Year: 1879

New York Weekly.


If the vote of women could be


taken on the question of housekeep-


ing, il would be a matter of great
surprise to men to learn the result.


The business as il is conducted at


present would be voted out of ex-


istence, or, failing in that, the voice


of the majority would be for board


ing. The work of the household


has increased greatly within a quar-


ter of a century, and the servant of
the period is not an Improvement


upon the typical one OF the past.


The luxuries which one by one have


come to women, the mnltitudinous


things that are required to make


homes attractive, and the modern


houses which have their mountain


Gus stairs TO weary weak backs, are
all things which have combined TO


make housekeeping a drudgery.-
Time and strength are consumed


while the routine work is being
reformed, and the intelligent minds
of American women rebel constant
ly. What can be donei Break up


homes, and live in those modern
caravansaries-hotels? Not so. The
remedy lies in simplifying home
life; in leaving out of houses the
endless traps that are hard to keep
clean, and harder still 10 make, and
by putting in homes nothing too
good for hard usage.


Women need to know so much
that they do moi know, and cannot
while they worry and fret over
lambrequins and pillow shams, IL
dies and Hamburg borders on cloth
ing, that it is discosraging to try to
fight the matter afall. They are
trying to do their best, working
early and late, saving here and
spending there, judici&sly as they
hope, yet never realizing any bless
ing for themselves or others. What
is nice parlor or fine dinner to a
visitor If the hostess is a dull, worn
out person? The guest who is bid
den 10 enjoy such hospitality is
cheated out of better company at
home, and deserves an apology ra:h-
er than offer thanks for such atten-
tions as are extended. Housewives
do not emancipate themselves from
the thralldOm put upon them by a
variety of conditions. In the first
place, their homes are not adapted TO
housekeeping. Men and not women
plan houses, and the sole idea in |
view in building them is to get the |
largest number on the smallest pos
sible space. Then women having |
Inconvenience of this kind TO start |
with make every effort to overcome
them by furnishings. Fashion has
TO be consulted in this latter matter,
and upholstered articles that get
soiled and fade out are bought when
the family purse cannot afford it.
Nice china or glass is purchased
when ignorant or careless help will
make quick work of it; and the
company rooms arc furnished as
richly as possible, when in fact the
social circle in which the family
move is so limited that a sitting
room would answer every purpose.
Ii cheap carpets, and stone-ware,
and plain clothing should be fash
ionable for all people, how soon the
burdens would drop away from :he
shoulders of the majority of the
housekeepers. How soon would
the fault-finding and complaining
cease, and the dull women become
intelligent, interested members of
the family circle. Suppose the pill
iow-cases have no shams; it would
be all the better for the home-life of
homes. Shams should be unknown
in them any way, and real pillow
cases would give more satisfaction.
Then sound common sense should
save women from wasting time on
ruffies aud fallals that add nothing
but wrinkles TO all brows. House
holds, as they are now, seem 10 be
run for the benefit of lookers-on +
rather than the comfort of inmates,
and the result is generally dissat-
isfied army of housekeepers. 1t is
not amazing that they are dissatis-
fed, for that argues appreciation of
work, and those who
are alive TO the fact that their tasks
hurt them in a spiritual sense have
one hope Of saving themselves. Sim
plify life; this is the way through
which women may hope to rise TO
an estate wherein they will find
serene and patient, hon.
est aud true. Ii were worth all of
life 10 live if the best half O: human
iiy could be lifted out of drudgery
Of a domestic kind and placed where 4
the home would be what the Divine
Power designed it should be, a
temple where


- Sin and evils cease.


And only rest and peace


Continually are found


Hints 20 Poultry Eaters.
The reason nOultry Killed at h home