Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-05
ECHOES FROM ALTON.
FIRST OF JUNE, AND A VERY OLD
SAYING.
Cleanliness, md How IL II Made n
Burden-Mnnia for Dusting-The
Appointments of n Model Room
Notes..
Correspondence of the DISPATCH,


akin TO goodness, then never are we a
near Heaven as when the first day O
June finds US spick and span, all tied u
in doors and out for another twely,
months. So clean and fresh and new 4
everything that one's self-glory at tn
amount OF work accomplished destroy
that true humility BETTING the righteous
man or woman.
June, as we know, Is the month o.
roses-of red, red roses. 1t is also tn,
month Of whitewashel fences and blue
blue skies. / was thinking, only thi.
morning, rs looked around on this wild,
variation Of red, white. and blue, that tn,
season was really imbued with patriot
ism, If we were not, and that the nationa
colors were Haunting in these ridge:
where neither sound OF drum nor recruit
ing officer nor any other sign of dreadful
war has yet been known.
In fact, 1 may almost say, that, except
in these broader tints OF the outer world
the war; is not popular. The average
mountaineer VIII do his duty-and do It
bravely-when called upon, but as a gene
raj thing, he does not love to change his
| plowshare for a sword
But we are clean; pure, II not patriotic,
| ana just as godly as we shall ever be until
! We reach that beautified state I'm which.
with harp In hand and blue scarf upon
our otherwise undraped figure--as artists
love to picture us-We sit UNPROTECTED
upon the ragged edge OF some PARKWAY
cloud. 4 say, unprotected, because have
never yet found out what artists think
becomes Of the angels when It rains. Per-
haps, as in the godliness Of June: Pour
etre belle ii FAINT souffrir--we must suffer
TO be beautiful"
There are other sufferers. Did you ever
know Of people who actually hurt. they
were so inmmaculately clean? Woman
men, you know, are never wilful idiots
VINO VIII dust the chair for some casual
caller and absorb the dirt, IL any. upon
their sacred aprons? Or, who frantically
sweep the hearth with the ashes, how
ever scanty, flying in angry protest about
ones devoted head?
have. Right here there is a similarity
between the angels and myself in that
our visits are each few and far between.
Make IT A BURDEN.
SO many women make a burden of
their cleanliness that the virtue Of IL is
quite oyershadowed. When they 70 into
regular housekeeping they lombard the
whole premises at once. Who does not
remember Mr.. Caudle's mild complaint
against his wife's semi-monthIy wash
days2 and that good woman's tart le-
tort:
mo. Mr.. Caudle, the house is not
tossed about In water as if ii was Noah's
arkl You ought TO be ashamed Of your |
self to talk about Noahs ark in that
loose way. No; the whole house doesn't |
taste OF soap suds, and I ought not to |
have been born mermaid, either, that I |
might always have been In water! A |
indeed"
There Is too much truth In this BIT of |
nction. AS the heated season approaches |
there is, and has ever been, q t1ndency |
toward ovsrwork. Not necessarily only |
for the people who labor all day and 1
svery day with the hands, but people of |
other classes who wllfully carry their
sense OF duty beyond their bodily or
mental strength.
These spendthrifts OF physical power
pay dearly later on for their extraYa-
gance; for Nature, 50 gentle, SO soothing,
10 ready to upbuild and to heal, while
here are forces left by which she may
'estore and repair, Is yet an inexorable
iebtor. The number of people who are
ust at that point of physical exhaustion
low in this early summertime is too
many to be counted.
Happily, there are some exceptions.
NOW dear little woman whose burdens
II life would be too many had she not
he happy faculty OF making them less.
,he is the one woman i know Of who
lever "cleans house" She keeps clean.
,aIs, fruit Jars, ceiar-bins are cleansed
IS empted, and stay so. An able-bodied
nan comes once year for the carpets
md the house rooms, one at a time, are
uietly arranged by her own weak hands.
MOVED no SPEAK.
IL was my privilege. a few weeks ego,
o make a visit 10 this friend and her
Mine, for the while, was
o freshly and simply appointed that
am moved TO speak OF it.
The room was In blue and white. The
ed, of course, was comfortably furnish
d with springs, thick hair mattress, and
ig soft pillows. Snowy sheets and pill
1w-slips, which were yet fragrant with
he lavender stalks and rose-leaves of
no linen-chest, and a great white blanket
nd sheil-knit spread finished its belong |
lgs. There was a handicapped wash
tand, with an old-fashloned deep-bue-
toilet seIVice-that one
ses now with fancy china collections, and
foot-tub, and towels of all descriptions, (
D invite cleanliness. The dressiug-case
.as q ching Of beauty. 1t was a low, PER-
sctly square table, covered in blue Silesia
the floor, and over-draped with simple,
Drigge1 white muslin, the tall mirror ]
ressed TO match. Every appointment ;
as complete. [
4 wide lounge, with fat luXurious-look-
" pillows, and an Afghan, a low rock
.g-chair small table upon which were
le latest magazines, prayer-book. and I
large glass bowl OF roses, always kept !
eshly filed, made this little nook Of the /,
.om delight. The glass bowl, by the ,
ay had once done duty as a telegraph | .
r. and If any girl can tempt some /.
OPERATOR for such an odd gift. she can ..
u have a prettier bowl for cut-howers- !
a small cost.
There was an open fireplace; the old
)lonial mantel was OF white polished Z
God, with futed pilasters at the sides, I
Id a quaint wreath and ribbon design
meath the narrow shelf.
BY one window was the writing-desk, 0
ed with everything, even to stamps, U
cessary for correspondence, and a D
rap-basket, suggestively near-for my d
N especial use. as 1 thought when my c
orning mail came in.
The whole apartment had about II q
ok of purity and repose that reminded a
Q irresistibly OF the chamber Cooking II
wards the East. whose name was is
ace" Near the bed in a narrow gilt D
,me hung this little verse, which had u
I at first noticed Perhaps because | "
IS in great sorrow, and was just from g
} "mournful yesterday of new-made al
ave, it came TO me like benedictioni n
Sleep sweet III
Within this quiet room,
o, thou, hi
Nrhntara fhnn q