The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-13
SMALL COMFORTS.
The Housewives Little Methods of Help
ing Herself.

The Housewives Little Methods of Help
ing Herself.
Whether it is better to be happy or
to be comforta BILE is matter which is
usually decided by our temperaments.
There are people whose happiness does
not consist in comfort or depend on it,
and there are people whose comfort in
no wise depends on their happiness.
But while it is clearly right to scorn
material advantages if they cost us
our peace of mind, we must acknowl-
edge it is only the part of common
sense to take personal comfort when it
is to be had without such cost.
Yet there are people who feel a posi-
tive pleasure in making themselves un-
comfortab BILE. They deny themselves
aggressively. They sit, from choice,
in the coolest corner of the room; they
select the driest bit of cake or bread: ::
they decline all the small pleasures of
life with an air of virtuous resignation,
as if they were entitled to praise for
their small sacrifices. Yet those who
know them best have scant respect for
their self-denial. In speaking of one
of these self-elected ascetics, her sister
remarked, with a quizzical glance:
"You know, my dear, Kate always
will be martyr"
Does it appear wise to despise the
small sOlaces and refreshments of life
when they come naturally in our way?
Is it not better judgment to accept
whatever of cheer may be legitimately
ours? While there is so much suffering
in life which we have to bear, and
which it is right we should endure I'M
complainingly, it seems as if we might
go further than this. We may say we
ought to take special pains to cultivate
a habit of finding delight and satisfac-
tion in little pleasantnesses. and to
contrive ways of giving ourselves ease
in little things. The warmth of
room, the rest of a footstool, the help
of some invention for doing piece of
work, are right to take and wise to
plan for and take pains to secure.
So looking to her winters comfort as
well as ner winters edifcation, the
prudent housewife will see that hooks
and shelves are in easy, handy posi-
tions, and in plentiful number She
will see that drawers pull out with
out sticking, and that windows may
be raised and lowered without strain
ing her muscles She will insist that
her shutters shut tightly without too
great effort, and stay open without
slanming. Her utensils for all sorts of
work will be of the best kind, abund-
ant, and in convenient spots for in
slant use.
And this same prudent housewife
will think of little methods of helping
herself and giving occasional rest to
her body. and thereby auietness to her
soul. She will keep a memorandum
sheet, with its lists OF wants for
kitchen. dining-room, sewing-room
and parlor. She regards her memory
too highly to burden it with a thou
sand trifes, from corkscrew to
spool of silk.
She has places for everything. be-
cause by so doing she knows just
where to find them fwithou. spending
time in the search. She takes time to
enjoy every trifing qualification that
comes in her path. Her creed teaches
her that the pleasant things Of life
were put there for this purpose. and
that she Is unthankful who turns per-
sistently away from the lovely every
day small pleasures God has scattered
so profusely along the road--Harper's
Bazar.