Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-05-19
GOSSIP FOR THE LADIES.


the washing. scrubbed two floors.
washed the dishes. washed the windows.
This was an entry in the day book of
| visiting housekeeper. The visiting
nurse is an institution from one end of
the country to the other, but New York
alone Is responsible for the visiting
housekeeper.
i The Association for Improving the
| Condition of the Poor created this office
and so far as is known it exists in only
one other city. This is Newark. where a
short time ago, after a talk by Superin-
tendent Allen of the association on the
work of the visiting housekeeper.
woman rose in the audience and an
| nounced that she would pay the salary
of visiting housekeeper in Newark for
year
The entry at the head of this account
indicates sufficiently the duties of the
visiting housekeeper. \ discriminating
| inspection of that entry will disclose the
fact that she washed about everything
/ i'll the house except the head of the
| family.
! The woman was sick in bed and more
! than her own Illness the condition of her
| house preyed upon her. The children
Were dirty and uncarcd for, the house
was dirty and full of soied clothes and
unwashed dishes.
! like stout armed blessing. Never angel
of mercy in convent habit or trained
nurse uniform looked so good to the sick
| housewife as this good-hearted washer
woman with her up-rolled sleeves and
tucked-up skirts. The swash of the suds
sounded pleasantly to the sick woman,
and the clink of clean dishes and the slap
of the scrubbing brush were music in her
ears.
/ The Association for Improving the
! Condition of the Poor maintains three
| visiting housekeepers. They are all
| strong, capable workers, with families
| dependent upon them, glad of the $40 a
week paid them and in sympathy with
| their work.
! The Kindness of the poor to one an
other i'll sickness and distress is well
/ known, and when Il woman can be re-
/ lieved of her own work and paid to do
! that of a sick neighbor she is lust the
/ one for the job. The visiting house
! keeper goes where the mother is ILL.,
where other members OF the family are
| ill and the mothers strength and time
must be spent in nursing, where the
! mother has recently died and the house
! hold cares have fallen on the shoulders
! of some incompetent little mother of the
/ tenements.
She finds dirt and disorder and dirty
I clothes, sometimes the accumulated wash
of four weeks. A study of the entries in
! the report books of the visiting house
! keepers will reveal the sort and amount
of work that daily confronts the woman
/ who keeps no servant, the woman whom
/ Charlotte Perkins Gilman declares to be
one of the most productive toiers the
world has ever known:
Swept. busted and scrubbed two
rooms. washed dishes, cleaned stove. pol
! ished two looking glasses cleaned two
! windows, made bed, went to store got
supper.
! Washed dishes. went to store. did the
washing. Strengthened up the house put
closet in order.
! Did very much soiled wash stayed
with children while mother went to hos
pital.
Cleaned the house and stayed to help
till funeral was over.
Washed and dressed infant. got dinner.
bathed four children and left house in
| order.
Washed woman sick in bed, bought
medicine and disinfectants. showed chill
! dren how to use disinfectants cleaned
| two rooms, got dinner.
| Packed furniture and dishes ready for
moving, carried some of them to new
rooms.
Cleaned house. showed little girl how
| to cook steak and oatmeal. bought wash
i boiler and pail.
CohlelIhleS tHe VISITING nOuSekeeper
1 finds no cleaning utensils in the house.
! Then she buys Scrubbing brush and mop
pail for the family, washbOiler and even
! broom and dustpanS. she advises as TO
the best washing powder and explains
| its use. She gives useful hints as to
putting the clothes to soak the night be-
fore the wash. and gives cooking lessons
One entry includes the note. put clean
papers on kitchen shelves" a delightful
touch of hOuSewifery. The visiting
! housewife is an educator, as well as a
very present help in time of trouble
\ Exchange.