The Leon reporter., 1900-10-11
HOUSEKEEPING.
A Paper Read Before the Decatur
County Farmers Institute
by Mrs. Esther Stewart.

If this subject implies only the daily
and yearly routine of i,ousework and
discussion of the best method of per-
forming it, am at sea and the con.
tents Of this paper will fall fiat upon
the expecting ear.
My life work has not been such az
would bring much experimental knowl-
edge to hand at the time, yet along
the way have cleaned much that has
been beneficial to me, from observing
the successes, and what deem, the
failures of others.
Some one has said:
IA man can build mansion
And furnish 1t throughout:
A man may build q palace,
With lofty walls, and stout:
man can build q temple,
Wi tth high and lofty dome
But no man In the world can build
That precious thing called home
go i is happy faculty.
or women fur and wide,
To turn y cot or palace
into something else beside,
Where brothers: sons and husbands tired
With willing footsteps come:
A place of rest, where love abounds,
perfect kiLgdom-home.'
From this quotation we conclude that
the woman is the one that makes the
home. Not so. 1t certainly requires
more than her feeble strength to con-
struct such kingdom. Yet, we know
much depends on her for tine successful
housekeeping. She certainly is lead.
ing factor in the life partnership.
Every person has his own individul-
ity, and therefore must be law unto
himself. No set nf rules, no matter
how carefully selected can be COM
plete guide to every housekeeper.
What happy time would be in store
for the wife and mother, could she upon
rising in the morning set the household
machinery in motion by touching an
electric button, and every thing be done
in order and without the least Interrupt
tion. But alas the fertile brain of the
YapSee has not yet invented the ma
chinery that enables the housewife to
sit with folded hands and watch, with
unspeakable pleasure, the progress Of
the work that requires 80 many weary
hours and untold energy to perform.
Indeed there are many helpful ma.
chimes to lesson the labor of housework
to some extent, but none of them are
operated without more or less muscular
force. For instance, machines for wash.
ing dishes, there are the "Mary jane
and many others recommended to per.
folm this work but they cannot do i,
without the aid of the skillful hand
which alone can do the same work in
about the same time and with better
results.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness,' .
and no where is this made more impress
sive than in the home. A place that
should be little heaven upon earth
certainly should have this mark stamp
ed indellibly upon it. Not the sort Of
cleanliness that puts starched.up ar.
pearance upon everything, and gives
one such feeling of awe, that he is
afraid to move lest he disarrange some
thing and thereby mar the symmetrical
beauty of the whole, but good whole.
some cleanliness from cellar to garrett,
everything orderly yet with look OF
usefulness.
The various rooms of the house should
be arranged and furnished, not only
anticipating the comfort and pleasure OF
the occupant but with care to the keep
ing it in order. The occupant of a room
should feel that he is responsible for the
order of that room as much as the gen.
eral housekeeper. AS he expects to en-.
JOY the pleasure Of we'll kept room he
should see toit that it was no fault OF
his should it fall into disorder.
A well kept house can certainly be
enjoyed by every member of the family.
You who have read Josiah Aliens
Wife's story in the September number
of The Ladies Home Journal are re.
minded that rooms kept only tor com,
pany and funerals are not at all pleas
ing to a family, especially the younger
members who are just the age to enjoy
the beautiful surroundings or il there il
nothing bright and beautiful have lhe,l
young lives filed with bitterness. Is II
any wonder that many boys and girl.
are looking luhgingly for some o,hel
employment than tine home often pro
vides, when each day is filled with moth
ing, but work from early morning unit
late at night?
| Do not think for moment that
would not have our boys and girl
taught to work. 1t is necessity tina
each should learn every department o
home. keeping thoroughly. 1t is one O
the crying evils Of the day that many
of the girls, who take upon themselye
the responsibility of housekeeping
know little or nothing about it. Ou
greatest care should be to teach then
all these things, not forgetting that
perfect home must be governed by per
feet love. How can this be done
Most certainly by example. No time il
spent with greater profit than that EN-
ployed in the study of the children
Give them little Of your time, remem
bering that little things make up thi
Eo \ Ii