of sunshine and
warm weather to take the winter chill
out of the air, and make it safe to LEI
the fires 60 out. She therefore makes
haste slowly, and disturbing the family
life as little as possible puts the house in
''apple-pie order" from garnet to cellar
May her race multiply and spread, un.
til the dread and the dreadfulness are
taken out of the spring revel!- Golden
Ra4lg.