The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-08-09
{ WOMAN AND HOME. I
DUTIES WHICH OCCUPY WIFE, MOTH
Err AND HoUSEkEEPER.

Care OF tho Wardrobe-Famiiy Co-opera-
tion-Dainty Work For Feminine Hands.
Chesrfuiness at the Breakfast Table.
Making Cowards Of Children.
A girl who perhaps has had perfect free
Som and immunity from all care becomes,
rs soon as she IL married. her husbands
companion. She must be fresh and attract
I've in appearance and feeling TO greet him
when he returns home In the evening. She
must have topics Of interest on which to
converse and make herself charming to
him after his days toll. or be ready to go
,ut with him to the theater, lecture, card
party or entertainment, a. the case may be,
or to make the evening agreeable to him at
his home IL he Is domestic In his taste. II
she does not do this constantly and persist
emily, the average man will, after the novelty
of the new life has worn or, betake him
self to his club, or IL he Is lacking in prin-
ciple he may drift away altogether and find
other company which Is more agreeable to
him.
Where there is strong mutual affection
and the man has "A fine sense of honor,
chivalry and high principle he will OF course
feel that obligations are mutual, and he will
find for himself and make for her and with
her interests that will be harmonious. When
to this happy condition are applied ample or
very comfortable means, the woman's work
In the home is greatly lightened. But take
the case of the mistress OF a family In mod
crate. circumstances with three or four
children. The house must receive enough
attention from its mistress each day to keep
all in good running order, even supposing
that two servants do the actual work Of the
household. Meals are to be ordered three
times each day, with provision for the re-
quirements and idiosyncrasies OF each in
dividual from paterfamilias down to the
last conner in the establishment. Now, this
may seem a mere trine to the locker on,
who at the well appointed table sees the
daily bill of fare, but let any such locker on
try it for days, weeks. months, years, sea-
son after season. and he or she, whoever 1t
may be. will think that the position OF cat
ercr alone to n family of ordinary size Is no
sinecure.
Then the difficulties with servants and
their management. the settling Of their
difficulties with each other, the task of in
structing them in their duties, the frequent
directions which must be given to the de
tails OF cooking by ordinary housekeepers,
is something which few of the other sex
understand. Those who are able to pay
very high prices for fine cooks may be ex-
empt from ordinary trials, but the average
housekeeper knows that she must often
supplement her own knowledge and expert
ence with remarks like these: The bread
this week Is not baked slowly enough or
long enough" "The soup Is too weak" etc,
to keep up the cooking to the standard
requisite for the health and satisfaction Of
the family. Then the care of the house, the
weekly cleaning. the constant supervision
Of cellar, closets and drains form with the
catering department in itself sufficient
for the entire occupation Of one woman,
and the health and comfort Of the whole
household are dependent on the fidelity and
intelligence which direct it.
Yet the mothers responsibility and care
have only their beginning here The needs
of the children from infancy to adult life
I'M health and sickness, their training
physical, intellectual and moral-here is
another department which demands for its
fulfillment the vitality and the best powers
of the mother in the home. The oversight
of the clothing of young and changing
forms is a care that Is sufficient for one
head and pair OF hands, even when people
are sensible enough to pay little court to
Dame Fashion.
Most Of all in the home is the companion
ship of the wife and mother to husband and
children, for which she needs time for her
own rational physical requirements of air,
rest and rcfreshment, time 10 keep up her
reading, her interest in books, pictures and
music, that she may never become a house
hold drudge, a mere minister to temporal
needs, but that she may be the beloved
friend and counselor.-Anna A. Comelin in
New York Advertiser.