338 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



low, I'laiii, substantial, comfortable and neat; rooms thus furnished 

 is more never-wearing than ''tidies and scarfs" hanging askew and 

 bric-a-brac strewn about, fussy, mussy and dusty. To keep such use- 

 less appendages otherwise re(}uires constant care. 



By all means have kitchen, dining-room and- pantry well supplied 

 with every necessary appliance. These are plentiful now and cheap, 

 such as pans of different sizes, kettles, cooking spoons, graters, 

 dusters, dish towels, egg-beater, toaster and be sure to have a pint 

 and (juart measure. Keep these in some degree of order, of course, 

 but never hidden in a promiscuous jumble, somewhere out of sight, 

 and consequently out of mind as well. Instead, have them arranged 

 just at hand, near where they are to be used, thus saving much time 

 and many steps. In addition to these, have a good washing-machine, 

 clothes-wringer and plenty of tubs and pails for general purposes. 



If possible, take some good household magazine and read it — 

 if means will not allow of this, be sure to note carefully the house- 

 hold columns of farm and church papers, these should be in every 

 home, whether bonnets and wraps changed with the fashion or not. 

 In our reading, we can learn to prepare good substantial dishes, 

 requiring the least time and labor, satisfying to the appetite and 

 often really elegant as well. Poor economy to tussle along with old 

 rusty, worn-out kitchen utensils, that we may invest their price in 

 feathers, and fur-belows galore. On this phase of our subject sug- 

 gestions might be multiplied since they have all been written and 

 read again and again, we turn to another more important and not 

 so nearl}- under our own control. Consequently more helpful, could 

 we but have it, viz: The hearty co-operation and sympathy of hus 

 bands and sons. 



We have no desire to make paths for the feet of others, and yet. 

 we must here mention a few^ things that if we were men and boys, we 

 W'ould and would not do. We would seek to lighten the labor of 

 wife, mother or sister, by not throwing our clothes about, here, 

 there and everywhere, we would not mislay every thing we used, 

 and then ask them where they are, or expect them to be found at a 

 moment's notice. We would not allow our '^tobacco habit," to give 

 them extra labor, with confusion of face and of stomach. If we 

 were a married man, we would not by our indifference, selfishness 

 and neglect lead our wife to feel sometimes (perhaps many times), 

 that she would better be "tied for life" to a hitching post. We would 

 not oblige her to ask, like a beggar at a gate, for what we once 

 promised before God and man to give. Having induced her to take 

 our name, to help bear our losses and our crosses, we would ''switch 

 off" occasionally from our ow^n plans apd purposes, to notice if her 

 shoes were worn out, or her best dress shabby, to notice a little, when 

 her work was hard and heavy and offer a word of sympathy or a help- 



