The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-02
TO KEEP HOUSE, OR NOT?
IS THE DOMESTIC ART A FAILURE
AMONG AMERICANS2
Hotel Lifo Rapidly RECONSIDERATION
Harland and Jeanette L. Glider Say
Women Have Themselves to Blame
Tho Servant Problem.
Is housekeeping a failure?

tne work OF housekeeping IL carried on.
There are plenty OF good housekeepers
who do not fail; but, alas there are many
more who find the duty distasteful, and
they are never successful.
There is no question that there is large
increase in clearinghouse and hotel life
in the city. Whole blocks OF buildings are
occupied by clearinghouse keepers, while
restaurants are multiplying in every di.
rection. Furnished fat and apartment
houses are springing up, and there are a
large number OF hotels which are almost
entirely devoted to domestic life.
Families occupying flats go to the cafe
or neighboring restaurants for their meals,
finding il easier TO do 80 than to bother
about cooking.
have had MANY conversations with ho-
tel clerks, and they all declare that perma-
manent boarding is on the increase. They
explain it by saying that servants are
troublesome and wives do not know how
TO keep house, or seek to escape from what
they deem a drudgery. In no case did /
find these hotel people TO say that hotel
boarding was cheaper or more comfortable,
but they agreed that it gave the wife more
liberty and greater freedom from care.
When the subject OF child life in hotels
was touched upon / was met with shrug
and the confession that children brought
up in hotel had no idea OF home or the
tender associations belonging 10 it. One
clerk OF long experience remarked that a
hotel would be the last place he would
bring his children TO, and he thought
10 l.,,n L.
Still the question whether housekeeping
is failure or not was decided, though sew.
eral hotel-keepers held the opinion that il
was rapidly becoming so among a certain
class in this city. lie meant those who
could afford to do 1t well, yet preferred
hotel life, because they could 20 from the
city 10 the country and return without in
convenience, according to the season.
Wishing 10 get further information on
the subject, | went 60 those who had made
II a study, aud soon found that they did
not consider housekeeping TO be "a failure.
Success or failure in housekeeping de-
ponds entirely upon bow you 90 about il, /"
said Marion Harland (Alm. Terhunc), the
editor OF the Home Mdk,r and lifelong
writer on domestic topics.
Ell married couple commence in the
common sense manner they will be sue.
ccssiul; but II they are careless or slovenly,
why, Of course, the attempt will result in
failure.
For my own part, ! consider house.
keeping the only true way in which 10
live have kept house for thirty years
in the South aud in the North, aud even
in Europe when | could do so. In all my
1 .uN lao. Il al he al
member even vet the sad discomforts OF
that brief experience. | have ALWAYS
found il a pleasure 10 keep house, ms every
true woman does, and / do not find it in
any way wearisome or irksome. The
trouble with those who are unsuccessful in
this branch Of wUman's work Is that they
have no system, and do everything ut loose
ends, w TO speak. You must have busi-
ness methods. Just as in everything else.
A honsekcoper should have patience, and
not do things In n hurry. She should be
perfect mistress OF herself, and then sho
will bc mistress Of her servants. Having a
system they will soOn learn IL aud find
their work easier.
zone Of the principal elements Of sue
cess Is 10 do your own marketing. BY
doing 10 YOU save money, get better sup
plies aud n wider variety servants are n
good deal like horses. They are curious
10 know what kind OF a hand there Is on
the ruins and act accordingly. Firmncss
Is essential aud there should be some
practical knowledge OF the details An
ignorant house keeper Is az the mercy Of
her servants; her table IA not good, her
expenses are increased, for there II an
awful waste, OF which she knows nothing,
and, II she suspects IL, cannot cure.
III know there Is agencrnl outcry against
American domestic servants, and Il may
surprise YOU when / say that ! think there
are a. good servants 10 be found here n IN
any country In the world. Ny own SER
wants remain with me forycars aud have
had only three bad ones in all my cxpc-
ricncc. They often need training and cd
ucation, but once that is over they can be
relied upon. The great trouble with our
maid servants Is that theywillgct married.
! have three maids now and each Of them
has beau. They all say that they will
never leave me. but | know better They
are just ~ good girls ~ you could ind,
but their bcaus are spelling them for do
nestle service, and the sooner ihey GIT
married the better. OF course you cannot
stop girls from falling in love.
flake Il altogether, ! do not consider
housekeeping 10 be n failure. | should b.
very sorry 10 believe that Of American
women. But when We consider the
question We come down 10 the fundn-
mental principle Of education. Americans
rightiully consider IL disgrace That their
sons should drilt into the leisure class,
and we al know that the majority 81
young men Of leisure are absolutely good
for nothing. They cannot even Kill time
intclliecnty Yet how large u the class
oi our leisure womcnl There nru thou.
sands oi young women who receive good
cducaiions, yet know nothing II domestic
work or ita pleasures and responsibilities.
They could not sweep room properly or
make a bed II they tried, aud ~ Tor cook.
ing they are absolutely ignorant Of H.
They 10 not know the value OF money or
the methods Of saving H.
"a young wife coming from this class Is
a. be- pilied She i.nls herself confronted
with a problem she cannot solve. aud is
terror stricken nj the task before her. OF
counas she fails. and the husband decides
10 sell oil his household goods and 20 20
the hotel or holrling.housc lie has taken
q partner IN the domestic firm who knows
nothing Of her share Of the business, and
there Il domestic bankruptcy. hut when
a daughter has been properly Instructed by
her mother the insult IL quito different
She las accompanied her mother while
marketing. assisted in buying furniture,
has had NJ old times the care and rcspon-
sibiliiy OF the household. When she mar.
Hcs there Ia very little 10 learn aud she
becomes successful and happy house,
keeper.
"pf rourao hoos,t n.pin, Il s,v,rtI,nca