Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-01-19
THE MONOTONY OF
THE HUMAN LIFE
How a Woman Should Avoid
The TGdium.
(By Barbara Boyd.)


In a woman's magazine recently a
housekeeper was told that she could
remedy the monotony of her home life
by rearranging the furniture.
Ye gods! Think of being told TO
move furniture about as cure for the
monotony of existence. One might inn
agine the inmates of a lunatic asylum
Engaged in some such occupation. But
to advise a person with brains to put
the piano here instead of there and the
sofa there instead of here, in order to
give spice to life, is sarcasm that is
cruelty.
Yet it was done in all seriousness.
And advice on a par with this is being
handed out constantly to housekeepers
in regard to the problems they face. 1t
shows better than anything else the
status of the housekeeper and house
keeping in the general mind A few
thinking people recognize the import
ance of housekeeping and the real and
varied abilities required to perform its
many duties properly. But the mass
still look on it as a work that can be
done instinctively and upon those who
do it as still being mentally child and
diverted with childish things.
While this opinion of housekeeping
prevails generally little can be done tc
secure intelligent help in it. People Of
brains and education think it not
worthy of their powers and pass it ur
for something else. But it is worthy
of their powers, as those who know
anything about it are aware. 1t is an
exact and interesting science. 1t re-
quires a knowledge of chemistry, fin
ancial ability, executive power. It
taxes all woman's capacities to the
utmost to be a good housekeeper, and
it should be recognized as a profession
worthy of honor.
That it is monotonous is true. So is
the work Of a salesgirl a stenographer.
a bookkeeper But the monotony Of
lhousework presses hard, because it is
to large extent done alone The sales
girl, the stenographer, the bookkeeper
has a crowd of jolly workers keeping
step with her There are a few min.
utes now and then for gossip, or gay
repartee of condolences. even if this is
not permissible there is the nearness
of companionship, which, if silent, is
still much. But the housekeeper often
works alone all day i'll the house. She
has no one to exchange a word with
She has nothing but her thoughts fol
company, and so she broods and grows
melancholy 1t is not the housekeep-
ing that is so much more monotonous
than other work. It is the lack of com
partnership that presses the monotony
home.
To remedy this she should not move
| furniture about She should seek the
same diversions that will bring her in
to contact with people That is the
reason that clubs of various kinds are
50 beneficial to the home woman. They
give her the touch with others she
needs. She should take in plays, CON
certs, lectures. She should steadfastly
| develop a side of her life other than
housekeeping. Tennis, boating, horse
back riding, photography, nature study
OF some kind-whatever in the way of
diversion she is especially fond of she
SIT uld enter into and not let herself
become submerged in housekeeping.
This is the sane and enjoyable way
to vary the mouotony of housekeeping
and at the same time keep bright and
up to date. But to move furniture
about as a remedy for monotony-,