The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-06-06
THE ovER-NEAr WOMAN.
Brooklyn Times.1


 in women, the too particular female is one of the most uncomfortable to live with. Methinks see her now, always accompanied with a scrubbing brush and pail or broom. It would be a sin in her estimation if some one of the carpets was not up at least once a week. She is up long before daylight, and will not let anybody else sleep because she isn't like some lazy people she knew who ate breakfast at 8 o'clock. She has a cer- tain routine for every day in the week, and nothing, excepting perhaps death, shall interfere with it. Such a washing of windows, cleaning of paint and scrub ping of floors, besides the thousand and one other things to be attended to in a household, as are gone through with by such a woman is enough to make ones hair turn gray with the mere thought If you visit her she is apt to be always look, ing at your feet to see if you wiped them are in misery the whole time, for fear the little one may displace chair or touch something that may displease the hostess You ask her to return the call, and she will likely answer that she has no time for gadding, or that her household duties are enough to occupy her time. She don't see how Mrs. Jones across the way can find so much time for going out. She must neglect her house in a shame lul manner. And yet people who have visited Mrs. Jones report that there is nothing strikingly dirty about her house. The fear of little dust collecting with out her knowing it will make the particu- lar woman anxious and nervous, and this. with the great strain produced by the overwork, will soon break down her health, her spirits and her temper. Her children have an instinctive habit of hud- ding together in corner and talking in whispers, and of keeping an eye on mother to see if she is going to find some fault with them. If they want to play they must go out of doors. You never see little wagons, dolls and picture books scattered around the floor in that house. My children must be orderly and have a place for everything and everything in its place." l am afraid that thty obey to the letter the latter part of the last sen- tence, for they dare not take anything out of it's place. Poor little things, there are DO romps in that home; everything is order, order. Now, what is the use of being so very neat? It does not benefit you, on the other hand, it simply makes you look old and careworn and spells your disposition. It destroys the free course of feeling that should exist be- tween mother and children. For con- stant fault-6nding will frighten your chil- dren, and they will repress their feelings instead of sharing them with you. You may be good housekeeper but utterly fail in making your home pleasant, cheerful place. It isn't the end and aim of life to be forever cleaning. l would not have you think that meant you to be dirty, shiftless hou sekeepers that is sim ply the other extreme. But strike the happy mean between too much attention to dirt and too little. Learn the art of making the house look tidy without do. ing too much work. lfyou can't do it all yourself, have some of it done for you But aim abo se all things to make your house place where husband and chill dren love to be and where friends delight to gather. It can be clean, too, only not so extremely neat as to forbid the enjoy ment of it. must confess am out of conceit of the type of woman represented in the bible, who rises while it is yet dark and gets up her maids and sets them all to work. don't think, either, that men in general like that kind ot wife. They want companion in their other half as well as housekeeper, and if you persist in always working for fear that dust may collect behind the piano, why John will get some one else for his companion. True, there are some women whose du- ties are so many and whose means aze so small that continuous work is almost a necessity. But of such am not speak. ing. It is the woman who is always hunting for dirty corners, who is afraid | to take walk for fear spider may spin a web in some corner and she not be | there to sweep it away. l have known | women who might have pretty good time in life. if they were not so dreadfully | particular. Just bear in mind that you | owe as much duty to yourself, your hus. b and and children, as you do to your house, and you will be able to regulate matters so that each will have fair DOT tion of your time. Rid yourself of the idea that there is nothing worth living for excepting the broom and pail. Tidy up the house and be ready when your other half comes home to sit down and | talk to him, even although you have a | dim suspicion that the stove needs black. ing. Let the children feel that their home | was made for enjoyment, and do not look | cross if they litter up the house with toys or if your husbands pipe lies around in | all odd corners. Teach them to be or derly and save you as much work as pos sible, but do not set them the example i of not using things for fear of soiling them. have known people who would not read their own books, as handling them might spot the covers. may have exaggerated somewhat in the article, but think you will'agree with me that the facts are in the main true. Be clean and neat, but do not aim to be over-particu- lar.