Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-08-12
A Romautlo View OF Dlshwashlnp

III tue entFe routine OF domestic duties
there Is nothing so universally disUked
AS washing dishes. II seems not 10 have
a single rldeeming feature. Necessarily
II must be confined IL kitchen precincts -
must be shut Oft from all that is attractive
IN the hOme--ltS music is rattiipg OF
china and tinkling of Llns-~itS perfume is
not of new mown hay" The artistic
soul may find something beautiful ir Law.
ing the spotless cloth and arranging upon
II the dainty china or snowy ctockery; "A
lover Of the beautiful can ind pleasure in
sweeping, busting and arranging room.
that will meet her eye all day with a sense
OF aporovsi, but where Is the woman who
| can do more than make dish washing
other than merely endursble
Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher, several
years ago, in one of her excellent articles
| on housekeeping, tried TO meet the case
by advising those who had to wash dishes
TO use instead of cloth or other coutrivau-
ces an ordinary whisk broom. This is
| excellent, but this alone will not make
thelduty pleasant, Nothing but the spirit
which accompanies the work can do this
! aud 10 enjoy II thus 1t Is necessary that
the preliminary arrangements be care
| fully attended TO.
There are few ladies of the older
| school who attend To their silver In The
| dining room, but these are fast dying cut.
| In any case, the same order must he ub
| served. Remove from the table first glass.
ware, second silver laid nicely upon u
| plate, then cups and saucers, plates care
! fully cleaned of all scraps, then the esl
of the dishes. See that every dish il
made rs clean an possible without wash.
! ing, and pile plates tirs:, upon these, es
sert plates, saucers by themselves, aud al
small dishes In as small compass as Il ey
can be made to occupy. During tnls
part OF the work the mind must ueces4a-
rily be upon it, but then begins the actual
| dishwsshing, which can be made step.
ping stone to the highest self develop.
ment. With foaming water aud soap,
with clear water for rinsing, tray for
| draining, clean tea towels tor drying, there
| is now no hindrarce to hai-hour's com
munion with Carlyle or hlger or Spencer,
Martinesu or Tonnyson. They are so
near IN spirit, so far removed by mere
sense, that no thought OF insult Is tell
though you choose them for your CON
panions while performing the mental duty
Of washing dishes. As freely, syc, more
| freely will they con1de 10 you their
choicest thoughts, as ii you were prlu
/ cess in a palace. In company with these
| hours OF quiet, wherein the memory be-
comes enriched by things best and most
enduring, 1t soon comes to pass that all
the day beside grows tame and common
| place, for who among our acquaintances
can take their place or give us single
thought where these give score,
In these days of rapid changes, whore
/ the wheel OF fortune turns so quickly
that we scarcely know our friends to have
reached the top ere we hear they are al
the bottom, many have been the heart
aches and bitter thoughts Al being forced
| to give up social pleasures for home du.
ties. Where there is no love for culture
or thought, this is indeed pitlable, but
where the soul aspires there can be 40
| permanent regret, when they pause and
consider whom they leave in the parlor
that ia the peer of their hour In the
/ kitchen In the one case a chatteriug
theory, in the other the worlds greatest
minds.
! know lady who considers her dish
washing hour most sacred, because In 1t
I she feeds thus on highest thought. Learn
| ing by heart whole chapters oi Car, yle,
| long extracts OF Martineau, wonderful
| passages from Emerson or Alger, she says
/ she can be disturbed At any or all hours
! better than this. Try il and give us The
/ result, ye wearied mothers and over-laden
! daughters, when six months have passed
! -Ad1Gnce.