The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-06-27
Cast.IrOn Housekeeping.

1t is good thing to have system, but
is bad thing to let the system crush you.
Turn where we may, we see people strlv-
ing to get on, aspiring after better things
than they possess, and earnestly endeavor-
ing to make their lives rich, full and happy.
The communication in this weeks corner,
signed A Mother" expresses fouuda-
tional truth. Housekeeping and home
governing are things which belong to
woman's God-given sphere. The educa-
ton which leaves this part of woman's
profession out of view is failure. Yet
matron may be too exclusively house
keeper. Who cannot recall the painfully
neat house, where chance thread on the
carpet, or child's fnger-mark on the
window is an evaporation to the mistress,
driving her almost to desperation ? l
have seen lady who could not sit still
in her own parlor, if somebody had set
chair out of place, or deranged the math-
ematical precision of the books upon the
comfortable. Her restless, fidgetty ways
were continual interruption to CONVEX
satioD, and source of recurring irritation
to her husband and children. There are
housekeepers who establish Medo-Persian
rules for the conduct of their homes, and
under no change of weather. or of circum-
stance, will they deviate from these.
They pride themselves on their infexibil-
ity, and make it their boast. On such a
day, not sooner though Arctic blasts blow,
not later though the fiery sirocco impend,
the stoves 60 up, and the stoves come
down. On such a day, winter clothing is
assumed; on such another, it is folded up
and laid away from the moths. The
washing, the ironing, the baking, are
never postponed, let what pleasant out
door invitation attract, or pressure of COM
pany or illness in their domains invade.
The cast-iron system is without fault in
their eyes. 1t was that of their grand
mothers, their mothers and their aunts,
and they mean to abide by it. A homely
little book, in paper covers, called Won
derful Cousin Sarah," introduces one of
these rigid bousekeepers in way which
illustrates what | am thinking about.
Her husband comes home at four o'clock
on q cold afternoon "Have tea early,
Fanny" he says )" haven't had any din
ner and feel sick and faint" Bridget
is ont; we can't very we'll have tea before
six" replies Fanny, giving her whole at
tention to her artistic fancy-work, and
comfortably ignoring the case of the half
famisbed man who, in her view, had no
right to expect a meal earlier than usual
because some engagement had interfered
with his dinner. There are houses in
which the unexpected guest makes no diff
ference at the table, except the putting on
of the extra plate and cup. and the addi-
ton, it may be, of some little dainty or
delicacv easily obtained at moments no
tice. There are other houses in which it
it is hsz ardous to ask for luncheon at
any hour between the regularly-appointed
times for eating Your doing so EN-.
harnesses the lady of the house, puts the
servants out of temper, and produces con-
fusion. The family learn to be on their
guard against the need of bowl of milk
or bit of bread in mid-morning or mid
afternoon, and to request so much as a
cracker at bedtime would be an unpardon-
able offense. Besides, you would not get
the cracker. OF course there are extremes
of disorder as well as of order. People
oftener err in the former than in the lat
ter direction. Yet, as we are apt to have
the defects of our qualities, there is always
danger that the too methodical person
may DcCOIuo ucopOV, huu Guo very LOS
tidious person attach unbounded impor.
lance to trifles. The inmates of house
are of more value than the house. The
household should be place of minister
ing, of training for life and its duties
and of clustering, tender associations fol
future years. 1t should be more thar
this. To the husband, bstfis I'd and per
picked with difficulties in business, Oh
overburdened with responsibility, it should
be shelter, a place of refuge and rest
To the young people growing up, il
should be happy starting point, hal
lowed by hope that points to heaven
To the aged, it should be seat by the
wayside, where, to use George Eliot.
beautiful figure, God lulls them into
quietness before he gives them the SLEEP
of his beloved. To the guardian angel
the keeper of the keys, the lady (loa
giver) whose is the honor and the care o.
presiding over home, it should be botl
her chiefest earthly opportunity and he
highest earthly reward. If it be so, sh'
must be an elastic, intelligent, amiabl,
and accomplished housekeeper. She mus
have the tact to direct and the knowledg,
to inform her subordinates. And sh,
must beware of cast-iron housekeeping
Aunt Marjorie, in Christian Intelhgencer