The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1886-02-17
WholesOmeness in the Home.
By MRS. J. W. HoUGHToN.

Tread before the women's Christian Temper
ance Union, Wellington, at Its February meeting,
and published by request.l
Eternal vigilance is the price of whole
someness in the home, as much as watch
fulness and prayer are necessary to a
healthy, spiritual, life.
You, a house-keeper, have given, per.
haps, good part of two of the spring
months, If the house is large, toward put
ting into cleanly and orderly condition
every nook and corner Of your home have
emptied closets, cupboards and drawers,
exposed to air and sunlight everything
that these could not daily penetrate, have
cleansed with water and paint and lime /;
provided against moth and rust and mil
dew; and as you put movable articles in
place, again have felt that in their fresh
condition you had stored sweetness with
them.
In doing all this you have denied your
sell communion with the budding and
blossoming world outside, which luxuriat
ed in would have done as much in renova-
ting your vitality and spirits as you have
done for the inanimate things that consti.
tute your material home. One not q
housekeeper would have charged this self
sacrifice TO your own private account, as
RECKLESS expenditure" Your well.inten-
toned industry and saving of everything
but yourself, If credited ut all as virtue,
would have set over against il. This
ought ye to have done and not have left
the other undUne."
How much you have revolved 1t In your
own mind, the problem OF trying to com.
pass every privilege as well as every duty
and TO enlarge your activities TO cover
every coed thing. Women do not intend
| TO make slaves of themselves, or to be over.
particular; but how shall woman IN or.
dinary circumstances do all that is expect.
ed of her, ana yet take good care of her.
seliy
She must think for and provide for the
happiness and the comfort Of all in the
household, the old and the young,
the vigorous and the helpless, those
bound 10 her by family ties, and
those TO whom she owes duty who are
employees or transient members Of ii, and
recognizing their separate claims 10 con.
sideratiOn from the rest, and try 10 har.
monize and assimiale all the opposite el-
ements. A large share Of the hJuse.keep.
er's vitality is thus expended before she
has lifted hand in the industries which
claim her time and strength. lfthe house
once thoroughly cleaned would remain so,
or il repairs which each time seems so
snug and complete would make the shel.
ter perpetual, then might there be leisure
for re-cuperatiOn and for selCindulgence.
The deluging vigOr of summer shower
| finds new wafer course through the roof
instead OF down the conductor, and the
freshness of II spOtless ceiling or handsome
wall is marred. You try 10 shut out the
dust but mustlness comes in its stead you
discourage by darkness, draperies and
screens the coming in of the cheerful
house.fly, and with that inhospitabe pre-.
caution lose also much that is desirable in
fresh air and sunshine. In an incredibly
short time the freshly white.washed cellar
walls are iestoOned with webs; mold that
appeared TO have been successfully ban.
iShed has found a Congenial place on some
clOseled culinary treasure. CupbOards
and drawers again give evidence Of hur.
ried explorations and ill.limed visits, and
only homes newly organized, sadly reduc
ed in numbers, or inhabited by extraordl.
narily superior beings maintain high
standards, at all times Of having every
thing in its place. Perhaps it is here that
an orderly soul finds its weakest point
and in serenity Of spirit makes its saddest
failures.
Said childless widow to me as we sal
by her recently desolated hearth, IL useC
to think W was more careless than h'
need be about leaving his things around
which had to pick up and put away, ant
boots, overshoes and slippers left by tn,
sittingroom fire annoyed me. was al
ways using brush and dusl-pan after h,
came and went But do you think
would care for such things now If coult
have my husband backy 1t breaks m
heart that | ever had an impatient though
concerning his ways, and there Is no hap
piness in life without himn
This was woman OF more than three
score years, and not sentimental one, bu
she died In month thereafter; not of re
morse-there was no need of that-bu
. apparently because there was not 10
, enough in her lonely life to sustain ih
! vital forces. We must cultivate orderl
. habits in the young II we can, but bea
!. without bitterness the faults which hav
not their root in bad motives.
Hands and feet that bring tracks an
leave confusion are bound TO lives whic
1 furnish the main.springs OF our endeavo
Z Without our families we would have tim
i for many accomplishments, but VIII,
!. would our achievements be worth withot
their loving appreciation, and hearty 81
a joyment, and the praise their partialit
bestows which others would not accor
' to US 80 generously. If the family is 4