Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-03
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.
BY Laura A. Kirkman.
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MOMENTS ALONE

The average housekecper lives, life
so crowded with duties that she seldom
has time to sit alone and mediate.
Yet this is thing that everybody
must do In order to progress. The per.
son who is Only doing and never think.
ing, is working by instinct rather than
| by self-lctermined will Consequently
he is not putting his heart into his activi-
ties and jogs along in a rut, not getting a
step ahead from year to year.
| Just what do you mean by meditnt-
ing?" ] think / hear some of my read
ers saying, as they read this. "Meditatinp
on oneself2" Or on ones state in liferOr
on the past, or the present."
| mean all of these things. Meditation
is mental stook-taking. The progressive
woman, the wide-awake woman, is she
who is doing the very thing she planned TO
do-not doing thing impulsively, as the
| suggestion of the moment dictates.
Let us consider just the one subject
of self-meditation The housekeeper should
frequently sit before her mirror and study
herself. Hard work leaves its marks; and
while such marks are bonor-badges from
the standpoint of loving service, still for
reasons of personal attractiveness they
should be concealed as much as possible.
do | need to wear my hair little diff
ferently?' is n question which woman
should put to herself every few years.
'lsmyinclinationt to give way TO worry the
cause of those wrinkles" is another
question which should often be asked Of
oneself and which should be followed
by resolve to stop petty worrying.
Meditation on ones state in life should
be productive of splendid results. For
most of us are not quite happy with
some, at least, of under which We live,
and it is only by analyzing these circum-
stances and planning 10 rout them, that
we will ever change them. A woman should
first ask herself: Gust what don't like?'
about a thing and should then put the
question: Just how can overcome
it?' 1t is astonishing what change
such thinking can work in ones life.
whats the use of thinking about
it2' we often hear people say hopelessly,
referring To some condition in their lives
which they believe unremoyable And
every time hear this pessimistic sentence
fall from womans lips, | want 10 say:
you little gooscl Have YOU never heard
of such thing as invention2 Inventors
are men who find a way to do thing
which has seemed impossible. Well you
be an inventor, invent 4 way around the
things an your own life which seem i'm
possible
The fruits Of meditation are well worth
gathering. The woman who has never
deliberately sat herself down 70 medl-
tate cannot begin too soon 10 do this.
If she would test the result, Of the habit
of meditation, let her jot down in note
book, at each period Of meditation, the
things she has analyxed and realized
clearly and the changes she has planned
in her lifc-and then open the little book
year after the date of meditation; in the
majority of cases, the problems she faced
year ago will have been dropped, con
quered. far, far back on the road Of Prog
ress.
Tomorrow Simple Dinner Menu
All inquiries addressed TO Miss Kirk
man in care Of the Efficient Housekeep-
ing department will be answered in these
columns in their turn This requires
considerable time. however. owing TO the
great number received so il personal
or quicker reply is desired. stamped and
seh-addressed envelope must be enclosed
with the question The Editor.