The Washington times., 1919-09-02

S we begin another winter
"A and once more return TO
the indoors, 1t is well to-
appoint a day of reckoning. Look
ing back over the months just
past, have you readjusted your
manner OF living one wee bit; have
you become just one bit happier?
In the past few months have
Travelled over twelve thousand
miles and have lived in all kinds OF
homes. have lived in the homes
OF a clerk, a factory worker, an
officer in the regular army, a retail
food merchant, the Lieutenant
Governor Of a Canadian province,
the hut OF some fisher folk in far
North Alaska. And once / lived in.
the home OF a Russian tailor in a
New York tenement. Each house
hold was in charge OF a housewife,
and some were very happy house,
hOlds-and some were not.
Alone now and far away from Il
all, 1 am reviewing all these house
holds and asking myself-just what
IS Il that makes for happy house
hold?
1t is the ambition OF each of US
women when we start out in our
own homes to be mistress OF a hap
py. successful home-yet sometimes
we fail-yes, fail when Il might
have been avoided. To the house
wife the autumn betokens q new
beginning. and almost always, a
woman who will take the time 70
think and be really honest with
herself, can begin happy house
hold anew
I realize that the foun6ation Of
every home in the beginning is
mutual love and respect between
husband and wife. Lacking these,
the home is usually foredoomed be-
fore 1t is begun. But alas, this is
a practical world and not a world
entirely run by sentiment, and so
that the happy household may en-
dure, several practical considera-
tions are absolutely essential.
From my observations think one
OF the main causes of unhappy
households is lack of understand
ing. This has several phases. There
is lack OF financial understanding
between husband and wife There
is lack OF Understanding between
husband and wife, the various men1-
beTs OF the household and the
household servants, IL there are any,
as TO the division 6f labor There
is lack OF definite understanding as
TO rights and privileges.
Money to be enjoyed must be
definitely appoFtined ! am not
referring now. only TO the large in
come, but to the small income as
well. In the home OF small in
come I find two cardinal faults.
either the money is expended hit
and miss or 81 is zealoUsly boarded.
In the very happy household there
is definite understanding what
money there is is rather definitely
proportioned. The apportioned sums
may be quite insignificant, but the
sense OF 'defniteness- IL delightful.
Recreation and pleasure always
have their. money apportiqnment in
the very happy households.
Money for pleasure and recrea-
tion' is AMIDST as essential as the
food money. Sometimes IL is but a
couple Of uiclSels for carfare to the
park. and again il Is a couple OF
dollars for real theater treat But
whether the allowance is great or
small, it is always there and spent
with rare exception, for nothing but
the purpose for which IL Is allotted.
In the happy household. the wife
as mistress OF the home, under
stands the essentials of housekeep-
ing. She understands sanitation,
household management, including
marketing. food preparation. the
cooking and serving OF nourishing,
attractive meals. A knowledge OF
sewing and mending Is desirable,
but not essential
Happiness cannot be where the
household Is kept ia an unsanitary
condition, where there Is no man
agement. where food Is caFelesscly
or spoiled IN the cooking,
and where unsuitable and unattrac-
tive meals are served.
The happy household sometimes
boasts OF q maid or two with the
wife as general director. but more
often the wife has % DO en-. Them
too. there IS de1niie understand
ms as 20 the division Of labor. II Is
ny observation that greatest happl-