The Colored citizen., 1894-10-01
EASY HOUSEKEEPING
ACCOMPLISHED By APPLYING eus.-
NESS PRINCIPLES.

Applied Military Methods to Her House.
hold and Made Them Work.
Executive ability is knowing how to
distribute responsibility SO that every fso-
tor not only accepts Its share of duty, but
continues unfailingly to do Il. Persistent
pursuit Of this course makes the victorious
general and the successful business man
as well as the satisfactory housekeeper.
/ 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 we'll disciplined
offices who are able to reduce their indi-
vidual labor to q minimum they regard
envyingly. They persuade themselves that
women's work is so peculiarly intricate
and exacting that IL refuses to be reduced
to simple rules and PRINCIPLES. Yet II
all those uneasy, overburdened Marthas
could only take few practical lessons In
q 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
trust imposed upon them, and as nine
tenths of mankind spend their best efforts
In dodging responsibility there is as much
real genius In stimulating a sense OF 1t
In ones employees a. In actually aohiev-
ing things oneself.
There Is, l know, 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
till bedtime. She Is not supposed to take
chances on anything, but goes herself from
garret 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. II mans work Is from sun
to sun, while woman work is never done,
the fault Is every bit her own. The reason
man can define his hours Of toll 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 the result should be
leisure for the mistress, discipline for the
maids and comfort for everybody. But
nine times out of ten the chance system 10
In vogue Servants are given general In
structions, but they are quick to appreoi-
ate that the 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
j TO remind them Of the simplest duties.
II Is taiis snirit In the household that
makes dr,dges of the employer, who Is
only given eve seryiCa and finds her do
nestle machinery runs with many 're"k
and groan. s
As there is always a right ana
wrong way to do everything, ,sua, usl
management conducts home OF ne sait |,
principles precisely az those which regu-'
late counting house But the little 10
year-old daughter whose business 1t Is to
strip withered leaves and blossoms from
the piants change the water In the vases
and attend to the bedroom candlesticks
must be held unswervingly 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 the force Of con-
domination 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-
tinually 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 the following system,
which proved delightfully."- simple and en-
tirely efflcacious, She had, II seems been
present once at a military inspection and
was much impressed by the quick, busi
nesslike 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 tc 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 ohore that should be
properly done before noon, and each day
ut 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
ing heads. The matter Of buttons, garters,
finger nails, etc., was well looked into,
and then the order to break ranks given.
The housemaid reported lamps cleaned,
dusting done, windows washed, and the
stock Of polishes soaps and other require
ments Of her department that were 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
comfort. Neat columns Of kitchen ne
cessities logged her memory as to the
| thousand and one little pantry details the