The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-03

she knew how to rob Poverty of his external
hideousness. Only an artist could so effect
lively reconcile these two mortal enemies,
Beauty and Poverty, and get good service
from both
EHow does she manage to get much out OF
littlel some one asks By being painstaking:
by bringing 10 the work OF home-making az
much interest, thought and ability as she
would bring to the work of writing a poem,
painting picture or rendering the leading
role in opera, had she been born "A writer,
painter OF singer. She takes pride in her
work, and the results justify it. Some
women are ashamed of deing homework in
TneT own MONIES. IL tney cook a meal, or
try to, they feel degraded and injured most
likely, and wind up by getting irritable and
insult somebody while they are eating it.
The truth is, efficiency in any useful direction
should cultivate self-respect, and is bound to
command the respect of others; and when
woman brings intellectual ability to the
work Of housekeeping, instead of the WORT
degrading her she refines it.
But | must tell you how my friendh home
of three looms is arranged 1t is the entire
-ACOA
room is the sitting room aud her own bed
chamber, the inevitable and somewhat orna-
mental upright folding bed doing heroic
duty as a mediator between comfort and
looks sake The floor is carpeted with
fresh and pretty colored mating, with a
bright rus in the middle. There are soft,
cream-colored curtains, inexpensive but
most tastefully banded and Iooped with
warm-tinted satin and ribbons. There are
odd bits OF furniture that fit well in odd
places, fep' easy chairs, and good broad,
comfortable lounge. There is a small East
lake bookcase full of books; there are few, a
very few, good pictures, and small num-
Der of ornaments. The entire furnishings of
the room would sell for song, as the say
ing Is, but everything is so Immediately
clean, and arranged by such a deft and
tasteful hand, that the effect is that of per-
feet harmony, sweetness and cheeriness
The walls are papered with pale yellow and
cream colors, which light up day or night,
and add TO the summary atmosphere which
is part of that room winter or summer
The second large room is divided into two
compartments by means of the useful and
picturesque portiere One-half is the sons
bedroom, which is as dainty as a dolls house;
the other is converted into kitchen, which
might be mistaken for mimic cook-room.
so tiny and orderly are all its belongings.
Its mistress has an eye to ventilation, as well
as to other things The cooking is all done
on a gas stove handsome enough to adorn a
parlor, and loud smells of fries and broils are
| unknown there.
The third room-a narrow hall room,
which some housekeepers would scarcely
| know what TO do withAis converted into
| dining room, SO wonderfully attractive that
one never sits down in it without marveline
that human ingenuity could bring such a
| picture of comfort and beauty out of such
meagre materials And the meals that are
| spread there, though always simple, are ex-
| quisite, combining the perfection of cooking
with the daintiest serving. And it is all done
without any appearance of fuss or worry.
| The big son has been taught how to help in
various ways, and rs little home, kept up
| on minimum of Jney and a maximum of
skill, is an examp of the fact that a home
rests not upon Slid monetary foundation
| alone.
To be sure, no coarse work like washing is
done there, nor would there be any economy
| in having it done there In no place, urban
or suburban, is washing done better OF
cheaper than here. The competition in that
| line of labor is great
Somebody once said of this lady: eff there
| Is any poetry ia housekeeping Mrs. C. viii
find It," What pity others do not find il
also. Yet she is not an isolated exception here
know many women equally artistic in keep
ing house III small quarters. l recall one who
has a charming little fat of five rooms, and
| does the work for household Of three-her
| self, husband and son. The fat has every
convenience necessary to make labor easy.
| Her kitchen is carpeted and is as sweet and
! orderly as flower garden, and she is happy
in the management Of her little kingdom
She said to me laughingly one day:
| "How we do learn wisdom from experienced
Once thought that to live in rooms and
do ones own cooking was about the forlorn
est fate that could overtake one; and when the
| cooking was done on a coal oil stove ]
thought the depth of domestic Indebtedness
had been reached Now / am doing that
very thing. 1 cook on a coal oil stove in
summer, and find it pleasure too, and never
in the days Of our financial prosperity was
as happy as / am now. Something useful ts
| do that one can improve upon all the time i,
| splendid medicine for sick souls. have "a
| perfected my system of housekeeping
1 learned how TO economic and have the best
| at the same time-that 1 sometimes feel
tempted to write book about it. There is
so much pleasure to be got out of it that
would like to enlighten other women who
fancy that housekeeping under any circum
etanoaa sss,,st - 5-..3s--..-
know another woman, weIi-known In the
world of letters, who is also an artist in
homework Her little fat is conducted SC
smoothly that one never notices when the
work is done. Yet she is her own servant
bo a1afxar al NJ