The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-06
WOMAN IN THE HOME.
APiea For an Appreciation OF Her n obles,
Sphere OF Activity.

When we remember that, physioloeic.
ally speaking, woman is considered the
weaker vessel, let us look at the demands
which are made upon her by the cares
Of family-made greater by the Gus
toms and habits of the nineteenth cen.
tury-and we shall pause in wonder that,
if all that is done iswell done, she is per-
mitted to live out half her days.
In the first place, girl who perhaps
has had perfect freedom and immunity
from all care becomes as soon as she ia
married her husbands companion. She
must be fresh and attractive in appear
ance and feeling to greet him when he
returns home in the evening. She must
have topics of interest OH which to con.
verse and make herself charming to him
after his days toll or be ready to go out
with him to theater, lecture, card party
or entertainment, as the case may be. or
to make the evening agreeable to him OF
his home if he is domestic in his taste
If she does not do this constantly and
persistently, the average man will, after
the novelty of the new life has worn Off
betake himself to his club, or if he is
lacking in principle he may drift away
altogether and find other company which
is more agreeable to him.
Where there is strong mutual affec.
ton and the man has o 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 added ample or very com.
Portable means, the woman's work in the
home is greatly lghtened. But take the
case OF the mistress of q 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 requirements and
1diosyncrasies of each individual from
paterfamilias down to tho last conner in
the establishment. Now, this may seem
a mere trifle 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, season
after season, and he or she, whoever it
may be, will think that the position of
caterer alone to 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
lnstructing them in their duties, the fire.
quent directions which must be given to
the details of cooking by ordinary house
Keepers, is something which few of the
other sex understand. Those who are
able to pay very high prices for fine
cooks may be exempt from ordinary
trials, but the average housekeeper
knows that she must often supplement
her own knowledge and experience with
remarks like these, THE bread this week
is not baked slowly enough or long
enough" 1.-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 tho
house. the weekly cleaning, the constant
supervision of cellar, closets and drains,
form, with the catering, a department
in itself sufficient for the entire occupa-
ton of one woman, and the health and
comfort of the whole household are de-
pendent 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, in health and sickness. their
all
moral-here is another department
which demands for its fulfillment the
vitality and best powers of the mother
in the home. The oversight of the cloth
ing of young and changing forms is q
care that is sufficient for one head and
pair of hands, even when people are sem
sible enough to pay little court to Dame
Fashion.
Most of all in the home is the com
partnership of the wife and mother to
husband and children, for which she
needs time for her own physical re-
quirements of air, rest and refreshment,
time to keep up her reading, her interest
in books, pictures and music, that she
may never become household drudge,
a mere minister to temporal needs. but
that she may be the beloved friend and
counselor.
I once had a friend whose wisdom
and judgment think worthy of imita-
ton. She, or rather her husband, pos
sessed wealth, but doubtless he recog-
niZed that she earned share in its dis
tribution and might safely be trusted
in its disbursement, as she was not ex-
travagant or unreasonable in any way.
He employed no nurse for her little
children, but she, with relative who
resided with her, took the entire care of
them herself, SO that they were con-
stantly in association with refined peo-