The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-02-07
THE HOUSEHOLD.
Housekeeping Heresies.

DuFueHS WclSuUy, Jul ohiCo eiouuy'
and all because our grandmothers
formerly did so or our present
neighbors now do.
Take the tradition of carpets.
Why do we have carpets at ala
dusty, Manageable articles, costly
to buy, hard to take care of and
hideous in their last stages. A
distant voice murmurs: "But we
don't have carpets nowadays; we
have rugs and polished floors"
Any one who fondly imagines a
polished floor easier to care for than
a carpet is welcome to rest sweetly
in that delusion; and as for rugs,
rug is simply a smaller carpet with
all it's diabolical ingenuity in catch
ing dust, retaining germs and smells
and wearing to shreds. If it be
large, it exhausts ones strength to
shake it; if small, it reveals its
criminal nature by forever kicking
up, rolling up corners and causing
the foot of man to stumble. The
voice which spoke before inquiries
why, instead of vituperation, a
remedy is not offered? The remedy
is plain, not far to seek, and effica-
cious. Abolish all carpets, even
those existing under the specious
name of rugs. Let the poor woman
paint, the rich woman oil her floors;
and insist upon every individual
dropping the outside shoes at the
door, as do the Chinese, and assum-
ing soft, thick slippers. This does
away with noise, creates warmth,
and measurably dismisses scratches,
dust and microbes.
| wonder how many are firmly
possessed with the notion that they
must always stir cake one way and
rol' pastry from them? AS for the
cake, it may be stirred one way
and then another way, according to
the time and muscle employed.
Yet we were drought up' to sup
pose that if the spoon once retraced
it's own steps, so to speak, ruin,
devastation and bankruptcy would
follow; but boldly assert that since
we were emancipated from that
tradition we make better cake than
ever before. AS to rolling pie crust,
a professional cook has been seen
to perform the act so enthusiastic
ally as to roll it quite over the
edge of the table. 1t is said that
women cook solely for men, their
own sex caring but little what they
eat; if any man | cook for can tell,
when he comes to eat it, whether
my pie crust was rolled north, south,
east or west, l will present him
with my best bonnet to have and
to hold, his heirs and assigns for
ever.
Then there is the folly of black
ing stoves. Why women black
stoves passes comprehension. It
adds neither to the stoves beauty
nor usefulness nor length of days.
A stove in its best estate is I'M
calmly, frowning and inartistic; it
is oftentimes like its owner-good
but not pretty. Why break ones
back, spot ones floor, darken ones
fingers with that invention of the
enemy, stove backing? Why not
be contented with busting and oc-
casionally washing, oiling slightly
if the stove be unused for length
of time! pause for reply, and
get it. Myriads of housewives are
offering me this excellent reason:
ave always did black stoves and
we always SHALL"
Dare | say nothing about the
preposterous, ungraceful, expensive
"bosom shirtsn which my house
wifely sisters starch, shake, clap,
iron, rub and polish every week of
their lives? Why do men wear
these hideous things? Not for
warmth; not for beauty. They are
quite as absurd a garment as the
most absurd fashion ever worn by
the most frivolous, empty headed
woman, They have not the slight
est excuse tor being, and the weekly
toll of making them presentable is
something tremendous. Against
this unnecessary labor | exaspe-
rateiy, if hqpelessly, protest, and
against it | will die protesting.
What enemy to her sex invented