Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-22
CLEANLINESS OVERCOME.
A Truc story That is Illustrated Every
Day In Many Houses.
(Syracuse HeraldJ
Here is n true story

Here is n true story:
A man invited another man to dinner
one day last week He telegraphed up
town to his wife-a bride-that he would
be home and bring guest with him be-
tween and 6 O'Clock. lie did that about
. o'clock in the afternoon.
What DO you suppose he found when he
got home?
A prettily dressed woman, waiting COM
posed and gracious in a fOwer-decked
drawins-roO.n.
Not exactly.
Neither did he discover that the light OF
his life had been stricken down with
cholera. and was. consequently, excused
from the duties Of her position.
What he did think when he came IN
sight OF his home was that ii had been de-
vastated by fire. Window-shades were
sills, furniture crowded out Of the front
door, distracted maid servants appeared
and disappeared like people in a panto-
mime; n second glance showed him the
likeness between this and the ordinary
chaos Of cleaning day.
But what did It mean? Cleaning day
was awful. but even then the crisis was
usually past o'clock.
When the red-faced. hystercal young
housekeeper was finally found-she was
polishing sidcboard-it appeared that she
had evoked this reign OF terror with the
notion that she must have everything
shining and no possibility OF lint under the
upright piano before she could decently
sit down with guest At even the meekest
dinner party. Naturally. things were
rather dark for the guest. and, as the
dinner had been neglected while madam
polished the sideboard. they did not
brighten much for him till he got away.
The teller os this tale hopes that woman
Is the equal OF man, but IL is faith that
has to be upheld In the face OF Il great
many difficulties. The chiefest of ther1 -
that there is so much bad Housekeeping.
1t is a field in which there is much zeal
and little knowledge. Most women try
hard enough. but they don't try with good
sense.
EATEN UP WITH ZEAL.
This unfortunate bride was eaten up
with her zeal, and was trying TO live up
10 her mothers traditions. TRADITIONS
must be applied with common sense or
one might as well live In lunatic
asylum.
IT. as Sir Joshua Reynolds Is so often
quoted as saying. IL Is necessary III
painting to mix the colors with brans,
1t is equally imperative that a woman
compound her Housekeeping with tne
same article.
The first step In that direction is to ask
yourself what Is your first aim In Keeping
house at all. If, as you probably say, 1t
Is TO make a happy and civilized and civil
izng home be sure that y~l i've up 10
the idea and don't spend all your strength
dusting the under sides of chairs ana wlp-
ing out coal bins with a damp cloth. so
that you can feel that your house Is
cleaner than Mrs. Smiths
Cleanliness Is good, but you mad better
be In the next fiat gossiping about the
new gown of the woman In the nat above
and leaving dust on the centre-table OF
your own than be wearing yourself out
with honest toll. IL that means you are
going to be as cross as two sticks with
your husband and children that evening
See what Is the most important thing-
really important-to be accomplished at
each stage Of the game, ana then see
that you accomplish that. Something VIII
have to be neglected: see that II Is the
least Important. Be flexible. You have a
standard about your dinners: you Ike to
have a salad; but don't, when you nave
guests who are going to the theatre, Keep
the dinner waiting. after Bridget nas
spoiled your lettuce by putting sewing
machine oil in 1t, while you frantica'iy
try to buy, beg or steal another head
somewhere. And don't. because you are
nervous. relieve yourself with apologies
and explanation until every one has told
you fifteen times that he hates salad.
1t may make you feel better. but it'makes
everyone else feel worse.
The reason housekeeping II worse done
than most Of the worlds work ID not that
women are fools. but because this employ
ment h very disadyantageously isolated,
because there is little real coinpeutions
and. therefore. little Of the enlightenment
that comes thereby.