Year: 1870

mark the husband is at home, or
very near his home and his family
the whole day, as he has his office,
his shop, or other place Of business,
in the same house in which the
family lives. He breakfasts general
ly in the morning with his children,
and has time to examine them =
little in their lessons before they
90 to school, and see whether their
clothes, their books and maps, and
other apparatus are all in proper
order, and he often finds pleasure
in taking the smaller ones to their
school. He spends an hour or two
with his wife, who likes to consult
him about the dinner Of the day or
other family and household matters.
He then goes to his Office for some
hours, but called when the urn is OH
the table for luncheon and coffee, or
if some visitor should happen to
call, as he is then very pleased to
come in and have little talk. He
dimes at 8 or O'Clock with his
family, when the children have
come home from their schools, and
and goes again an hour or two to
his business, unless a dinner-party,
a concert, walk, or something else
prevents him, as he is never so busy
but that he finds time to spend with
his family at home, or at amuscments
out of doors. In this way it is
quite natural that the husband
should exercise great influence on
household matters, and, as the
strongest one, take the lead; and
so it is in Denmark. The husband
is always near at hand, and never
so worried with business that he
has not plenty Of time to spend Oh
the arrangement of his house; he
is, therefore, consulted about every
thing: about Charles's boot, wheth-
er they want to be resoled; whether
blue or brown strings would be-
come little Mary best; whether We
had better have the winter cleaning
next week or the week after, and
have the carpets put down now or
later; whether the winter curtains
will do for one winter more when
they were done up little; whether
the melon is to be eaten before or
after the joint at little dinner
party tomorrow; whether mamma
wants a new winter cloak; whether
we had better look out for another
servant, etc. To be sure the hus-
band is an important thing in a
Danish house, and on many occa-
sions good hel per. But there is
very great space left for the ac-
tivitv Of the wife; let her be as
energetic as she may, there will al
ways be enough for her to do, as
she is wanted everywhere. by every
body, at all times of the day. She
has not only the superintendent Of
the household. but takes an active
part in it. The children are also
left to her care, as Danish mother
nurses her children herself, even if
she has little assistance in a young
girl to help to dress them and to
take them out for a walk. Baby
sleeps in mothers arms, or in u
cradle next to her bed in the night,
and is very much with her i'll the
| day in her sitting-room, where also
the smaller children play round her
when they are not out for walk.
She gives her children the first
rudiments of learning, and has often
to help the larger ones with their
lessons in the evening. She has
to arrange their school, house, and
company dresses; to make many of
them herself, and to keep them all
in repair; and. beside all this, she
has always to be ready for a walk
or talk with her husband; to look
q little after his things, and hell
him with stitch or two; to hear
his complaints of the troubles of
life, and pat his checks when he is
tired or cross: and. before all, keep
all disagreeable things out of his
sight. You won't deny that there
is very much required of a Danish
wife: but who in the world should
have more blessed and satistac-
tory situation than she. when her
husband loves her. and she can fill
her place. How nice to be wanted
everywhere, by young and old ones.
How beautiful to be able to help
every one! How pleasant to know
that it is my merit when the house
is clean and the dinner good, and
all goes quietly and right! How
charming to be appreciated, thank
ed and loved by all around me, and
to be missed if | leave the house
only for few minutes. This is the
case with good Danish house
mother and wife, who could be an
example for all house-mothers and
wives IN the world Teaple Bar.