The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-02-29
, HOUSEKEEPING AND HOME MAKING.

Eric, l wish you would come in
or else 60 out. You're holding that
screen door open as an invitation to
the flies.
The boy, who was standing in the
doorway looking up and down the
street. turned at his sister impatient
call and entered the house. ''Ididn't
think about the fies," he said, good
naturedly. "Did any of them dodge
in over my head?"
Francis did not reply. She was
looking at the floor, an expression on
her face which was somewhere be-
tween horror and indignation.
Eric Fraser, where in the world
could you have found any mud today
No matter if there hasn't been any
rain for month you'll come into the
house and make muddy tracks across
the floor. And 1 spent such long
time polishing it this morning." sigh
ed Frances, with what her brother
called her martyr like tone" +"
well, don't hunt up the wet
places if that what you mean" was
Eric srather short answer. He pulled
an easy chair into the baywindow and
settled himself comfortably with the
morning paper. Frances, who had
gone for busting cloth to remove
the traces of his tracks on the polish
ed floor, uttered an exclamation as
she. re entered the room.
Eric Fraser, would you mind
leaving that chair where I put it?
The room is simply spoiled with all
the furniture huddled into that end
of the room. If you want to sit in
the window take the window seat.''
"Oh, no, I'll go up stairs to my
own room, and maybe there 1 can
have little peace" The slam of the
door behind him was very expressive,
and Frances sighed as she looked at
her aunt. "You see how it is, she
said. eric doesn't appreciate how
hard work to keep things nice. /
think housekeepers have very hard
times"
Her tone seemed to indicate that a
little sympathy would be welcomed.
Aunt Elizabeth was sorry for the girl,
who was trying so hard to fill her
mothers place, but she did not think
that sympathy was just what Frances
needed. "My DEAR" she said, in
stead, what is the object of all this
busting and scrubbing and polishing
that goes on in home? Why isn't it
left out -
left out p repeated Frances.
She stared at her aunt incredulously.
LEFT out, Aunt Elizabeth ! Why it
would be intolerable. Nobody could
have any comfort in a house that
wasn't kept clean and in order"
Exactly" Aunt Elizabeth looked
pleased 1.-The comfort and enjoy
ment of the family are the first con-
siderations. Order and cleanliness
are important thinRs.s Just as soon
as they interfere with the family COM
fort they have gone too far.
II suppose yon think l ought to
let Eric track all around and not say
a word" remarked Frances Grossly.
81 mean, my dear, that home-mak-
ing is a higher art than housekeeping.
l knew woman once" said Aunt
Elizabeth rehectively, "who had
reputation as good housekeeper,
ard she was determined to live up to
it. When her husband came home
at night he found his slippers waiting
for him on the outside steps. He put
them on before he crossed the thresh-
DID,"
"That was going rather far, but
still it had it's advantages, )" said
Frances, laughing in spite of herself.
eyes, but it didn't stop there.
The mania for keeping things in or
der grew on her till after she had
room arranged to her liking, she
would lock the door and not allow
any one of the family to use it. The
kitchen was the last to be closed. Her
husband came home one night and
found cot on the back porch and
the cooking stove in the back yard. "
:'Why, she must have been crazy ]"
Frances exclaimed.
"That's what the doctor said. But
/ have always thought she should be
a warning to the bousekeepers who
keep their homes neat at the expense
of family comfort. have KNOWN"
added Aunt Elizabeth, with twinkle
in her eye, "a number who have start
ed on the same path even though they
never went as far"
Frances looked at her, and her eyes
reflected the twinkle.
81 wonder if Eric would like to
make candy" she said refectively.
"I've objected several times lately
when he's proposed it, because the
cha6ng dish gets into such a condi-
tion, and the room is always out of
order, before he's through. l sup
pose the good housekeeper you were
telling about would never have
thought of allowing such thing"
'I don't believe she would, but a
good home maker might" said Aunt
Elizabeth smiling back.
And then the aggrieved Eric, sulk-
ing in his room upstairs, was as sur
prised as delighted to hear his sisters
voice in the hall, eric, come down.
We've just time to make fudge before