Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30
The Use and Misuse of Routine in
the Household.
THE EXPERIENCE CLUB IN SESSION.
An Open Discussion and the Re.
suit Reached.
OME US EFUL HINTS

The Experience Club" which comprised
twenty ladies. was assembled in Mrs. APP
pleton's pleasant parlors for its usual
monthly meeting. and after some business
preliminaries had been dispatched the dis
cussion Of the above subject was begun.
Il am firm advocate for order" said
Mrs. Bright, whose talents and energy
made her a leader among us. II have rules
for all the general affairs of the household,
and live up to them, and expect my fam
lily to live up to them, as far as possible.
or course. from time to time 1 am COM
PEELED to make changes in this method, as
we find different adjustment would give
US more satisfaction. I don't think any
rule ought to be cast iron.' As we grow
wiser we ought to alter our conduct but a
rule ought to be obeyed as long as 1t holds
good-until it is replaced by better one"
otherwise there would be what Goodwin
Smith terms "a moral interregnum,' when
chaos reigns," commented Miss Stuart, who
Is our philosopher, and who occasionally
carries us a little beyond the practical lines
to which it is our aim to confine ourselves
well, have been more struck with the
second part of our subject, the misuse of
routine" said Mrs. Appleton, her good
humored face settling into an expression
her friends call Retrospective discomfort"
for 1t is well known that her present easy
life was preceded by a rather unhappy girl
hood, which she cannot forget.
II was brought up altogether on system"
she continued, complainingly, "and made
to eat and sleep and exercise according to
the clock. If my Aunt Sarah could only
have made me think Systematically she
would have been happy. She regulated all
| my actions. but, thank heaven! my thoughts
were beyond her. 1t was only the blessed
privilege of day-dreaming, and what she
called mental laziness,' that saved me from
going crazy. l never would impose my
IDEAS on another mortal. Let each person
In family have possession of himself, I
say. and so he pleases eat what he
pleases, and be responsible only to him
| SELF"
What rule was it that was so distasteful
to your asked the chairman, with a smile
at her vehemence. Or did you object to
| order on general principles?"
Il suppose you think / have a leaning
toward misrule,'' Mrs. Appleton returned
not in the least abashed. well, 1 have
My Aunt Sarah's determination to have
me practice at certain hour draw at a
certain hour, and feed the canaries at a
certain hour wrought me immense discom-
fort. No matter what, was going on-if
there was company 1 most wished to see,
or some new and delightful fancy work to
be done. or If felt like going out-these
miserable duties detained me. Oh, don't
talk to me of rules! L made up my mind,
when married, that 1 never again would
be slave to a rule of any sort"
Only our unwritten law-never to say
anything ill-natured-restrained Miss Stu
art from uttering a terse comment. She
pursed up her mouth and began scribbling
on the fiy-leaf Of her note book very indus
triousy.
There are some natures that really have
an instructive prejudice against routine"
Is person of such sense and excellent
Judgment that we always listen to her ca
gerry. You recoiiect how some Of our
most gifted artists and musicians have
Fought against regularity. There are people
VINO can only work under the spur of me-
cessity. They can give in to that but moth
ing else can control their cratic tendencies
NOW. 1 have friend who is a beautiful
neediewoman. but she hates to give her
mind to the details of sewing She puts off
everything till the last day and then makes
up by excessive labor for her past indo-
ience. 1 am always trying to get ahead Of
the seasons, she tells me; but somehow /
never have any ideas until necessity is upon
me. An emergency brightens my Wits In
the case of children, of regulating their
study hours particularly one ought to he
Sizes My little Horace, you know, stands
well in school now: but it is only since his
twelfth birthday that he has been able to
bring his unruly faculties under any sort
of discipline. He wants to do things when
he feels like it, l have dealt with him in
this way: knowing the periods when the
mind Is most inclined toward study have
drawn his attention at those times to some
thing that interested him in natural history
or geography, and, after a few minutes
talk, set him to hunt up some fact. He is
naturally drawn on, and before he knows IL
Is studying. The habit once securely rooted
in his life. he follows it unconsciously, and
feels like a free agent at the same time"
And them" said Miss Stuart,with bright
ening eyes. for she is always in sympa thy
with Mrs. Tadema, don't you hint to him
the great advantage there is in applying
the mind to certain sorts of work at re-
current intervals: how much more easy It
Is to command our attention at exactly the
same time today that we commanded 1t
yesterday?'
II have not yet" returned Mrs Tadema.
Children ought not to be made to reason
too early; it interferes with their growth.
But there Is good deal in what you say
Our tastes, It is said, are the result of our
ancestors habits. and we are inclined to-
ward acts that they performed
Then the mind gets hungry at the times
it is used to being fed, I suppose?' re-
marked Mrs. Lewis. II don't know but
what there is great deal in favor of COM
pelling ones self to be regular in every
thlng. L nnd L always want to get at my
mending basket directly after lunch be-
cause l drifted into a habit Of doing that
one winter. i feel quite lost IL anything
upsets that little habit"
Well what / want to draw attention
to- said Mrs. Kane. energeticaly, lis the
use of routine with regard to our servants
/ think 1t is of the very greatest impor-
lance. One of the worst difficulties in do
nestle government is the personal element
Servants nowadays hate to be ordered
They, too, want to go as you please but
they cannot be allowed to. Of course So
lit upon plan which saves their feelings
and is favorable to order. too. made a
little schedule of all the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
things to be done upon certain DAYS and in
such order. and appended the few simple
rules of conduct necessary for propriety.
and when / hired new girl last month I
opened the cupboard door and showed her
the schedule pasted there asking at the
same time II she felt equal to doing the
work. She thought she could. and I en-
gagged her. / never had more reason to be
satisfied with a plan. Everything in nv
house moves like cloclSwork. There is no
scolding and no restraints The girl knows
her duties. and goes her wav without any
friction or clashing of her will against mine
decidedly approve of much routine in
work we can get into It,"
You must have a wonderfully Intelligent
gtrl!' exclaimed some one: while Mrs
Evans spoke IN rather quickly:
1T may be all very well SO far as YOU are
concerned. With no one but yourself end
your husband 1t Is easy to get along But
suppose YOU had nv five children all under