River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-10-11
HOUSEHOLD SLAVES.
Women Who Are in the Habit OF Getting
Behind in Their Work.

Behind in Their Work.
While il is vary desirable To do every
thing in the way Of housekeeping de-
Gently and 10 order. one should be very
careful not 10 let herself become a
slave to order. nor destroy the peace
and freedom e her faI1lly tecause
they d. not always live and work IN
perfect accori with her plans. Ore
does not 1--we solely TO keep a house in
good running order. as many WELL
meaning and conscientious hou>e-keep-
ers seem 10 think. The house Is kept
for the comfort and pleasure and con-
venience Of the family: when il does
not fulfill this purpose we may know
81 once that something Is wrong; and
il is the duty Of every housewife 10 i'm
mediately set about 10 right the wrong
IL il is possible.
II is in making the home a comfort
aad pleasure that the real skill in
housekeeping may be exerc .sed- Al
most anv one with ordinary CONNIE n
sense can Law down fixed lies. and say
that such work must be CJne az such
time. and If it il possible TO carry the
plan out exactly 10 tine hour, or day.
She may seem to he. and viii probably
think herself. an excellent hOusekeep-
er. But an attempt at such house
keeping j. lise.yto result in one Of two
things. If the mistress Is strong willed,
she is sure - -na6e her family ex-
tremeIv uucomfort able; Il she IS weak
wilIed. she will suffer much discomfort
herself. and probably become peevish
and fretful. In either ease. she Is =
slave 20 her housekeeping, and can not
expect 70 develop any sweetness and
light in her household.
A good h0usekeeper is one who
not only knows how 10 make plans for
her work which is. indeed, very I'M
pOrtant. but knows. also. how to make
the order If work sufficiently flexible
a. sa.,t all tl.e es-issar,.-issS ~ daily life.
without any serious disasters She
must know how - change her plans
easily. that f. without friction; or eve,
20 do away with them altogether, for
time. II any circumstances should arise
which would make it more desirable o
do so. No housewife can hope to have
a pleasant home for her family. or have
herself anything but "a careworn WON
an. who Joe> not always provide fer
the unexpected; and one Of the import
ant provisions Is 10 always keep her
temper II the unexpected happens,
and il is continually happening in all
active and hOSpitable households,
meet il without any fretfulness, and IL
will not be half 50 difficult 70 deal
with
one Of the secrets Of being able 20
have ones plans frustrated without
serious Inconvenience is in being fore
handed. Never allow work To aceumu-
late if it Is possible 10 do IL Keep
everything in such order that a little
neglect will not show. Occupy spare
moments Of the days that are not very
busy ones. in doing work little ahead
of the time when II is actually needed.
Then one viii be the mistress, and not
the slave Of her homework. and the
true work Of the homemaker viii he
accomplished.
But one NAV even he slave 10 the
idea If being furcbanded: and many
hou>clzecper frets herself nearly t.
death in or,icr to keep everything doEe
ahead of tirIe 50 that there viii be no
Hccumu Iation Of work. II becomes al
most a mania. and though each seasons
work is done 50 long ahead Of time that
she could give herself weeks Of com
plcte rest. she seems only 20 get il done
in order 10 begin the next. and thus
keeps herself as much a slave TO her
household work as if it were always
bchiudhand.
The only advantage in doing worL
ahead of time Is that one may do it
easily and al such convenient times
that it will hardly seem 10 be work. If
the habit becomes 50 fixed that it
seems a necessity the work has become
the master and the mistress of the
house is the slave--Josephine E Mar
tin, IN Dcmorcst's Magazine.