The Somerset reporter., 1892-07-14
FARM, GARDEN and
HOUSEHOLD.



Nv neishbor-my next neighbor-said
To me the other day with little sigh, such
a sigh as She gives when fly gets past
the obstruction and bIrricades she has con
structed to keep him out, or when She sees
an English sparrow stop hesitatingly at
her gate,
i've been thinking" She said.
She stopped, raising 4 corner of her
apron to brush away a particle of dust, |
feel since, | had brought in and had guilt
ily seen on highly polished table and
hoped She wouldn't see it.
i've been thinking what a dreadful
thing it would be if my boys should marry
women who wouldn't be good housekeep-
crs. OF course its early to begin to worry
about it, but time slips away so fast that |
can hardly realize that one is twelve and
the other eleven now
Clever Alice. in the fairy tale who wor-
ried about the future other unborn children,
could not have worn a more troubled tace
wanted to laugh, but dared not risk
my reputation by thus implying that ! I'M
dervalued Housekeeping.
Then felt wickedly glad to think that
probably in all the world could not be
found two girls of ten and nine of whom
it could be expected that they would de
velop into so neat and orderly women as
this one.
1t came with force into my mind that
the only other home that had ever visit
ed where the inmates had 50 little to do
with its arrangements, or lett so little
trace of their individuality, was the GENIE
terry
And is seemed to me that when my next
neighbor dies a perfect washer and ironer
and sweeper and cleaner will be lost to
this world, and will have gone to that
other. where hope with all my longing
and soul there will be no demand for such
services.
What life had she which | should dare
call life.
When | walked out of the house this
afternoon | should hear the sound OF the
carpet-sweeper, gathering up all traces OF
her visitor; the curtains would be drawn,
she would go back to some work in which
she had been interrupted.
wonder If she ever thought OF the
time when she would be dust herself!
Unlike Desdemona she never with haste
despatched the household affairs that she
might with greedy ear devour up any dis
course. To converse with her was like
talking with an embodied household COM
pendulum.
''How delightful the rain was yesterday
"Yes. but had | noticed how ii spattered
on the window and dried in streaks ?
"How blue the sky is to-day, and how
high it looks
"Nes. and how thick the flies are this
year.
! walked home very fast. 1t SCENE to
me when | arrived there that there was
more dust than | enjoyed seeing on the
steps, and then the rain had spattered on
the windows. some, but knew that my
husband and boys would not come tip
toeing into the kitchen door, and that no
one would follow them around with car
pet sweeper or rng, and we should be
clean enough to be healthy and dirty
enough to be happy; and oh, what an Ell
fort | would make and would Try to help
other women to attain the happy mean in
housekeeping.
To be neat-not too neat-orderly, and
vet not remind each member OF the fam
lily of car of Juggernaut. To attend
with care to the food and the wardrobe,
and vet not give up the souls immortal
energies to that alone. In short, to try
to be a woman keeping house and not to
be Just a housekeeper.
Some women have reached this serene
height in the home; and what woman has
done, woman may do HdIylaHa Farmer.