The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-09-16
HOUSEHOLD NOTES,
MRS. S. A. NETTLE.

HOUSEHOLD NOTES.
MRS. S. A. NETTLE.
A DANGEROUS FoE-Selfshness is a
more dangerous foe to family concord
than even irritability. 1t takes, among
various forms, those of self-indul-
gence, se!f-assertion, love of domina-
ton, jealousy. Parents cannot be too
quick to see tendencies to these vices
in their children, and to apply such
counter influences as shall prevent
the destruction of domestic harmony.
Many children, by parental indul-
gence, are made selfish aud exacting,
that under different regimen might
develop self-sacrifice, generosity, and
nobility of disposition. 1ndulging a
child in his whims, his moods, his
morbid desires, is not the way to
make him a ministrant to the harmo
ny of the family, OF a valuable mem
Der Of the community when be be-
comes an adult There are some
texts that deserve to be framed and
hung on the walls of every household,
and TO be wrought into the web and
woof of the family life. Among these
are, "A soft answer turneth away
wrath" "No one should do what all
may not do" "She openeth her
mouth with wisdom, and in her
tongue is the law of kindness" "Do
to others as ye would have them do
to you"
UNNECESSARY WoRK.-"Unnecessary
work, indeedw I hear some reader
exclaim. "Don't preach to me about
unnecessary work. There is quite
enough work that must be done to
waste any time over that which can
be left undone." And yet I am con-
vinced that at least one-quarter of the
work performed by women is unnec-
essary, and that the world would get
along quite as we'll without it. I
would be better and stronger wo-
man to-day had confined my ener-
gies to strictly necessary work. do
not now 1efer to what is known as
"busy idleness the worLing of
impossible and undesirable yellow
peaches on red plush mantel scarfs.
Have we not all known the cover
clean woman? Such a woman is
very apt to be nuisance to her fam
lily and friends. I once overheard a
conversation between two gentlemen
whose wives were certainly as near to
godliness as cleanliness could take
them. They were condoling with
each other upon the miseries of that
annual horror, housecleaning. They
both voted it, as carried on, at their
homes, an entirely unnecessary evil.
One said that during its progress at
bis house everything was so wet that
lie always felt in danger of q deluge,
while his friend remarked that he
could stand the water, it was the
smell of yellow soap that he objected
to, and that women scrubbed too
much. The wise woman will draw
early-defined line between the state
of cleanliness which compels her to
make drudge of herself instead of a
companionable wife and mother, and
that which betokens really slovenly
housekeeper. There is a knack of
keeping things clean which all house
keepers do not possess, but which can
be cultivated. I have observed the
greatest difference in this respect in
servants; whereas one will get din
ner and keep-her kitchen and work
table in spotless order during the op-
Grafton, another will have every sauce
pan and dish dirty at the same time,
and her table a medley of soiled CHI
ma, tins, knives, forks, and dishcloths,
with -four, salt, and sugar strewn from
one end of the room to the other You
can save yourself many steps by
strict adherence to "a place for every
thing and everything in its place. :"
You may have windows that are not
bright and spotless, and still be
very nice housekeeper If I could
not wash my windows without such
an amount of fatigue as knew would
unfit me for pleasant evening with
my husband and children, I should
think it the lesser evil OF the two to
leave them unwashed. When a wo-
man has no time to read a book or
paper, or to call on a friend, or to
write letter, there is screw loose
somewhere in her domestic economy,
and the sooner she recognizes it the
better, provided she remedies the
evil. If you are obliged to do your
own sewing in addition to year louise
work, every tuck and ruflle that you
put on your little ones garments is a
crime. The time spent in making
an elaborate dress that baby will look
''lovely' in is worse than wasted. Ba-
by will look quite as S'lovely" in his
own eyes in the plainest of slips.
Give the matter serious thought, my
weary sisters, and see if in this and
many other ways you do not add to
your burdens, which may already be
heavy and grievous to be borne. Rest
your body and improve Your mind,
thus keeping your heart and face as
fresh as possible, as you value the love
of your husband and children.-Er-
>hange.