Sharp County record., 1881-04-14
Concerning the Saving OF Labor.

at the substance of many of the articles
which from year to year appear in the
household column of newspapers,
telling women how to do their work in
order to get through with it quickly,
have plenty OF leisure and be always
bright and unlatigued; for they well
know that in housekeeping, as in most
other businesses, " eternal vigilance is
the price OF liberty" and that for every
day of neglect there is always ." day
of reckoning" At all events, that has
been my own experience. | find that,
in order to keep affairs running smooth
ly and well, there is always great deal
OF work to be done and always great
many steps to be taken.
In economizing labor, both for myself
and those whose work direct, | aim
chiefly at two things-tO make the vari-
GUS tasks of the day " dove-taiI' into
each other and to SaUe steps. The lat
ter, | think, is of very great importance
and the most difficult to compass, be-
cause it requires constant forethOught.
Aside from the architectural cOnven-
fences of house-on which a long
chapter might be written-there are
some arrangements, simple in them
selves, but which contribute largely to
"keepng things in order" at little
cost of trouble or expense. In the kitch-
en- hang a bag so that the mouth be al
ways open, in which put all rags OF every
deScription-especially wOrn-out house
cloths that drift to that part of the house.
Have another bag, with mouth ajar,
for paper of every description. Allow
neUer drag or paper to be brOlOn ont OF
doors. When a broom is utterly worn
out, crop OF the stump end and put it
in the fire; put the handle in the work
shop. Have box or drawer in the
kitchen for needles, thread, thimble,
and shears; they are always needed at
times. Have in every occupied room
a similar outfit, for scarcely week
passes but stitch needs to be taken in
something. A half dozen steel thimbles
with needles and thread and scissors,
iGdiciously placed, will save five thou
sand steps year.
The same may be said of dust-pans
and dust-brushes, In a large house
there should be from two to three on
each floor. They will wear for years,
and in the end cost no more than when
one is made to do for the entire house,
besides saving all the steps, To come
downstairs for what should be upstairs
and Uice versa, should be accounted an
intellectual sin. True, one cannot al
ways 90 about with the mind charged
will small matters, but there is an old
saw about killing two birds with one
stone, that is worth remembering. If
there is a shelf or chair by the stairway
on which articles are placed that go up
stairs, many steps can be saved in that
way. The same for the cellar, If there
is shelf put in the cellar way on which
things may be placed temporarily that
are either to be carried down or brought
up and left until required.
What is needed in the kitchen have in
the kitchen, so far as possible. Ii there
is no place for these things make a
place. So of the dining-room. Have
your table-cloths and napkins there and
not upstairs in bureau drawer. In
brief, put the requirements of an
Office IN the office, and, as | said of the
kitchen. if you have no place for them,
make place A small cupboard may
be hung against wall, which will prove
q great convenience. Instead OF talk
ing and wishing for conveniences hare
them. In nine cases out of ten, if you
want thing in downright earnest
you'll get it. Only, never ask to have
an extension to the back part of the
house when YOU have front rooms that
YOU don't use. American women have
a mania for extensive houses, until they
are worn out in their efforts to take care
of them.
One way to "get on" with work, and
50 economize in labor, is to have a
goOllf number of irons in the fire at
the same time. | find that a thing once
begun is half done; then, too, one does
not always feel like doing certain tasks
at all times, and diversity of work is
more pleasant. One may lack materials
to finish one article, or certain piece
of sewing is upstairs and one is too
tired to 90 for it, SO, if there is other
work at hand already begun, it will
probably receive attention. Sewing and
repairing for spring and summer wear
should now be attended to, so that when
the warm, relaxing days of spring come
there will be no need of oyer-work for
the sake OF having something to wear.
Apropos conveniences, lamp hung
from the middle of the ceiling in the
kitchen will light the whole room, be
out of the way and out of danger from
breakage. Plain hanging lamps are
now among the leasteXpensive OF lamps,
and with good top piece, or shade,
are very useful
For cleaning frosted lamp globes,
wet q bit of cloth in kerosene and rub
the rlass. Use no water in cleaning
lamp chimaeys and the breakage of
them will be almost nothing. For
plain chimneys | know Of nothing
better than soft paper and hui
man breath Put the paper over one
end of the chimney, blow into the
other, which warns and mOistens the
glass. and then rub with the paper.
Some steam the chimney slightly at the
spout of a teakettle. Whether the way
IN which lamp chimneys are cleaned
has actually something to do with their
breakage ornOn-breakage | don know,