The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-06
System.

Could we all, in ordering our homes.
but develop that degree of system and
order that characterized the affairs of
every successful business man we would
do away with much of the worry and
vexation of life. But for various rea-
sons the majority fail here, some from
one cause and some from another, but
the result is very detrimental to the
children reared in such homes, and I'M
less possessed naturally of an unusual
degree of order, they go out into the
world poorly fitted for any kind of life,
no matter how much of other prepare
ton they may have had for it.
As we have said, there are reasons
for this flaw in our domestic arrange
ments, some of which are unavoidable,
while many are but the result of care
leSsness and lack of management. For
instance, we have little or no conception
of the vast amount of valuable time we
squander in changing from one occu-
patton to another. Many of us who
work faithfully and well while we do
work, seem to feel that we are entitled
to rest when the task is complete, and
sit cOmplacentlv down 10 breathe awhile
before taking up the next thing, and
the probabilities are that the 3ChilG
will be allowed to grow into
DIG one before we realize what we are
about. Now, these resting spells after
hard work are good for the body and
the time they take would not be missed
if, while we were employing these, we
would but improve the time by using
the mind, which usually at such times
is not tired, but more active than usual,
and ready for almost anything we may
require of it. And if work is pressing,
we may often save more time than we
take for our rest by planning for the
rest of the day. But how often we al
low the mind to 90 '.wool- gathering
and the time is wasted that might have
been turned to account. Again, many
of us are not as prompt as we might be
in preparing meals, and one, two, three,
or possibly six Or eight individuals
are thus robbed of 4 half hour each, and
we are the criminals. This fault also
reacts on the housekeeper herself, so
that instead of being through with her
work, with her house in order and her.
self tastefully dressed at the proper
time of day, she is probably obliged to
keep her friend waiting another dreary
while in the parlor while she completes
her toilet before she can see her. And
unless dealt with severely, this same
habit of being always a little behind
time proves a most powerful enemy to
domestic happiness.
Various causes in the way of petty
hindrances may operate to produce this
delay, aside from the cool decision to
wait awhile before performing task,
so we may enumerate prOcrastination
as another of the sins that beset us as
houSekeepers, although the effect is
much the same whatever the cause OF
hardness. Then there is tendency in
many of us to put off time about our
work. We do not work with the pur-
pose in view of getting done, but more
like laggard working by the day, to
put in the time. These defects, taken
with numerous other failings of home,
produce disorder and confusion
fatal to the development of proper
habits in the young; and if neglected
till maturity there is not a chance in a
thousand that the individual will ac-
quire this talent for systematizing and
reducing work to a method, even when
he realizes his inability to compete with
men of inferior ability, but who have
acquired harrington HaWkeyc.