The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-14

Maria with infinite labor and complete alb
sence OF color sense. Two chairs, ooth
presents, which had always been an eye
sore; three small tables, two lamps, ana
a large assortment Of small vases, stat
uettes, candlesticks and plaques, most OF
them far from beautiful and almost all IN
appropriate and meaningless. The longer
the housekeeper looked at them the more
fully did she realize their ugliness; she
WOndered. that she had even tolerated most
of them. She carried back a pair of candle
sticks for the desk, three or four pieces
of really good one small table,
upon which was placed a simple lamp, and
then went into the room and sat down once
more to think. A Davenport with two small
pillows on IL! Yes. 1t was more sensible.
and then it was really prettier and far more
useful. There were larger spaces in the
whole room. It was more restful, really
more beautiful. She was almost, no, quite
certain she was going to like 1t.
But what was she going TO do with u
Maria's cushion. and Uncle Johns hideous
chair, and g~randmOthers vases, and moth
er's candelabra. and all the rest? They could
not be destroyed or given to the helpless
and deserving poor. The donors might make
wkward inquiries. She had heard of one
venturesome woman who had let a step
ladder fall upon a table on which were
placed all her hideOuS p-OSsessiOnS-not one
of which escaped. But sofa pillows and
furniture do not greatly suffer from con-
tact with Stepladders. and then ii would
not do to let stepladders become too COM
MOI as weapons of destruction. She was
fortunate In having a large attic, which
was comparatively empty. In the end, when
she had gone over the entire house. the at
tic looked like a secondhand store, and she
lonSed for a rummage sale.
THE EFFECT PRODUCED.
She did not do all this in a week or a
month, being a diplomatic little body with
a due regard to the family prejudices.
Many Of her friends and most of her rel
atives assured her that the house looked
as though it had suddenly become poverty
stricken, but the family speedily came TO
enjoy the dignity and repose she had so
SO easily brought into the home.
Simplicity in bedroom furnishings is even
more desirable than in other parts of the
house. Here every consideration of health.
convenience and beauty demand the elm
ination of the unnecessary. 1t needs no
demonstration to convince that the fewer
draperies. carpets and rugs there are to
catch and hold dirt the better the air in
which we spend one-third of our lives.
We all know how helpful it is to awake
In a room which is simple in furnishings
and beautiful In color and decoration. A
whole day may be, almost certainly is.
made more or less repOseful through wax
ing in distracting, inartistic surround
ings. We may not predict this to our
selves, but We feel 1t, and it effects us,
none the less.
Whenever our h~ousekeeper had a room
rePapered she disposed of all the pictures
which were without distinct value. A
picture is a silent force in our lives. for
good or i'll. but a persistent one. 1t is
curious how highly we value frames. As
soon as we put one around a picture, how
ever poor and inartistic and meaningless,
the whole becomes sacred to us. If the
picture were unframed we would not keen
1t in sight; but farmed, how many nave
courage to destroy it?
There are two movements in housekeep-
ing made absolutely necessary by the scar
city of house service-elimination of the
unnecessary, and system in necessary work.
The old routine of Monday washday, Tues
day ironing is not meant. These old hide
bound rules are fast becoming obsolete.
Each housekeeper washes, irons or sweeps
as suits her w plan and the conditions
of service. The system which rules in a
factory is meant, where no wasted step is
ever taken, where there is no hurry. where
the work of one dovetails into that of every
other part. This is the system we must
have in order to keep house with fewer
servants.
OF course. it is possible to have so much
system that any work is hampered, but
there is little danger the average American
woman will attain that unhappy condition.
We are too criminally wasteful of our tine
and strength in housekeeping. We have
built and furnished our houses with the
idea of plenty of house service. Under
present conditions we shall be forced to
-reorganize our methods.
The elimination of unnecessary furnish
ings is going on all over the land, despite
the protests of the professional decorators
who find IL so profitable to sell us need
less portieres. three sets of curtains for each
window, the paraphernalia of Turkish
rooms, japanese rooms, Egyptian dens.
The American women are coming to their
senses in these matters, coming slowly, but
surely. The good work is TO be perma-
nent for two aSOnS-becau of the great
er dignity and restfulness it brings, but
pre-eminently because the lack of house
service makes it imperative to simplify our
living. When we can no longer buy serv-
ice to care for unnecessary furnishings we
shall no longer buy them. If deaTth of serv-
ants shall do us this service. it is a blessing
which comes much disguised, il is true.
but q blessing none the less.
EMILY SWITZER GILBERT.