Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-29
HOUSEHOLD.

HOUSEHOLD.
Edith Dickson, writing on housekeeping
as profession, tells that young house
keeper said to her after few years of
failure:
For the next two or three pears l am
going to make housekeeping my business.
l mean not only to learn how to 10 every
thing connected with it, but also to study
and find the best and most simple methods
OF managing the whole
If that intention should be carried out,
there will be no danger that that young
Wouan'S housekeeping Will not be success
full. 1t is fact that many women regard
the care of home too much in the light OF
an Incidental, one among many occupations
which they propose to carry on. Some of
them are musical, artistic or literary in
their tastes, and feel abused if household
cares rob them of the time they wise to de-
vote TO their favorite pursuits. Some are
engaged in various kinds of charitable
which they consider of more Importance
than the doing of the numberlesS little
things about a home, which may take a
whole days time, and leave one ut night
with the unsatisfactory impression Of hay
ing accomplished nothing.
Few women are so favorably situated
that family cares will not often hinder
them from all other occupations DiSap-
the woman who had expected tc be able to
follow without interruption some chosen
pursuit.
But why should woman complain be-
cause she is too busy to find the time for all
the study, benevolent work, or visiting that
she would like to do! No sensible woman
would find fault because she has to work.
1t is what her husband does whatever his
wealth may be. and, if she be wise, shs
would not wish. to be released from it. The
woman who IS clerk, a SeamStress,
teacher an artist or a writer, does hard
work day after day with little leisure for
self-improvement or recreation. The aver
age hOusekeel'er has more leisure than she
could have in any other business. She is
liable to have days and weeks of hard work,
when help is not to be found, and there is
company to be entertained, or sickness in
the family But she is no worse off then
than women in other employments.
The woman who is too poor to hire any
help, but must do for herself all the work
of her house, with family of little chill
dren TO care for, has a hard time. But
even such one works no harder than
large part of the women who are earning
their own living. The care of a home with
all it involves, considered simply in the
light of an occupation, is, undoubtedly, for
the majority of women, an easier life than
any of the employments by which living
therefore, has no reason to think that her
life is exceptionally filled with care, and to
repine, unless she is too lndolent to be will
ing to work ut all. True, she may not be
domestic. She may be a musician or a
teacher, and have absolutely no gift or lik
ing for domestic life. Such woman
should not marry and enter upon home du-
ties.
Tie difficulty is that women marry with
out stopping to consider whether they are
willing to make business for life of the
care of their homes. That is what mar
riage means to the majority of women. a
man goes on with his customary work, but
whatever a woman may have done before |
marriage, afterwards there is commonly |
but one business for her-that of caring for |
her home
The married woman who is unwilling to |
accept this for her life-work will be dis |
and unhappy herself, and will be |
the cause of unhappiness to her family. No |
woman has the right to condemn her |
family to boarding house existence, or to |
leave to others the care of her home and |
in order that she may follow more |
pursuits. If she tries to do her
duty by her family, and, at the same time,
to devote herself to some other work. the
demands upon her time aud |
strength will hinder her from being sue
cessful in either undertaking. She also
which many women break down, resulting
from the consciousness, in whatever one
nay be doing that something else needing
attention is being neglected This is n01
saying that women ought to contge
themselves to the round of their 10 /
nestle employments. However busys-a
woman may be. she can and ought to find
some time for reading and study III the line
n which she is most interested. In her /
eisure hours she may be able to write
looks, paint pictures or accomplish muchef
n any other direction in which she has
! talent. But if woman wishes to be
Happy and not to break down in strength
md health, let her look upon the care of
Ter home as her profession in life, and re-
,ard all other pursuits as simply occupa-
ions for her hours of leisure
II she does not deem this a work worthy |
# such a monopoly of her time and thought.
he should not have married Having done
o, she is in the position of many a man
Who finds too late that he has chosen life
york that is uncongenial. The only sensi-
lie and brave thing to do is not to abandon |
mes home, like the heroine of Ibsens
Dolls House." nor to neglect it, but to try
y extra diligence and pains to make up
or the lack of natural adaptation to ones
york.
TO MEND WOODEN DRESSES
When dress tears it is, nine times out
|
lender. Basic under this a piece of>the
ew goods, pulling the ragged edga< close
ogether and running line of long Stitches y
lose to the tear and secoA one jtsr6
1ches beyond. Ravel long threads-Sfom
it of the goods; if you have none. use fue
ewing silk; and darn with them over the l.
nsightly gap, making even stitches oysr1
nd under the work, running them certainly "
alf to an inch beyond the hole. Nha11
one, apply damp cloth to the wropg.s side
nd press with warm iron, first pulling
ut the basting threads, or the marks will
9 pressed in the goods. If the tear takes
piece out of the cashmere. or whatever it
lay be, then basic new piece, as before,
nde- the torn edges, and use Rawlings in a
ne darning- needle This time make three
mall stitches beyond the edge. on the
ress, ard two stitches over the edge on TO
le new or inserted piece. Darn all around
this manner, pulling the thread evenly,
nd keepiup tho patch perfectlv Smooth |