Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-12-09
VIRTUES OF HOUSEKEEPING.


AS it is the fate Of some Of the wo
men of to-day to have charge of
house, is it not proper that each
should understand the duties entail.
ed by her position
Housekeeping should soften the
character, and while attending to
the wants of others, we should learn
patience and charity. That charity
that thinkest no evil" ! am not one
of those who think that because
woman has a husband who is in
clined to be disagreeable, she should
constitute herself his meek and hum
BILE servant. Yet we all know that
there is work to be done that can
only be done by a women, but there
is no necessity to be fretting about.
How many faces once lovely, how
many aimable dispositions become
entirely transformed from constant
repinings at what can not be helped.
Domestic avocations, if properly
engaged in, will not injure the doer
Such life affords opportunities for
excellent discipline, and every wo-
should make it the aim and purpose
of her life to attain perfection in her
home. A day for mending, day for
washing, another for ironing, for
sewing, and SO on, and at once the
work becomes simplilied and less of
hardship. "Oh, dear, tomorrow is
washday. How | hate it ~ This is
common saying, and there is moth
ing very wrong about it, for no one
will assert that washing is an agree
able pastime. VT it must be done,
so it is worse than useless to fret
over it as consequence every sem
sible woman should determine to
look on the bright side of the wash
tub and soapsuds. Make few good
rules and keep them. Determine not
to put the whole house in disorder
and make every one miserable, be-
cause the clothes must be washed,
the bread baked, etc.
Suppose dinner is to be served at
a certain hour, and dear husband
forgets all about it and arrives in
the best of humor when everything
is cold.
Don't cry and scold, but make the
best of it, AS he is in lively mood,
cold meat and sauce will not in the
least cool his ardor, and he will find
as much enjoyment in the meat as
though it were nice and warm. 1t is
also most probable that the stimulat-
ing effects of the homeward journey
are all sufficient without any addi-
tiOn from woman S tongue" We
all know women who are continually
finding fault with something or
other, and who are never happy un-
less there is something to scOld
about. But every such little worry,
every harsh word, every disagreeabe
look, makes life harder, and but
deepens the lines of trouble about
the eyes and mouth. There are
plenty of real troubles to be met
with, without allowing household
cares W DtCOlllb Al SOUIC6 VI lOIlItnG.
A well-ordered home and a happy
one is one Of the blessings Of earth,
and it is blessing easily obtained.
a Well-ordered house does not neces-
sarily imply place where the chairs
and tables are never dusty, the floor
never soiled. A place, in fact, where
a man cannot walk without doing
some damage. Such a dainty ar
ranged home means place too aW-
fully nice for common mOrtalS. Dust
and dirt are necessary evils Of our
existence and as such must be en-
dured. 1t is truly enough to provoke
a saint to see a man in the most in
different manner in the world step
across a floor that has just been
secured. This is not done out of
meanness,it is mere thOughtlessness.
so kindly remind him of his failing,
and, in time, you will reap the bene-
fit of gentle admonitions. Harshness
will never have the least effect upon
him, and if by kindness you cannot
make him understand that the neat
ness of home is due to hard labor on
your part, he is indeed, way beyond
redemption Correspondence Cincin-
natl Times, Star.