94 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



PEESONAL HABITS AT HOME. 



"IIow can Karniers' Wives and Daughters induce their ITus- 

 bnnds, f ons, and Krotliors, to be clean and neat in the house, in 

 Uii'ir jH;rsi>n» and haliitsV" 



I AM avvafe that in some families this looks like a 

 herciiloari task; yet imich may be done, even wliere 

 the want of neatness is sadly apparent. In tlie first 

 place ladies shoidd not consider any part of their 

 house too ince for use, and wherever the ladies 

 sittinj^-room is, there tlie husband, sons, and broth- 

 ers, should be wehioine. Wo will take a farmer's 

 fiimily for an examjile, and suppose they have room 

 in their house for comfort and elegance. Of course 

 the parlor is not to be the connnon living room ; bnt 

 there is a nicely carpeted, airy sitting room, where 

 the ladies can sit down after their morning work is 

 done, and read or sew, and where the quiet knitting 

 •work is always convenient. 



We will suppose the husband, brothers, and sons. 

 COJno in tired, warm, and soiled, to dinner. Now is 

 tlu' tune to begin the reform, if any is needed. Have 

 '■ulycool water, towels, and combs, in the shade, 

 mid they will not want nnich urging to use them. 

 Tin !i a clean light roundabout, linen coat, or some- 

 thlHir cool, to put on while eating, makes them feel 

 aiuj l-aok fit to sit down at the table. After dinner, 

 It rbey lixid kind efforts are made to have them rest 

 i:n tlie lounge or the arm chairs, they will return 

 ihe kind feeling by avoiding any unnecessary soiling 

 )f these comfortable resting places. There may be 

 exceptions, but I think this woidd be the general 

 fe. liii^'. 



1;' there is company at tea, let the husband, broth- 

 ers and sons, as many as convenient, be called in 

 and farnishod with whatever is necessary to make 

 their dress pleasant to sit at the table or in the par- 

 lor. I have sometimes visited where the gentlemen 

 were not invited to tlie tea table with the ladies. 

 I never feel more than half welcome, where this is 

 practiced. 



At night, let conveniences for bathing or washing- 

 he ready,_ and let the family sit down together ili 

 r. idmg, singing, or in some intellectual conversation. 

 h It probable that with such a system a family will 

 wish to be sloveidy? I think not. A dilierent 

 . niode of treatment has caused this evil in many tara- 

 ihes When members of a family are driven^to the 

 kitchen because they are not clean enough to sit with 

 the ladies, or in the parlor, what wonder if thev 

 become careless and slovenly? If, as some people 

 tJiink, coarseness and, vulgarity flourish in the kitch- 

 en, then bring all the members of the family into 

 the sitting room or parlor, so that refinement and 

 intelligence may thrive in their stead, and all will 

 be not only neater but happier. a m 



HOW TO MAKE HOME ATTRACTIVE. 



th"r Bmilu'r^^'h"' '>':'''^^'•'^'■,'""*' S*'"^ "f "">■ <-""""•>' induce 

 T)olte in T^ '■"'''"•''"' <"'y 'n t''ei>- "habits, courteous and 

 LomoV* manners, and contribute best to their comfort.it 



The ways in which the sisters of our country 

 miglit exert a beneficial influence over their brothers 

 are very numerous. In the first place set them the 

 example, tor yoti seldom see young men when grown 

 up to man hood either slovenly in appearance or 



*.^ '^^''''' P"'"'""' '^ "^^'■''^d to the writer of this excellent 

 notd J ", *^"T!'"" '', "'"''^^^' different from the one pro- 

 posed, and It could not therefore compete with others. [com 



manners who in their childhood had a sister who 

 made them her pride, and delighted to see them 

 neat and tidy at all times. 



How can it be expected that our brothers can be 

 induced to keep themselves respectable, if we as 

 sisters do not; or if on their wishing to go from 

 home, etc., find the buttons off their shirts, or 

 perhaps their colars unironed, or if ironed at all, 

 done in a very careless, untidy manner, and their 

 whole wardrobe in a state of confusion. Would it 

 not contribute greatly to their happiness if sisters 

 would devote a small portion of time every week in 

 looking after these small bnt important items of 

 comfort. IIow many mothers are at this present 

 time lamenting with pai-ental sorrow the departure 

 from home of a beloved son, in search of, as he 

 thinks, a more comfortable home; another instance 

 in which a sister's influence and love, if properly ex- 

 erted, might have prevented the brother's departure, 

 and consequently the mother's grief. I do not wish 

 by this to insinuate that sisters ought to have the 

 sole command of their brothers — far trom it ; neither 

 do I wish to encourage that domineering spirit so 

 fully developed in some sisters, much to their own 

 unhappiness, but let love be the ruling power. 



Second: That they may be courteous and polite 

 in their manners, let sisters endeavor both by pre- 

 cept and example to encourage a series of evening 

 readings of good substantial well-written works, 

 intermixed with a lively conversation on the prom- 

 inent features of what has been read. This will, I 

 think, tend to make the long winter evenings of 

 our beloved country pass pleasantly aw^ay ; for, to 

 use the words of an English poet, 



"This linoks can do, nor this alone; they give 

 2s'ew views to life and teach us how to "live ; 

 They soothe the grieved, the stubborn they chastise ; 

 Fools Uiey admonish, and confirm the wise: 

 Their aid they yield to all ; they never shun 

 The man of sorrow or the wretch undone. 

 Unlike the hard, the selfish, and the proud, 

 They fly not sullen from the suppliant crowd, 

 Nor tell to various people various things ; 

 But shew to subjects what they shew to kings." 



How many hundreds of the young men that pop- 

 ulate our country resort to the tavern, the ball- 

 room, theatre, and other places of idle amusement, 

 to spend their evenings, instead of staying at home 

 and contributing to the rest of the family's comforts — 

 and wliy ? Simply because time passes away more 

 pleasantly than at home ! -n-hereas, if mothers and 

 sisters would endeavor to interest them either in the 

 way before mentioned, or by x)Ccasional social or 

 liome parties of neighbors and friends, it Avould, I 

 firmly believe, have a beneficial effect upon their 

 mind, and help to make home hapi^y. No matter 

 how low in circumstances, or how far from society 

 of gay and fashionable comrades, if the sister en- 

 deavors to be lady-like in her own deportment it 

 \yill necessarily have a good effect. Let sisters con- 

 sider these few liints, and endeavor, if in former 

 times they have been neglectful, to strive to let the 

 time past suffice. 



And lastly, that sisters may contribute to your 

 comfort at home, I would say to the brothers for 

 whose benefit the foregoing lines have been penned, 

 strive to appreciate a sister's efibrts for your comfort ; 

 do not dampen all her endeavors by persisting in 

 habits which you know are contrary to her desire; • ^ 

 but let it be your aim to "do unto others as you '^*^ 

 would that they should do unto you," ^;F 



Aurora, JarVy, 1858. A SISTEK. "'^" 



