Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-09-24
The Necessity OF Looking Well ut Home.

Often when / have been riding in the
country. on a summer afternoon, have
seen the farmers wife sitting in or near
the door engaged with her sewing-her
sleeves tucked to her elbows. her hair
perhaps uncombed, or at least brushed
back in the plainest manner, her feet IN
slipshod shoes, and her dress the same
in which she had worked all the morning.
with perhaps the same apron, and usu-
ally not over 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 a funeral, and not thing
out of place. In the cupboard or store
room would be found the wkitest of
bread. plenty of tooihsome pie and cake.
the freshest and sweetest of butter, and
many little delicacies tine materials for
which nature so abundantly provides. and
which the modern housewife has learned
so well to prepare. In nothing has she
been remss in her duty to her house but
on herself perhaps the most important,
certainly the most necessary thing in it she
has not spent IA thought. She is too wea-
ried with her labor, and there is pile OF
sewing and mending waiting to be done.
So with perfect self-abnegation she sits
down to her task till the evening dairy
work, and the preparation for supper,
with its consequent duties closes the day
on her weary body and mind. And so
the da,s pass-one after mediterranean
alike in their sameneSS, until her mind Is
narrowed down to this small routine of
daily cares. and the thought OF dressing
up, =" to 90 from home. or to receive COM
pany becomes almost irksOme. Her hab-
its have become so fixed that she has new
er considered, that a few minutes spent in
bathing face. hands and neck, combing
the hair in tasteful and becoming man.
ner. and putting on clean dress with the
addition OF fresh lace or muslin necktie,
will not only add wonder fully to her self
respect, but actually bring rest to her
weary body and mind. No matter if the
dress be nothing but print. if it be clean
and fresh. For summer wear this is usu
ally the best material. as the evening
chores must necessarily be done, and with
the addition of big apron, one is ready
for the work. Prints are so pretty and
cheap, that there can be no excuse for not
always having one on hand. And then
the present mode OF 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 clean, fresh tie or kerchief No
frills-no stiff collars, but simply piece
of India muslin, or less costly one cut
square and hemmed. put on corner wise,
and tucked into dress front, or if one
prefers, strip few inches wide and OF
suitable length simply hemmed and few
ncks across the ends put on for 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
10 personal neatness. The wife and moth
er cannot afford to 60 about her house,
with torn or dirty dress. neither for the
example which brings, nor her own per-
sunal self respect. There are few hus-
bands SO Indifferent to the appearance
and dress or wife, as not to feel glow
OF satisfaction, when on coming to the
house from his labor he finds her neatly
arrayed. and with a smiling face-in-
stead of the slatternly being which is
sometimes seen. Indeed. think the
male man." as Samantha Allen would
say. is naturally very fastidious in this re-
spect. Every man in his younger days
not only wishes to be dressed himself with
a degree 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
life, she becomes coarse, and seemingly
oblivious to the refining influences, which
taste and culture bring, who shall say in
how large measure she is responsible?
The wise mother of daughters will insist
that each afternoon shall see them not on
ly neat and tidy. but tastefully dressed,
so that in case Of unexpected callers, there
need be no furry. nor loss of self-respect
This if begun in early life will grow into
a habit, which in time will become so fix
ed. that when she becomes wife and