West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1884-06-25
The Housekeeper who is a Phil.
0sOpher.
AMELIA H. BoTsFoRD.

she reduces the number to three,
shelter food and clothing, and first
provides for these in the best pos
sible way. If able to select her
home she chooses one warm in
winter, cool in summer, convent.
emit in arrangement and especially
one in healthful locality. She
will care more about good drainage
and proper ventilation than for
Queen Anna piazzas and ribbon
flower beds. She will not desire q
house too large for her family, con-
sidering that the more room, the
more work: and if dependent on
her own skill and strength to keep
the home in order, she will eschew
elaborate furnishings and delicate
and fading colors in hangings and
carpets.
She will buy substantial furni-
tare to avoid frequent renewals and
constant repairs, and that as light
as its purpose admits to save strain
in lifting and handling. She will
remember the labor Of busting, and
the fading effect of sunshine when
tempted to buy fancy carved work
and delicately tinted upholstery.
There will be system in her man
agement, with a careful subordina-
tion of routine to the comfort and
happiness of the family. She will
not follow a set of rules rigidly, but
adapt them to the variations of
climate and the reasonable desires
of the Notwithstanding
that the object of eating is to nour-
ish the body, and not merely to
crafty the appetite, she will study
what articles contain the most nu.
triment in the naost easily digested
form and with due regard for the
season will not furnish heating
food in summer or too restricted
diet in winter. Her meals will be
provided regularly, at proper inter-
walls, to allow the digestive organs
suitable periods of rest, and the
food will be well cooked and abun-
dant. She will not load her table
with indigestible dainties though
all her neighbors do; and will
waste little time or strength in
making cake and pie. She will
not be ashamed to have it known
that breakfast lacks coffee and
doughnuts, that dinner is served
without pie, and supper without
cake that her children have q
simple repast of bread and milk, or
bread and butter and fruit, or of
baked potatoes with milk, con-
WINGED that such meal is better
in every way than one more elabo.
rate, one taxing her time and
strength to prepare and resulting
in cross, sickly family. She
will not be famed for her cakes at
church socials, nor importuned for
fancy recipes; on the contrary, the
neighbors will probably pity her
husband because his wife isn't a
good cook But the babies will
be rosy and happy, and the moth
or will have time for a daily walk,
or even to sit down and read by
daylight!
She will, of course, provide suit.
able clothing for the family; and
on this point will decide that
health and comfort are to be secur.
ed at any sacrifice. Each member
of the household must be clad with
reference to changing seasons.
Thin stockings will not accompany
heavy cloaks, or exposed threats go
with velvet drapery. Every gar
ment will fit loosely enough to in.
sure ease, but be finished in
workmanlike way, the material
will be durable and pretty, with.
out being at all striking. AS the
philosopher" would avoid wasting
time and labor on what would soon
be worn out, or discarded as un.
fashionable, she will avoid the
within of an hour and the extreme
of fashion. She will not sanction
large expenditure for dress or
trimming 80 elaborate as to require
much time and patience. She
will consider that to devote the
entire energies of a human mind
to the subject Of dress is a thing
that is certainly unworthy of any