Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-08-30

"a well ordered household is essential
TO a happy home" A hOusekee per,
Whatever her circumstances and sur
roundlrRs, occupies an important posi-
ton in life. Uoon her management de-
ponds largely the successes o. failuces of
the entire family.
That housekeeper ought also 10 be
homemaker we all agree; but is it such
an easy matter? Housekeeping means,
in very many Of our homes, the cooking,
washing, ironing, sewing. knitting sweep
ing, busting, iairyinR and ecouom zipg, to
say nothing of the soap m"king, apple
drying, and carpet brig hunting. All
these things attended to, each in its proper
time, and IL the test possible manner,
how much energy, how much ambition,
remains for the development of the social
nature?
Home should be made so attractive
that it shall not only hold its own-loved
ones, but draw others into its cheerful
circle. The house should b., ali day long,
the scene of pleasant looks, pleasant words
and kind affectionate acts. But neither
the music or the mendlng must be neg
IL cited cobwebs or conversation will surely
suffer. We would be good housekeepers;
we would be true TO the highest impulse
OF our D6lEg-Wudb Sudll we ut!
In every community you find three
classes of housekeepers presiding over as
many different homes. There is he one
alluded 10 as the perfect housekeeper.
Heavens first law ia writer outside her
door. You feel it in the very atmosphere
as you enter. Ever thing, from cellar to
attic, is in perfect order; no neglected
closet or corner; no dust on the floor or
window. Dirt and disorder find no place
in her vocabulary. A place and time for
everything and ever ything in its own time
and place, yesterday, today and forever.
Next door, may be, to this immaculateness,
Is 4 home where we may we'll exclaim
"House-keepiDg is indeed a failure" No
ordtr, no foretf ought nothing done in
s-fsnu; everything haphszard aud the only
wonder is how The souls and bodies of
families sreheld together.
Thirdly, we have the woman who keeps
house fairly well. She cannot boast of
any particular methods She leaves
many things undone that she knows
ought to be done. Her dinner ia some
times a few minutes late; her washing is
not ways ne oil NJ IT cay; N" bread II
not invariably moulded at the same sec
Ond, and possibly may, on occasions, allow
il to bake minrte over the hour. Her
stove is sometimes neglected.; her sewing
drags, and yet she fnds time or takes
time to edge IN little reading every day.
She leaves the kitchen work occasionally
to arrange some flowers, to look over
some new music, to walk and talk with
some friend or to entertain the children,
and she never refuses to go where her
husband invites her, on the plea of $50
much to do"
L. olol
We look for most co1nforf, for most con
tent, for most of everything that goes to
m he life worth the living? Not in tn e
home of the slattern and not where the
domestic machinery is engineered by
household crank, for such we must term
the woman who ia a perfect housekeeper.
It goes without saying that we have none
such present, today. They are at home
attending to the Tuesdays work. II must
be done today; tonight will find them
lust where last Tuesday night left them;
yet they count it success that they have
not fallen behind. If the washing, iron
ing aud mendiDg be done before Wednes
DAY morning, what greater end or aim
have they?
Give us the systematic woman who has
DO system; one who is g good cook bot
does not make g shrine of her pantry;
one who attempts to keep the flies out of
her hose, yet does not chase flies and
kill flies and talk flies from starry morn
till dewy eve; one broad minded enough
TO realize that the earth is hot bounded
by the four walls OF her domicile; a woman
not careless In dress, but not one who
devotes her life to ner toilet:
Not the first by whom the new is tried,
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside"
She who ia neither nisgerdiy nor ex-
travagsnt with her purse-she who does |
not devote herself wholly to missionary |
work; neither refuses her aid in times of
distress and need. woman who enjoys |
best her own family circle and always |