Year: 1874

Looking back to earlier years am now
reminded of the barrel for sour milk
that used to stand a little way from the
back door; it stood in the emerald grass
just at the edge of the path that led to the
barns; hop plant grew by its side and
threw its winding, heavy vines of shade over
IL the hens clustered around it /; the little
chickens grew venturesome and pecked its
sides, and as they became larger and more
fearless they flew on the edge at its top, aud
now and then would hear cries and shrieks
from the vicinity of the barrel, and running
with all possible haste would thrust arm and
dress sleeve into the sour milk and rescue
struggling, frantic chicken with dabbled wings
and drenched limbs. Occasionally doors
were closed, and with visitors, my mother
and would withdraw to the paror. No
aiarm-call from ihe barrel could reach us
there, and at night when the men went for
milk to feed the pigs sometimes these sounds
would float on the evening stiffness through
the kitchen and into the sitting room,
Whew whew here's a chicken got
drowned in the sour milk !"


Sometimes l would try to be helpful, and
taking pan Of milk would speed up the
sloping path and throw the milk into the
barrel with a flirting dash and out would
come splash and such splash over
face and clothes, the white, clnging, coagu-
/ lated masses, so disagreeable and wet and
soiling At other times with the big apron
on, and the feigned womanly dignity which
childhood loves to simulate, would walk
carefully to the barrel and heedfully empty
my milk without receiving a spray or
spot upon my clothes. And many times
when see women at work and children at
play think there are t,cO rags to 90 to the
barrel.


AT school some children always look fresh
and neat ; the clothes of weeks wear are
still tidy other children in the same school
will remain clean no longer than few hours.
Some women will work, using the low tub
and scrub-board, and yet keep their clothes
as dry as if they were out summing on Long
Beach on hot summer day. Some will
cook for hours and not an atom of meal, or
patch of paste upon the clothes. Lillian
W, house-gir of my acquaintance, in
variably looks neat and presentable, and all
the housework to do including cooking, dali
ry, &C.; and many summer afternoons the
pink dress and white apron is donned, or the
still lighter print of white with dots of
brown. The big apron Is the desderatum
at A." chore time," and for weeks those light
dresses are worn without needing washing.
We are not all Madonnas in neatness, heed
and care we cannot all Of US do washing
without even dampening our garments l ac-
knowledge. But we can approximate towards
a model. | am persuaded that the neatness
of our everyday apparel depends more upon
a naturally inherent sensitiveness and guard
against all impurities, than upon the less
amount of housework to be done. | believe
that more depends upon naturally cautious
and careful watchfulness while about our
work, than upon the cleaner kinds of house,
work. And generally, believe the house,
keeper can with womanly tact and calcula-
tion be presentable to callers and in fitness
to answer the dOor-bcll by simply removing
the big apron. N. l.. D.


East Charleston, W.