The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-09-28
The Necessity of Looking Well
at Home.

at Home.
Often when | have been riding in the
country, on summer afternoon have 1
seen the farmers wife sitting in or near
the door engaged with her sewing,-her
sleeves tucked to her elbows, her hair
perhaps uncombe,:, or at best brushed
back insthe plainest manner, her feet
in slipshod shoes, aud her dress the
same in which she had worked all the
morning, with perhaps the same apron,
and usually not nver-clean. Her house,
if one should enter, would probably be
found in excellent order-clean swept
floors, and chairs set back against the
wall, as if arranged for funeral, and
nota thing out of place In the cup
whitest of bread, plenty OF toothsome
pie I'd cake, the freshest and sweetest
OF butter, and many little delicacies the
materials for which nature so abundant
iy provides, and which the modern
housewife has learned so we'll TO prepare.
Nothing has she been rcmiSS,l in her duty
to her house but on herself; perhaps the
most i'm ,,ortant, certainly the most
necessary, thing IN it she ha sno tspent a
thought. She is too wearied with her
labor, and there is q pile of sewing and
| mehdirg waiting TO be done. SO with
perfect self-ahnegation she sits down to
her task till the evenings daily work,
nd the preparation for supper, with its
consequent duties closes the day on her
weary body and mind. And so the days
pass-one after another-much alike in
their sameness, until her mind is mar
lrpx n,x.I TO h,, ,f
daily cares, and the thought of "dress-
ing up" to go from home, or to receive
company be ONES almost irksome. Her
habits have become so fixed that she
has never considered, that few min
ntes spent in bathing face, hands, and
neck, combing the hair in tasteful and
becoming manner, and putting on clean
dress with the addition of a fresh lace or
muslin necktle, will not only add WON
dertuly to her sell respect, but actually
bring resi- to her weary body and mind.
No matter if the dress be nothing but
print, il it be clean and fresh. For sum-
lner wear, this is usually the best mate
rial, rs the evening chores must neces-
sarily be done, and with the addition of
a big apron, one is ready for he work
Prints are SO pretty and cheap, th.t
there can be no excuse for not always
having one on hand. And then the
present mode of q dressing the neck is so
pretty and yet SO simple, and cheap that
there is no need of being seen even in
the morning without a clean, fresh tie
or kerchief. No frills-no stiff collars,
but simply piece OF India muslin, or a
less costly one cut sou ire and hemmed !,
put on corner wise, and tucked into the
dress in front, or if one prefers; strip
q few inch swiie and OF ltable length
simply hemmed and Il lew tucks across
the ends put on for a tie. Four or FIVE such
articles are all that is necessary. They
are thrown into the weekly wash, and
ironed without starch. Costly materials
| made with elaborate care, are not at all
necessary to personal neatness. The
wife and mother cannot afford to go
about her house, with torn or dirty
dress, neither for the example which it
brings, nor her own personal self re-
spect. There are few husbands SO diff
ferent to the appearance and dress of a
wife, as not to feel glow of satisfaction,
when on coming to the house from his
labor he finds her neatly arrayed, and
ternly being which is sometimes seen
Indeed, | think the "male man." as
Samantha Allen would say, is naturally
fastidious in this respect. Every man
in his younger days not only
| wished to be dressed hin self with de.
gree Of care and taste. but his admira-
ton of the girl he loves is largely modi-
fed by the care which she bestows upon
her personal appearance, and if in after
lif :, che becomes coarse and seemingly
oblivious to the refining influences,
which taste and culture bring, who shall
say in how large a'manner she is re-
sponsible? The wise mother of daugh-
ters will insist that each afternoon shall
see them not only neat and tidy, but
tastefully dressed, SO that in case of un-
exp cted callers, there need be no
furry, nor loss Of se!t-raspect. This, if
begun in early life will grow into nabit
which in time will become SO fixed, that
when she becomes wife and mother,
she will no more think of discarding,
than the necessary ones of eating and
sleeping.
How much did you pay for your new
dress?" asked Mrs. Smith. "eight cents