Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-08-30
MY WELL~SPENT SUMMER.
By KATE PEYToN.

or WtR. you are-Wnicn u just lhc saui
turn the leaf and pass on. This Is no
the story for you.
kitty, I'd give the world if l onl
knew how to keep house like you.
get so discouraged and disheartened tha
| feel as if Id just like to give it all NJ
and die. What with the children, anC
the housework and my ignorance, life is
burden to me"
Poor cousin Belle a dim suggestion
of plan by which | might help her ou
of her trouble had been floating through
my brain for several days, and this pa
thetic appeal brought my ideas to focus
Now | know how to keep house. Why
Because | had New England mother
and il there are any better housekeepcrs
in the world than the New England
housekeepers, there ought to be a sepa-
rate department in Barnums for exhib-
i,ing them to the gaze OF an admiring
world.
Ny mother had faculty" She was
gentle woman, but when she walked
| through room, the chairs, tables, etc
used to marshal themselves into place, as
If general was giving the word Of COM
mand to his soldiers.
All of her daughters were instructed
in housewifely duties. not only served
an apprenticeship as second girl" but
was "chief cook az well and when my
father said:
kitty, this bread is just as good as
your mothers" thought | had gradu-
ated with the highest honors. This was
ny good fortune. Poor Belle had never
been taught anything but the piano, and
as she sagely remarked, They couldn't
eat music"
This WAS her i'll fortune. and so it came
about that Belle, a thousand times pref
tier and brighter than ever thought Of
being, had gotten the web Of life all IN
tangle, where could have woven with
ont let or hindrance.
Now, this was my plan. Belle was
naturally very quick and bright. and
could stay with her six months and train
her in housekeeping. All that she
needed was to be taught. But--alas for
the "buts" in this world-we had planned
lovely summer at home. We had
talked about it all winter. We were GO
ing up the ST. Lawrence, to see the thou
sand Isles, 10 visit Montreal and Quebec :;
then to Mount Desert, and on to the
White Mountains, then to finish the
summer at Newport.
Could | give it up, and stay shut up
in this little "pokey" unfinished West
ern village, teaching Cousin Belle TO do
what was as easy to me as Mother
Goose's melodies and the alphabet:
That night when went up 10 my
room, pu, on my thinking cap. and
sat down to make my decision.
All at once the true question at stake
flashed across my consciousness. My
pleasure agains, ano,hers needs. And
so this is yosr Christianity, said to my
self, severely; this is the enthusiasm for
humanity which you talk about so lofti-
ly, Whereupon gave myself as sound
as hagellation. morally, as any monk
ever gave himself physically with knot
ted cord. and the question being settled,
retired to sweet slumber and peaceful
dreams.
belle" said /, the next morning, at
breakfast, Il think there is way out
OF your trouble"
oh said she. radiantly, "if you
only could help me '"
But, Belle. if we find a way out
You'll have TO abdica,e, and let me be
kind Of absolute Empress Of China for a
few months. How would you like that"
said /, little doubifully, for Belle was
several years my senior, and ma,ron 5
dignity must be very tenderly ap-
preached.
kitty, you We no idea how heavenly
il would be TO me, to have some one tell
me every day just what to do, again. That
is one of my worst troubles. To think
every morning when l get up that must
tell myself and everybody else what to
do when don't know what | want done
myself"
"Well, then" said |, "well begin to-
day"
Listen, Harry, and children" said
Belle. clapping her hands gleefully, "you
must all mind Cousin Kitty, and so must
|. Well all be young together. l begin
to feel restored already"
Very well" said |, judicially, {" to-
day is Thursday. We will devote the
rest of the week to getting the house in
perfect order. We must have clean
casket to put our jewel of home in"
Talk about gymnastics There may
be great pleasure in throwing out pair
of wooden dumb bells and then drawing
them back again, but how can it possibly
compare with flying around room and
putting it in exquisite order, that those
you love my be comfortable in it:
To enjoy your work thoroughly, you
must idealize it. and who could idealize
pair of dumb bells
Saturday night came, and the house
was like band-box. Then | put my
finger on ".tender spot" in the house.
hold economy.
About one-fourth of the needless work
was caused BY lack of order. The Lord
of Misrule was sovereign, and it some
times looked as if hats and coats, dresses
and playthings had rained down.
Now" said l, quoting my mother,
"the house cannot be untidy if every
person puts his or her own things in
,I.oa -