The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-07
i. no,l.clr eIllnr a EaIIure2


as Housekeeping Failure?" Is the
latest subject under discussion, aud in
the great newspapers Of the country, has
taken the place Of the oyerworkedtopic
as marriage a Failurc2' number OF
distinguished woman have taken up the
matter and in the North american Review
their several views appear. These ar.
ticles are not drcary essays upon cook
ing economy nor or they suggestions
about how to make a palutable soup, or
arrange bric.a.brac. They do not even
deal with the thousand and one queries
to be found in the Correspondents col.
umns" Of our fashion" or "house and
home'' contemporaries, regarding frills
and tucks, and other fancy needle work.
They aro able, entertaining essays upon
the false systems that are undermining
American homes, pointing out evilsthat
make SO many housekeepers failures
and suggesting practical remedies in a
practical way. They deal strong blows
at these giants Of artificial continuance,
the pretensions, ALLEGATIONS and strain
ed riyalries OF convention" that are work.
ing the deterioration Of the home.
The five women are about agreed
upon one thing, that "the whole evil Of
society springs from the vice of dis
play" and they discuss this vice, which
they contend Is a growing one, intelli'
gently because they have had the oppor-
tunities to observe and form opinions.
In commenting upon the essays the
Chicago Inter OCEAN agrees with the fair
writers to some extent and puts In simple
language the cause OF the evil. People
OF modest or moderate incomes, 1t says,
arc too discomfort with their condition
to get the most good Of II, and so plunge
into the midst OF endless misery, mind.
racking continuance, pcace.destroying
hustle Of worldly anxiety in the mad at
tempt to keep up appearanceswith more
fortunate neighbors. Letitbc said with
some trepidition that the fair essayiSts
rather incline TO fling the blame for this
anomalous and dangerous symptom OF a
society running mad at the feet Of
women. Home life has been narrowed
from It's noble uses into petty abuses
through imitation and through the lack
Of housewifely efficiency on the one
hand, and through the rush into
"boarding as an economy" on tho
other. But, say our fair censorS
Of false systems, II these "recreant
families will put prctension and imita.
ton Of other people aside and "bc con-
tent to live prettily In fresh surround.
ings and wholesome, comfortable, CHEEKY
ways, they can do so for less than II takes
to board in a second rate way" But
also this hardly suits Americans as yct,"
especially young Americans with an eye
to glitter and spangle, "who dress, look,
talk and think for the vulgar many,
rather than for the beloved few" and
who clutch around them those many lit.
Ito snowy elegancies which sometimes
makes II impossible to tellatas superficial
estimate whether the owner has an In
come Of $1,000 or slO,OOOa year. 1tnccd
not DO argued that the drparicst, dismal.
est, most unremunerahvc, narrowing,
and selfish life Is that OF tho boarding
house, whence all the sweets Of com.
munion between family and friends are
banlShed, aud into which dull, aCrld
sham, artIAClally, and unrest inttude,
Uwho rears a family should have a
home" homo In the true and meaning
iil sense Of tho term.
Says Rose TORY Cooko-and must not
a community respond lament PHI
there ls saddOr thing than a man With
out country II is a woman without
home and the fact that II Is SO frequent
a vpeclaOlois due greatly to lhoindolenee
and false pride Of our women. II only
hey would be content To live according
d their incomes, 10 avoid fashion and