Year: 1878

nlESeliz


And knowing that, yOu never went
near the kitchen 10 see that she did


not spoil the steak intended for yOUI


husbands breakfast. II might have


taken you ten or fifteen minutes tO


superintended personally, the prepa-
ration of this mornings meal, and 50


making il worthy of being set before


your husband; but instead of this. YOU


sat talking or reading. from the time
YOU were dressed until the hell rang
/ When we went down, there was na
butter on the table; no knife and fork


10 the dish of meat, no salt. nor any
I napkin To your husbands plate. The
I table cloth Was sOiled, and yOu scOlded
| the waiter for not putting on 4 clean
| one. The meal opened in disorder,
/ which you might have prevented by a
little fOrethOught, and progressed and
| ended in annoyance and bad feeling.
Now, who was to blame for all this :"
But, mother, You do not expect me
to 60 down into the kitchen ana cook"
said Martha.


The Captain who undertakes To sail
a ship must know all about navigation.
/ Is ii more unreasonable To expect a
woman who takes upon herself the
| obligations Of wife, should know
/ how to conduct a hOusehOld2 Is 4
woman less responsible in her position
| than a man? If so, what moral laws
give the distinction? / have not seen
them. The Captain does not trust the
ship wholly to the men at the helm.
lie takes observation, examines charts,
and sees, knows for himself that every
thing is done at the right time and in
the right place. His thought and his
viii are active and predominant in
every part of the ship, and on him
rests all the responsibility. And it is SO
everywhere in mans work. You ask
if expect you 10 go into the kitchen
and do the cooking?


4 answer YES. in case there is no one
else to prepare your husbands food.
If you have an incompetent cook, or
one not to be trusted, then it is your
duty TO make up her deficiencies by
personal attendance in the kitchen just
as often and long as the ease may re-
quire. You contracted to do this when
YOU became a wife"


Il don't remember that the subject
was ever referred to- said Martha, who
did not yet see clearly, and who felt
that her mothers views of the case ac-
tually degraded the wife into house
hold drudge.


Was it stipulated" answered Mrs.
Burton, that Edward should engage
in business, giving himself up to care
and work, in order 10 secure for his
wife the comforts of home? l don't
remember that the subject was ever re-
ferred 10. And vet it was as much i'm
piled in the act of assuming the rela-
tiOn that YOU now hold. DO YOU sup
pose for a moment that he is not active
in every part of his business? That he
trusts to an incompetent clerk, Us you
trust TO an incompetent cook?
Thought, purpose, hands, are busy ut
his work, and busy throughout every
day; busy for You as for himself. He
can't find time for reading four or five
hours every day; nor time for calls on
pleasant friends; no, no. His work
might suffer; losses might follow; and
comfort and luxury fail for the wife he
tolls for. But his wife is too proud to
90 into the kitchen and see that his
food is palatable and healthy; to he
present in all parts Of his household,
with taste, order, neatnesS and cleanli-
ness. / do not wonder that he is disap-
pointed and dissatisfied.


Martha's perceptions were beginning
to be a little enlightened. She did not
make any reply.


let me tell YOU how 1 found it in
your badly managed household then
resumed the mother. Perhaps
through my eyes they help you to
better appreciation Of things as they
II ally are. Twice since l have been
here there has been no water in my
room, and L have had to come down
and get it for myself"


"Oh mother that was too bad-tO
think Margaret should have been so
carelesST The daughters face GRIM
sOned.


"NOw if yOu had been a careful
hOusekeeper, or a thoughtful one, you
would have visited my chamber to see
that all was right there. You would
have never left your mothers comfort
dependent upon the uncertain admin
iStratiOn of Il servant. Next, the room
has not been busted twice since | have
been here. My fingers are sOiled with
everything l touch, and l am sure 1t
hasn't been swept once since l have
been here. But this only effects your
gueSts-iS only 50 much taken from
their comfort. Let us look at some
things involving the comfort of your
husband, for these are of the highest
consideration. You asked him yester
day morning To get you some pink
lined envelopes. lie brought them at
dinner time. He asked you to darn a
rent in black alpaca coat, 50 that he
could wear il. Did you do as he re-
queSted? No, you read and tOyed with
fine needle work all the morning, but
never touched the coat, and when he
asked for it what reply did you make?
Oh, YOU hated darning above all things,
and told him he had better direct the
tailor to send for it. The day had be-
come unusually warm, and he had to
90 out after dinner, wearing a thick
coat, lust because YOU had Willfully
neglected to perform 50 light a service
for your husband. Do you imagine
that ne never thought of your failure
to do for him what he asked2 That he
did not feel your Indifference to his
comforts? Your kiss, depend upO1 it,
dear Martha, touched his lips coldly,
and your loving words, if any were
spoken, were as sounding brass and
tinkling cymbals to his ear. He looked
past all lip affirmatiOns, and saw the
failure in deed.


And failure indeed seems 10 be the
rule in your administration of his
household. instead of the exception.
Most especially is this the case i'll
what appertains to the dining room
and kitchen. The meals are always
badly cooked and badly served. The
slOvenliness with which Magaret sets
the table is a disgrace to herself and a
standing rebuke to her miStreSS-l
havn't seen a really clean dish-aS l
have gard to cleanliness, since | have
been here. Not a clean knife or fork.
Your cruet stand is offensive to the
eve. There is a Smeared mustard bot
tie. with a smeared spoon, a catsup bot
with half an inch of catSup at the bot
tom, and an oil bottle empty. Pepper
and vinegar bottles / will not describe.
The cruet stand itself is as dark as
lead, and the napkin rings and spoons
are not much better


"Pray, stop, mother" said Martha. i'll
terpOSing with face nearer scarlet
than white.


NO, must say a word further. Can
such things be and escape your hus-
bands observation? Can such things
be and not prove a daily offence and
dllllDNdlltt 10 llllll- Aslll StlCll Nll4llr1o
be and not iTritate him, at times, into
mkindneSs? He would be more than
mortal, my child, were the temper
proof against assaults upon good Ra-
ture, like these


Martha was not a foOl-thOugh there
are too many in her position. We are
sorry to say, to whom the word most
significantly applies. She saw through
her mothers clearer vision, the blind
ness in which she had been. and the
folly Of defective household admins
tratiOn. saw that, in holding herself
above domestic duties and manipula-
tiOnS, she was governed more by her
pride and Incidence, than a just regard
FOR wifely or wOmanly dignity; saw
to hold fast her husbands love, she
must do more for him than to offer low
ing words: for life being real and ear
nest. demanded earnest work from all
fIOm the delicate wife as well as from
the more enduring husband.


On the next morning, rs Edward
lifted his cup to his lips, he said with