Year: 1879

"A CHAT IN The hIICAEN.-1t 10
not often one spends happier week in
the golden autumn than | did at the
snug little farm house of Cousin Jen-
ME Gordon. This same fair cousin is
a really practical housewife, never
seeming to be in the least hurried or
troubled about anything. Her work
moves along like clock-work. 1t is
said that there are born poets; then
why may there not be born housewives
as well9 / believe there is one now
and then, and that this fair relative OF
mine is such a one. If their COM
forting mantles could only spread far
and wide over the sisterhood of farm
ers' wives, there would be less COM
planning and fewer drudges.


One morning / followed her into the
kitchen, for we could not afford to
"stop our chatter'' while she performed
her usual morning duties; for she only
kept hired girl during the summer
months. Her own daughters, aged
twelve and ten, usually assisted her in
the labors of love about the household;
but they were visiting in distant
town.


''Now, Cousin May" said Jennie,
at the close of an animated discussion
of favorite author, ''if you'll excuse,
III go on with piece of work that |
put down in the programme for one of
the odd jobs to be done to-day. You
see / have certain parts of my work
for certain days. Monday morning,
before | leave the breakfast table,
write out in little book kept for the
purpose, my plans for each day of tie
week. And although my rule is not
as unalterable as the laws of the Medes
and Persians, yet it helps me wonder
fully towards the accomplishment of
various tasks that might be otherwise
neglected for time, and then cause
my work to be done in haste. To-day
the tin-ware is to be cleaned. III be
very quiet about it and we can 60 on
with our reviews and crit icisms OF fic-
tions, poems and authors Just as well
as though we were sitting in the parlor
making cats and dogs on Java can
Yas''


l found that by cleaning the tin she
did not mean securing it, but giving it
thorough washing with plenty of
soap and water, using brush instead
| of a cloth. She said that during the
hurrying season the girls were not al
ways as particular as they ought to be
about washing the seams and hens OF
the pans, bread and pie tins, dish-pans
and tea-kettle. In putting the pans
about the stove to dry, they frequently
became so heated as to melt the resin,
and this caused the seams to be dark
and gummy, an appearance not at all
mt n hn Nf dry
keeper. She used a brush for this
work, because a brush would do it
more thoroughly than a cloth; and in
very obstinate cases a small, sharp
stick would do good service in re
moving lmpuritiesl


After the dishes were all nicely
cleaned and put away in poetical order,
that is, in long lines and short ones, in
clusters and groups, Jennie took a
large basket and went to the cellar,
soon returning with the basket heaped
full of Irish potatoes.


''Now don't think | am going to
cook all these for dinner" said she.
II am only going to wash their faces
and have them ready to use when [
want them, for several days to come.
! Ou SHdI See now quickly L WASH
them; the basket holds half bushel. y


She put them all into tub that
stood near the pump. Then after pour
ing plenty of water upon them, she
took an old broom and scrubbed them
till they were as bright and shining as
apples. When rinsed, they were put
| into basket to drain, and the labor
had occupied scarcely five minutes,
''There!' said Jennie, as she wiped
her hands as fair as in her girlhood,
''if it be necessary to get a meal
quickly, the potatoes can be boiled
with their jackets on; otherwise, l can
take a few IN dish, and sit with you
in the parlor to pare them, if / choose,
and there will be no danger Of soiling
hands or clothes. I'll tell you, Mary,
if you ever go to housekeeping, hang a
brush in every corner of your kitchen
and pantry, and you will find it a
labor-saving machine in a hundred
ways. "-Rurdl Nelc Yorker.