The Washington herald., 1922-11-10


lives keeping in order treasured
heirlooms that they will never use.
Too many homes are cluttered
with superfiuous possessions which
might much better be given to
those who can find some use for
them.
Mrs. Gene Stratton-Porter. author
of "Freckles," 'Laddie," A Girl
of the Limberlost.' ana many other
popular novels makes. in the De-
cember number of McCalrs Maga-
zine. a plea to women to rid their
homes and their lives of the
tyranny OF encumbering and useless
possessions.
BIames Herself.
Il should hate" she says. ito sit
down and figure up the hours OF my
life that / have spent, each spring
and fall during the semi-annual
house-cleaning in caring for
blankets woven from wool from the
backs of sheep / played among as
child: quilts too precious to use.
exquisitely pieced and quilted by
the hands of my mother or my
elder sisters; and hand-woven
coverlets. Then there is a long list
of garments worn by loved ones.
OF bits of jewelry, bonnets. the
baby's first hair cutting-shelves
and shelves of personal impedi-
mcnta OF no earthly use to anyone.
each with some memory OF associa-
tion that makes 1t difficult to dis
card 1t. I do try to make use of
the hand-woven coverlets. and oc-
casionally of the patchwork quilts:
but ever since ] can remember
have been Juggling around the
world with me a quantity Of stuff
that takes time and care to pre-
serve and that really is of no bene-
fit to me or anyone else.
"As go through this semi-an
nual house-cleaning process l find
things on my walls I wish ! had the
courage to drop on the bonfire. The
closets are a task. I could easily
earn $1,000 with my pen while
am cleaning one of them. The china
cabinets are crowded with dishes
never use and SO precious that
no ones hand but mine must touch
them. There is the eggshell china
tea set. having history of 500
years in one Of the oldest homes
IN EHkldHu, SO uelItdlea tTHI lne
pink of the fingers shows through
the trembling cups, eXquisitely
decorated with the sacred noun
tain. the balloon Mongo-
lian pheasant and darling little
lovebirds of delicate greens and red
in fight on the inside of the cups
the most equisite china l ever have
seen anywhere. And reinforcing
III
arm. of platters and trays and
pitchers. all perfectly useless all
requiring time for their care anu
of antique pewter and silver anw
brass that must be polished
Use Up Much Time.
What is to become of these
things when ] am gone ! cannot
say. OF course l appreciate the
wonderful things thar people give
me, and l keep them and care for
them. Some day they must go into
collection in some museum. bu,
at the present minute they hold
high over me. And I go on. each
year putting in days of time spring
and fail. carefully handling and
preserving them when ! could be
earning money of greater penetit
to myself or my friends.
This is the case with almo It
every woman with whom | am ac-
qud.ntci Sometimes | feel that |
should like to DE Il cyclone and
blow with violence, first through
my own home and then through the
homes Of some OF my friends, car
rying away forever useless rugs.
pictures. china, glas; and impedi-
menta of all sorts that are not use
fult, not ornamental and which add
more burdens to the long list that
may very aptly be described as
woman killers
while this cyclone is raging
would like'it to sweep out of homes
the useless. highly ornate wood
work. the inlaid floors and all the
ridiculous stuff that gathers dust.
that looks so badly Ii II is not i'm
kept and makes SO much
unnecessary work in the keeping
of it.
Warns Builders.
And while was blowing out
useless things from homes already
built I should like TO go further and
blow into the heads of people who
are building the idea that what
they put into a home when they
build II gives them a life job of
care of it afterward. 1 have
noticed that there Is tendency
among builders at present. probably
on account of the growing scarcity
L.,