The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-21
THE Pussy HOUSEWIFE.
She Is Oftentimes IL BusybOdy in the
Most UnsavOry Sense

The fussy housewife, who finds nu-
nerOus odds and ends about the house
keeping duties all day long, has been
llkened to the busy bee, buZzing all day
over trif1es. But true busy bees among
women are always ready with as sat
tsfactOry an account of their doings
as the immortal Watts gives of the
little insect whose industry they try to
copy. These true busy bees among
US lose no time, are ever employed in
something useful and earn their nick
name from steady industry and not
from mere outward display Of business
and hustle; they are always EMPLOYED
some way or another in gathering hon
ey for they never let pass any flower
In the shape Of available opportunity
without draining it Of all its advanta-
geOus juices. These practical busy bees
allude to are not necessarily bread
winners, although some may count this
Cner chief occupation, for MANY have
their purses already we'll lined and still
90 not IN consequence fritter away
their lives in accomplishing a series Of
nothlngs, but set themselves a regular
routine of employment, so that. be Il
the homely tending, training, teaching
and clothing of their children. nursing
the sick, administering comfort to the
poor, or, more exclusively, brain work.
Such as the study Of science, art or
politics, they can rarely at the end of
day recall any wasted moment, and
can always feel that there has been
DONE"
The ostensible busy bee. on the other
hand, or rather busybody, is, to my
NINA, most f1ctitiOuSly so-calIed. She
IS grant, apparently always busy. al
ways on the go, is seen everywhere
and knows everybody in her circle, and
usually feels genuinely tagged by her
udlIy eXertlons; but if required to re-
tall her days work she will tell Won
tnat her whole morning and a great
part OF the afternoon Is occupied with
odds and ends" and the remainder of
the day with visiting various festivities
and sightseeing. If of a gay nature.
the latter part of her day is probably
wei spent, for maybe she needs this
sort or diversion to keep her in health,
ana lucky she considers herself to be
able to indulge therein; but when we
come to analyze the odds and ends"
with which the major portion Of her
time seems to be occupied, we cannot
restrain an expression of establishment
that she can possibly spread the per-
formance Of such trifling jobs over so
many hours. L used to wonder how
IL was oone' to be apparently very
DuSy, yet to accomplish scarcely any,
thing. [ have thought at times that
1t must be due to a delight in wiIful
1dleness, but have so frequently met
with would-be practical busy bees de-
ploring the fact that they have no time
for study or regular work Of any kind.
as the various odds and ends connect
ed with their household always keeps
them busy, and have come to the con-
clCs1On that deficiency in the method
lCal management Of their little house
mold duties, as is the case with mud
oilers, only in a different way, is more
often than not the sole root Of this
terrible waste Of time The seed is
SOWn by the inexperienced Young
housewife and, unless checked in time.
maintains year by year a firmer hold.
until an unmethOdical management of
household affairs becomes almost a
second nature and prevents the NOM
1nal busy bee acting up to her name in
practice.
To young, inexperienced girl, who
has to be her own hOusekeeper, and
has only one, two or three maids, the
number of odds and ends included in
these little duties are not infrequently
ing at first; she resolves that the whole
of every morning and part of the after
noon will be none to much to devote
solely to her housekeeping, and that
any Of her pre-marriage studies of
music, literature, art or science as
the case may be, must be at once drop
ped. But this, I can assure you, is a
very mistaken view to take of the mat