The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-23
The First Year of Housekeeping.

TO most housckecpers the first year
is usually very trying. The natural
desire to have every thing III perleet
order, TO show that one is capable OF
keeping house as it should hc kept, Of
ten associated, rs it is, with ignorance
of methods, and especially with un-
formed habits of domestic industry,
places the neuphyte in unpleasant sit
uations. She may not kDow just
where and when and how to begin
preparations for some specified work,
and she mnst often learn the right
way by doing the wrong. She soon
finds out that there is i'll even the
smallest domestic enterprise a success
sion of steps, which, if taken in their
natural logical order, make the wora
easy. She must learn to have dozen
irons in the fire, and not let any OF
them burn to hold many threads IN
her hands, and not let them get hr0k-
en- or tangled with each other. But
experience ut last makes this easy.
it is we'll to think out beforehand
every separate step that must be taken
in doing any one thing, the first, the
second, and so on to the last, and to es-
innate how long time each and the
whole will require. This done, the
mechanical part will be the least OF
the work. 4 notebook in which out
lines oi plans for various industries
are kent is very useful. Lists OF WORK
TO be done may be entered here, and
when one is at a loss what she bad
best be engaged in, q glance at the list
will suggest. The young housekeeper
will he encouraged by seeing now
much she has already accomplished, or
stimulated to renewed eXertion by see
ing how much remains to he done. a
slate with pencil attached hanging
on the pantry wall is convenient Tor
daily iottings Of Cash paid out, grocer
les bought or to be bought, and many
little items of which one wishes to dis
charge her mind.
1t is well to allow time for prepara-
tion for many tasks that seem simple;
1t takes two or three days toget all
ready to make mince-pies or fruit-cake,
or to tack a comforter or to make q
garment. The materials must be got
together, recipes and patterns selected,
and q day chosen not liable to inter
ruption when the final work shall be
prosecuted.
Zone war at time' is good motto
for the housekeeper. Sometimes one
must keep half dozen enterprises 60
ing, as in getting an elaborate meal,
and he everywhere ut once, so to-
speak, but the habit of keeping ut
washing dishes till they are oil done,
of finishing cleaning room as soon
as possible after beginning it, of hav-
ing one garment at a time in the pro-
cess of making. is good habit. A var
iety of unfinished work staring one in
the face is disheartening. If the
young housekeeper has "help," close
attention to the interests of her house
hold will require her to know exactly
how every thing is done, and to see
that it is done well; that there are no
neglects, no wastes, no eXtravagances;
and this close attention will enable her
to appreciate and commend her assls-
tant with discrimination.
Gradually the young housekeeper
will become familiar with those sani-
tary considerations Of water supply,
sewage, drainage, disposal OF refuse,
upon which in so great degree the
health of household depends. She
will find that good housekeeping is a
science no less than an art, and that it
is worthy of the devotion she will be
to give 1T in order to master
it i'm all it's details and connections.