The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-11-11
HOUSEKEEPING CHAT
A Little Story From Which
Housekeepers May
Draw a Moral.
TlDINE ss COMPATIBLE WITH WORK
Cooking At Home-Recipc for Cur
ing Pale Cheeks English Cyc-
ling Shoes and Big Sleeves.

There are two ambitious housewives
just across the way, and 1 am going to
speak very plainly concerning their in
ner lives, for, even if this should chance
to meet their eyes, they can never be
quite sure that any one in "our street
wrote the article. And who wouldn't be
willing to submit to a little publicity,
after all, if the t1ittle mortal Will heip
| some other housekeeper? Although botn
of these housekeepers have beautiful
homes and seemingly everything to
make life enjoyable, they are just as
different as can be. One is mistress, the
other servant of her work. One is al
ways neatly attired, her house in order
(not painful order, but clean and cosy
and homelike) her children are neatly
and sensibly dressed and she looks
scarcely a day older han when she be-
came a wife ten years ago. She finds
time for music and fancy work. she
keeps her place in the church cnolr,, III
the Sunday schoo and in social circles.
She is interested in the news of the day,
fairly up in politics and a staunch lttie
refcrmer in her a Her HUSBAND
thinks her the most capable woman on
the face of the earth, and is accord
ingiy proud of her.
The other housewife may usually be
seen in an old, faded dress from morning
iAA A4b6ht, INC VI oAAd o
usually guiitless OF buttons. She mas
never time to dress her hair in fashion,
and is too old"-at twenty-tive-for
"frizzes and furbelows."
Her house is in perfect order-tfiat
order that makes one shrink and enter
her parlor as reluctantly as a prison,
of sunshine-nothing but a gloomy,
faultless order. Her kitchen floor never
fails of the daily s%crubbing, if her hair
does OF a brushing; She spends hours
polishing stove and tinware; but there
is not a particle of fancy work in the
house. save h she had when she was
married. Her piano is never opened ex-
cept flor company" she has almost Tor
gotten the keyboard.
She doesn't sing in the choir, although
she used 'to-and seldom gets to church.
she is 80 tired after the weeks work"
and as for Sunday schools, they are but
memories Of the past, though to be sure
LEM cakes to a church social. It seems
a pity. too, to eat up a cake in hve MN
She sends her children out though, dress
ed most deliberately. Days and days 1t
takes to get up one of her little girls
be-ruffied, be-f1uted dresses, and then the
Speaking of ironing, this same we'll
meaning woman would spend five min
twenty on a common coarse sheet; and
she was Mortified when Jennie and l told
of our labor and time-saving manoeuvers
Just f fold m dish towels over, and the
sheets four double and run the iron over
and air them we'll"
Yes" l chimed in, and I just run the
iron over the merino underwear, giving
a little care, of course, to the sleeves,
the collars and bands"
FAnd l dry my dark ruffled under
skirts over a clean barrel kept for the
purpose, shake the ruffles into shape
and never iron them at all save around
the facing" put in Jennie.
Flora seemed too Mortified to say any
hin yet she was always INVITING us
with being dressed up and keeping
abreast with the fashions. Il can never
learn to slight my work" h managed
to remark at last, severely.
"Do you mean to say that Jennie and
myself are not getting as much out of
life and doing as much for the world as
if we spent several hours on the iron
ing that we ought to do in ONE 1 in
CURED laughingly.
She thought a moment and then
sighed YEARLY.
ooh, WE'LL she said, 81 seem to be the
servant and my work is mistress, and /
suppose it will always be SO until I am
"Poor Flora" we thought, .you are
but one of the great multitude who are
being sacrificed. sould and body, be-
cause of this fact"
Women talk of ruling the nation; but
they might first learn to rule their work
and their households.