The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-09-14
EASY HOUSEKEEPING
ACCOMPLISHED BY APPLYING eUSl-
NESS PRINCIPLES.
A System That Secures From Each Prompt
Performance of Duties-One Woman Who
Applied Military Methods to Her House,
hold and Made Them Work.


Applied Military Methods to Her House.
hold and Made Them Work.
1 Executive ability is knowing how to
distribute responsibility so that every fac
tor not only accepts its share of duty, but
continues unfailingly to do it. Persistent
pursuit of this course makes the victorious
general and the successful business man
as we'll as the satisfactory housekeeper.
q. / do not believe, however, that there is
one woman in thousand who ever stops
to contemplate this fact. Every one Of
the number wonders, though, why keep
ing house is the very hardest work in tho
world. And men with well disciplined
offices who are able to reduce their indi-
vidual labor to II minimum they regard
envyingly They persuade themselves that
women's work is so peculiarly intricate
and exacting that it refuses to be reduced
to simple rules and principles. Yet if
all those uneasy, ovcrburdened Marthas
could only take few practical lessons in
well ordered counting room they would
soon solve the problem which causes them
/ such painful wrestling.
Able business men who accomplish re-
suits are those who know how to make
other people feel the importance of the
/
tenths of mankind spend their best efforts
in lodging responsibility there is as much
real genius in stimulating a sense of it
in ones employees as in actually achiev-
ing things oneself.
There is, 1 know, superstition cx-
tant to the effect that good housewife is q
busy, busting pcrson-one always active
and alert, who follows up her servants and
never relaXes her vigilance from dawn
till bedtime. She is not supposed to take
chances on anything, but goes herself from
garrett to CELLAR daily, peers into every clos
! ct, hunts eagerly for dust, takes constant
| account OF storeroom, pantry and kitchen
and keeps penetrating eye upon the en-
tire menage. If mans work is from sun
to sun, while woman g work is never done,
tho fault is every bit her own. The reason
man can define his hours VI toll and rest
SO sharply is because he knows when and
where and how to put in strokes that tell;
also no knows how to make those who
work with and under him directly an
swerablefor their share of the labor.
Now, the case of u woman having sew
| eral small children and only one or two
maids with which to keep tho house.
Properly managed the result should be
leisure for the mistress, discipline for the
maids and comfort for everybody. BIT
nine times out of ten the chance system is
in vogue. Servants are given general in
structions, but they are quick TO appreci-
ate that tho mistress expects to shoulder
all the real responsibility herself. She
means TO rely upon her own vigilance rath-
or than their fidelity for the execution of
the daily tasks. Realizing this, they get
in the habit of depending on her prodding
to remind them of tho simplest duties.
1t is this spirit in the household that
makes drudges of the employer, who is
only given eye service and finds her do
nestle machinery runs with many crcak
and groan.
AS there Is always right way and
wrong way to do everything, q little clever
management conducts home on the same
principles precisely as those which regu-
late q counting house. But tho little 10
year-old daughter whose business it is to
strip withered leaves and blossoms from
the plants change the water in the vases
and attend TO the bedroom candlesticks
must be held unswcrvingly to her duty.
she must be taught at once that the whole
family relies upon her for the faithful dis
| charge of these tasks. Mamma must never
do them for her, and thus lessen either the
sense of responsibility or tho force Of con-
Nllc1 STU 10 VI lIcSlCCu.
These principles should be rigidly en-
forced with everyafactor in the household.
There should be no trespassing of ono
PERSONS work on another. Most women
declare 1t much easier TO do things them
selves than to follow up a careless maid.
But the really clever mistress knows bet
ter She finds n way OF making the serv-
ant answcrable for her mistakes and con-
tinualIy satisfactory In the performance
of her tasks.
A bright woman whose soul has sicken-
cd within her,by reason of domestic irreg-
ularities worked out tho following system,
which proved delightfully."- simple and en-
tirely cflicacious She had, it seems, been
present once at military inspection and
was much impressed by the quick, bust
nesslike manner in which the examination
was conducted. After watching tho off,
Ger inspect each soldier in turn as to his
! personal cleanliness, arms, etc., she con-
cluded that something of the same sort
might with advantage be applied to her
domestic management.
Full of this idea, the clever little mis-
tress prepared two lists-one for morn
ing drill, the other for afternoon parade.
On the first was set down in order each
particular household chore that should be
| at 1880 o'clock tho entire establishments
| was called out for inspection.
| First came the nursemaid, marshaling
| her charges and ready to show a row of
neatly polished boots, clean, pink palms,
| white, well brushed teeth and sleek, shin
| ing heads. The matter of buttons, garters,
| finger nails, ETC., was we'll looked into,
and then the order to break ranks given.
The housemaid reported lamps cleaned,
busting done, windows washed, and the
stock of polishes, soaps and other require
ments of her department that wero needed
or on hand. AS the list of her tasks were
set down in detail, there was never any
danger of CLOSING them over or forgetting
to enumerate them. Unless all the cham
Der work was completed by that hour a
satisfactory explanation was required be-
| fore the girl could be excused.
Living in the country, as she did, 1t was
| in the management of her kitchen, how
ever that the lady found this book so great
a comfort Neat columns of kitchen ne
ccssities logged her memory as to the
thousand and one little pantry details the
lack of which never intrude themselves
until the days marketing Is done. Cook
| reported dishcloths washed and drying on