The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-23
THE HOUsGKRRPER.
"HowILEARNEDn ousSKEEPIHG"
By HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD,

By HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFfoRp'
[copyHgani 1856,
There IA an egotism in the tito Of this
article implying that one has really
earned housekeeping, which one who
isels herself gu imperfect hous eSeeper 10
9th to display. Yet being asked the
question, it Geemaa little mst'erto answer
it. Thus l will say in the beginning that
l never did learn housekeeping; Tor as far
81 have gone in its art and science
have always found before me something
yet unleaTned.
suppose might date my first efforts
in the affair Ut timo when one OF our
was an old burial place from
which the dead had been removed, where
We Wplsyed house," with the added at
traction Of being forbidden lie precincts,
in this or that old grave which made q
sheli on the side 81 the greater excava,
lion, neither possible but undreamed,ot
cheats nor any sense Of the melancholy
surroundings producing much dimunition
Of enjoyment over our mimic houRekeep-
ing. have always felt that this mimic
buEints3 WsB an important element ip the
msttsr Of real housekeeping, RIAL work
at housekeeping followed the play some
what later; and perhaps the first Lesson
Wss given in the liberty to arrange closet
full OF china and glass on the occasion Of q
moving, That, climbing on the shelves
for come hidden dainty, afterwards
broke down lhe whole IN y pIomiscuous
crash does not impair my belief that
these shelves were RTTarg ed with effect.
But laying the table was an early pless'
ure aud much was learned by the habit
Of the family 81 not excluding the chill
dren from tho general society, conveEss'
ticn and pleasuIes.
| may have been about ten years old
when | remember my fathers pr0ising me
for my ability 10 warm over cold meats
with certain herbs and splces In sAyory
iashion; and 1t was at about the same
time that | was allowed the joy 81 Ekim-
ming the milk, ef holding the toast over
the Goals, oil occasionally making the tea.
| was eleven years old when received
serious lessons in hread.mAkiDgi aud at
twelve / had made butter, CuBlaIds,
jnnket, gingersnapc, and slcb otherdishes
as pleased my childish fancy; bod |, led
huckWheat and ShroVe.Tuesday pancakes,
and il ] had not roasted fowl | knew
enough to smile at the error Of young
peraon brought up In u hosydiGg.sChoOi,
who, wiRhing tho cook 10 dress a turkey
| and not to know that she herself Wns un,
able to do II, ssid, "Aud make the dressing
OF flour, and season II with balm and cat.
nip and penuyyOyal, you know" A
couple Of yeaIO later, and With no special
pains taken, other than doing what was
handy, finding timo, too, for my GOllp, for
yoraciouJ reading, and for the wild romp.
ing which laid the foundations of IN.
nsraI health, had made strawberry and
peach and plum pTeserYtR, batter and
bread puddiHgs, soups and oyster etews,
had roasted meatp, boiled steaks, pre-.
pared vegetables, had learned how to
uweep and dust, TO make beds alter Mas
0phelis'R most approved manner, to clean
silver, 10 iron O gtGrched skirt tucked TO
the knees, to trim bOnnetF, and To flush
my own gowns otter they were cut and
basted, and could do almost anything In
the line Of such tasks Infinitely better
than could do 1t now. ! was not o BOli-
taiy example. Most Of my companions
could do Us much, and EoHe Of them could
do more. do not mean that had done
all this hGbiLuGlly, but that had done 1t
enough to know how.
Aud yet none Of Lht5 was housekeeping
| really began to learn housekeeping in
the days when, my mother being i'll, and
tho burden otItspunsibiiity coming upon
upon me, used 10 hang over whatever |
was about with the tears running down
my face, heavy with the EelGsh detection
brought by sense OF this TesponEinilily;
and Il Is upon this responsibility and It's
ht or unfit assumption that, in my own
case ] have found large share OF the
weight Of housekeeping 10 Ito.
The frat thing that found best to do
when | became an actual h0uSekeeper on
my own account, so to say, wSs 10 esiab.
lish system and Get OF rules growing
out OF the rCquirments Of the household,
Meals must be OF ouch hours; seTYania
muat be IN and the back doOTg closed at
such hCuIs; certain teska must be assign.
ed 10 certain dsys, this day 10 the wash
ing and these days 10 tho ironing, tbi0 day
to the silver cleaning and ConReniSl work,
in that TO tho care Oi halls and parorS.
The next imperative necessity, need
hardIy SAY, was to lnd place ior eYety-
thing and 10 aeo that everything was kept
| in its place; and haYlpg Ra,isded myEG I 1t
lost with cook who nUyer wastes par.
tiCe, yhcss RpoLlCGs End orderly Clossta
hTO perpetual pleasure, who loves
a new recipe, who keeps tho run
Of tho provisions, and h0psemald
Thosu pride ia in dark corners and speCk.
lesB Window, housekeeping ha6 become,
60 far 90 | an CONCERNED, Rg much play rs
1t uged to be in tho old bprlal.PlaCe. can
hardly slate anything elEC, except that /
have made il y practice TO let my servants
do their work III their own way and at
their own beet convenience, only requiring
It TO DO done, and always trying to respect
their idlosynCTasieg. For have found
that il ono wants u hGppy homo one must
endeRyor TO procure happinesa in the
kitchen Us much as anywhere elsei not
merely because digorder and unquiet there
will disturb the whole house, but because
the inmateH Of tho kitchen have right to
their happiness, and 1t Is the absolute
duty q the house.misttUss 10 see that they
Geti so fur as it may DO in her power 10 do
60, ANY exettiOn mGdG in this wise 10 Bure
to yield a h1ndred fold. In the course Of
my fifty yeafO have never received what
held to bs q higher compliment than
the remark Of a person wishing to engage
service with inc who said, in this ConneC-
ton, not Us an amusing impertinence, but
as matter Of course, II have heard you
we'll recommended"
II / have found It best not 10 nag ser.
vanta perpetuRlly over the performance
uf their tRRkp, have also found IL