The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-18
HOUSEKEEPING.
ACCOMPLISHED BY APPLYING BuSt
NESS PRINCIPLES.
A System That Secures From Each Prompt
Performance Of ofDuties-One Woman Who
Applied Military Methods to Her House,
hold and Made Them Work.

4
| Applied Military Methods to Her House.
| hold and Made Them Work.
Executive ability Is knowing how Ia
distribute responsibility SO that every fac
tor not only accepts its share of duty, but
continues unfailingly Co do it. Persistent
| pursuit of this course makes the victorious
| general and the successful business man
Us well as the satisfactory housokeeper.
do not believe, however, that there Is
| one woman In a 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 the
world. And men with well disciplined
offices who are able TO reduce their indi-
vidual labor to a minimum they regard
enyyingly. 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 IL
ali those uneasy, overburdened Marthas
could only take few practical lessons in
Nwell 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, I know, q superstition ex-
tant to the effect that good housewife is a
busy, bustling person-one always active
and alert, who follows up her servants and
never relaxes her vigilance from dawn
tlii 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 or storeroom, pantry and kitchen
anu Keeps penetrating eye upon the en-
tire menage. IL mans work is from sun
To sun, while woman's s work is never done,
the fault is every bit her own. The reason
man can define his hours of tell and rest
so sharply is because he knows when and
where and how to put in strokes that tell;
also he knows how to make those who
work with and under him directly an
swerable for their share of the labor.
Now, the case of woman having sew
eral small children and only one or two
maids with which TO keep the house.
Properly managed tho result should be
leisure for the mistress, discipline for the
".
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 the mistress expects to shoulder
all the real responsibility herself. She
means to rely upon her own vigilance rarh-
er 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 the simplest duties
IL Is this spirit in the household that
makes drudges Of the employer, who is
only given eye service and finds her do
mestic machinery runs with many a creak
and groan.
AS there Is always right way and
wrong way to do everything, little clever
management conducts home on the same
principles precisely as those which regu-
late a counting house. But the little 10
year-old daughter whose business it is to
strip withered leaves and blossoms from
the plants, change tho water In the vases
and attend to the bedroom candlesticks
must be held unsweryingly TO her duty.
she must DO 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 the force Of con-
demnation when she is guilty of neglect.
These principles should be rigidly en-
forced with every factor In the household. |
There should be no trespassing of one
PERSONS work on another. Most women |
declare 1t much easier TO do things them. |
selves than to follow up careless maid. |
But the really clever mistress knows bet |
ter. She finds a way of making the serv- |
ant answerable for her mistakes and con- |
satisfactory in the performance |
of her tasks
"A bright woman whose soul has sicken- |
eel within her by reason of domestic irreg-
ularities worked out the following system,
which proved delightfully."- simple and en-
firely efficacious. She had, IL seems, been |
present once at military inspection and
was much impressed by the quick, busi-
ncsslike manner in which the examination |
was conducted. After watching the 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.
Fall -af this -idna--Ihe- 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 |
done before noon, and each day
,t 1880 O'Clock the entire establishment
was called out for inspection
First came the nursemaid marshaling
her charges and ready To show row Of
neatly polished boots, CLEAN pink palms,
white, well brushed teeth and sleek, shin.
ng heads. The matter of buttons, garters,
ingcr nails, etc, was we'll looked into,
md then the order 60 break ranks given.
The housemaid Sported lamps cleaned,
lusting done, windows washed, and the
took of polishes, soaps and other require
nonts of her department that were needed
II on hand. As the list Of her tasks were
ct down In detail, thore was never any
anger Of CLOSING them over or forgetting
o enumcrate them. Unless all the cham
er work was completed by that hour a
explanation was required be-
ore the girl could bc excused
Living In the country as she did, il was
\ the management Of hor kitchen, how.
yer, that tho lady found this book so great
comfort. Neat columns OF kitchen ne