Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-06
HOUSEKEEPING METHODS.
Priscilla and Penelope Represent Two
Types of Homemakers.

Recently / made visits of a week
each, with two old schoolmates, Pris-
ella and Penelope. They lived in adj
| joining towns, had families Of the same
| size, husbands whose incomes were
| nearly equal, and both were apparently
in good health; and ever since / re-
turned home | have been trying to un-
derstand why one accomplishes so
much, and the other so little, in the
way of work. Priscilla keeps at her
housework all day long, seldom getting
| through in time to change her dress be-
fore tea-time, but in spite of this con-
tinuouS labor the work never seems to
get done. Her rooms have disorderly
appearance, things are always getting
| lost, accidents happen to the cooking,
meals are never on time, and an at
mosphere Of discomfort pervades the
whole house.
At Penelope's, the state of affairs is
the very opposite of this. Penelope
| never seems to be working very hard,
but somehow the work gets done, and
well done, by noon, and when the din
ner is eaten and cleared away, she
dresses up and has nearly the whole af-
ternoon for sewing, reading, making or
receiving calls, or anything else she
chooses to do; meals are always on
time, the rooms always look tidy and
cheerful, and everything i'm the house
is in such perfect order that Penelope
could go in the dark and lay her hand
at once on any single thing in it.
After much thought, I have come to
this conclusion regarding the matter:
Priscilla has no definite arrangement
of her days work, no definite way of
doing it If it were arranged, and she
does not concentrate her mind on it in
the doing. She never seems to know
what she wants to do next. She be-
gins one thing, and has to break off in
the midst of it to attend to something
else of more Importance that she has
overlooked, her mind is constantly
wandering from her work and has to be
recalled, and she -mindedly lays
things down and forgets where she left
them. 1t is plain that all this indie
cision and lack of method must result
in an enormous waste of time and en-
ergy.
Penelope begins the day with clear
idea of what she intends to accomplish
in the course of it. There is always the
regular work, and in addition some
,ther work. She has studied out a best
way of doing the different things and
has adhered to it, so that much prac-
tice has so familiarized her with it that
there. issno hesitancy and every motion
tells. She has in mind, also a rough
plan of the order of exercises of the
day; unforeseen emergencies may cause
change in the order, but if so the
change is made while she works, so
that she knows before she finishes one
thing, just what she will lay her hand
to next, and there is no time lost be-
tween the two things--they join closely.
So she proceeds rapidly with her work,
with no breaks. no false motions. Her
definiteness and decision, moreover, not
only govern her work as a whole, but
extend to the minute particulars, and
this, together with the concentration
of her mind on her work, enables her
TO see and know clearly and exactly
what the next motion is to be. After
time, it is probable that this foresight
becomes almost instructive.
Perhaps description of the way in
which these two women clear away d
table and prepare to wash dishes, will
make my meaning palmer.
Penelope with comprehensive
glance at the work before her. sees that
the contents of this dish must be put
in smaller one. that the bread left over