Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-01-17

There is nothing new In this sugges-
ton. But like good many old truths,
it will stand repetition. do not intend
to weaken the suggestion by declaring
housekeeping to be an exact science.
No women that ever kept house would
believe me. They know better. The
Prayer-book phrase, Changes and
chances of this mortal life," might have
been framed to apply to housekeeping.
The only other avocation that can COM
pare with it is that of the farmer, who
must be dependent upon the elements
for the success of his harvest as much as
upon the work he puts into it.
One great objection to considering
housekeeping as science is that in it 80
much allowance has to he made for the
human equation. Sometimes one has to
allow for two or three of them. When a
woman does all her own work she has to
make provision only for her own physical
and mental wear and tear-and those of
her family-but when she has to employ
maids the situation becomes complicat-
ed.
In spite of all the checks and disasters
that are almost bound to occur in every
household sooner or later, still hold
firmly to the faith that system, more
than anything else, will come nearest to
solving the difficulties. Housekeeping
cannot be conducted to advantage on q
hit-or-miss plan. This is q section of
exister ce in which intelligent planning
and fulfilment count for much.
There is little use in trying to lay
down stated outline for keeping house.
Each housekeeper must work out her
own salvation in the domestic line. Now
and then one meets woman who was
born syste ratio, but many more have
achieved sy lem. 1t is really not so
difficult business, after all, when one
goes about it in the right fashion.
One of the first things for the woman
struggling for system to do is to try to
get the work of her house in perspes-
tive. This is not easy. 1t is truism
that women are lacking in sense Of
proportion, and it is not a simple matter
for one of them to get herself mentally
far enough from her work to decide the
relative importance of each item. But
she must do it, if she is to develop her
system of work in the right way. She
should mentally range her duties in
order, and divide them into what must
be done and what may be done If Cir
cumstances permit. The first list will
be long enough, but the second will ex-
coed it. The chief trouble with house
keepers is that they get the items of the
two lists mingled and confused.
For instance: washing and ironing
and baking and sweeping and scrubbing
must be done. Entertaining and making
fresh curtains and trying new kind Of
cake or.salad may be done. The first
cannot be crowded out, except in ex-
treme cases. The second may be post
poned, if necessary, without imperiling
the health and happiness of any MEM
Der of the family.
After the two sets of duties are tabu-
lated with tolerable correctness, comes
the planning as to how and when they
shall be done. This is pleasanter work
than the first, but it takes good deal OF
thought.
Our duties must dovetail and fit into
each other. Certain things must be
done early or they will be an annoyance
to us all day. Of these are busting,
dish-washing, bed-making, and all the
other necessary Strengthening and put
ting to rights of tho house. To 60 at
other work while these tasks are undOne
is sure to make confusion. Yet in how
many homes do you see just this fault!
The dishes are left standing while some
piece of fancy cooking is undertaken,
and | have even known homes where
the beds stood unmade while the mis-
tress of the house sat calmly down with
bit of sewing which could just as we'll
have waited until later. do not deny
that there is certain agreeable sense of
luxury and dissipation in doing this sort
of thing-just as there is in settling
yourself to finish thrilling story or dip
into new magazine while there Is work
waiting for you. But we are not talking
of what brings passing enjoyment, but
of the true comfort that follows the
practice of system. 1t is fun to do the
untimely things that are easy and pleas
ant, but it is most tiresome to turn
about afterwards and dispose Of the hard
things.
The system that the housekeeper tries
to practise herself she should insist on
with her servants. They do not always
take kindly to it, and very often life is a
good deal of grind until they have
been drilled into the habits of the house.
The line upon line and precept upon
precept principle must be followed and
the maid told daily, if needful, that she
must brush down the stairs, sweep out
the halls, dust this room or that, clean
the th-room, wash the dishes, and do
the bedroom work in certain fixed
sequence. To keep her in this, the mis-
tress must be rigorous with herself and
60 to the kitchen to inspect supplies and
give her orders at stated time every
day.
Orderliness is part of this same sys-
tenn. The rule Of "a place for every
thing and everything in its place. must
be enforced. The maid must keep her
kitchen cupboards in as good order as
her china-closets, and if she does, in q
little while she will become so familiar
with the location of each utensil and
each piece of china or glass that she
could find it in the dark. There should
be no liberty allowed of keeping thing
in one place at one time and In another
some OCner tlm6. lui6 may b0Ou .
trifle, but all these trifles do their part
in creating an orderly and systematic
habit of mind. Do not permit the maid
to leave the dishes standing around after
they have been washed, but teach her
that it is as essential to put these away
as soon as they are clean as 1t is for her
to wash her dish towels and hang them
out to dry once day.
There is an acknowledged system in
the days and seams for performing GER
tain duties. The first two days of the
week are for laundry work, some sweep
ing is done on Wednesday, Thursday Is
usually the maids afternoon out, and
the morning may be given to cleaning
the silver and brasses. Friday there Is
more sweeping to be done, and perhaps
washing of windows, while Saturday is
given over to finishing of undone clean
Ing and making the house and the larder
ready for Sunday. All or any Of these
regulations the housekeeper may follow
or modify to suit her own convenience.
The only inevitable thing Ii she must de-
termine upon some special routine of
work, and having adopted it. stick to 1t,
unless there il some excellent reason for
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