Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-04
DOES HOUSEKEEPING PAY?
What a Western Society Lady Has to
Say on the Subject.

In nine cases out of every ten. yes. SAYS
lady of fashion in the Pittsburg Leader. Tn
fortunately. when visiting friends who have not
the nerve to hamper themselves with house
hold cares, have found that boarding is SIM
ply method of shifting all domestic duties
upon the genial boarding house keeper Ihave
met several of the species, and from nv heart
pity, and at the same time have thorough
contempt for them. Your comfort is to them
an unknown quantity; all they desire of you is
to remain invisible only at meal times, and at
the proper time present your check. or its
equivalent.
Last summer / was obliged to place myself
under obligations to one of this class whom
dlsllked at first, and positively hated before
left her hospitable roof. Naturally. one does
not expect anything of a home-like nature in a
boarding-house Il am not speaking of an up
town hotel(, but was ignorant, and thought
that In exchange for the, to me. big price paid
for room and board should have pleasant
quarters and plenty to eat.
BoARDING-HoUsE EXPERIENCE
My room (by no means situated in the center
OF the metropolis) was the second story front
and boosted of an antediluvian bed lounge,
curious and deceiving folding bed that once
folded me up in its strong embrace, and had l
not been person of rather strong will power
escaped with few bruises and a decided anti
pathy to folding beds. queer wash hand
stand with a dresser to match few chairs
with playful tendencies. an impossible carpet
and billiard table completed the furnishing
OF the room, unless mention chandelier of
several beautiful globes and glittering pend
ants, but, alas. no gas after 10 p. m. However,
L would not let little thing like that disturb
me, for the city authorities kindly keep the
street lamps burning all night. Now, for this
oil ttx.(yA ,lzl lie
per day-Oh what meals, and how glad l was to
get back to my own humble pie again-Ipaid the
sum of SIS per week. l maintain this to be an
outrage upon an innocent, confiding American
citizen.
on THE OTHER HAND.
To come down to actual figures, S15 per week,
or $50 per month, will pay house rent and keep
both butchers and grocer's bills within proper
limits for a small family of three or four. The
amount expended for one person for one week
IN boarding house, sans comfort sans prop
erly cooked meals. will, if expended rightly,
give peace and happiness to four times the
number. if the house mother is careful. pru-
dent and, most difficult task of all, economical
The way to mans heart is by means of his
palate. Never a truer saying; and unless one
can afford living i'll a hotel-thereby paying
extortionate prices, offset, of course. by OBJ
tanning everything the appetite craves-I
would seriously advise married people to keep
house. Boarding is necessity to many; in
fact it is imperative in cases where the wife is
unqualified through illness or natural inapt-
tude. Every woman should look forward to
marriage as the means OF making home happy
to the one whom she loves the best The first
step towards creating this paradise is not by
engaging a suite of rooms in fine hotel.
but by going to house. cottage or Queen
Anne mansion. it matters not which, and there
set the household gods in order and begin the
foundation for happy life. Things will go
wrong at first, fearfully wrong at times, but if
the fair young bride has patience and the gal
liant groom discretion. I'll engage with parlor
cook book the machinery in that household
runs smoothly within six months, and boarding
will be an unmentioned subject