ECONOMY IN TIME AND LABOR. 



6S 



llework — let these be the foundation on which 

 more ornanicutiil may be added, if situation, nnt- 

 l talent and other circumstances concur to make 

 I additions suitable and expedient — let useful 

 seliold works be always encouraged and taught 

 imilici The daughter should not be above her 

 her, but strive with honest pride to follow her 

 s ill household economy, improving where she 

 she can do so to advantage, 

 r'e too often have noticed when spending an 

 ling with a country friend, the young ladies 

 sed and enjoying themselves with dancing and 

 ic and singing, while the mother has served and 

 le the whole burden of the evening, unassisted 

 uncared for. How hardly do the duties of a 

 lehold fiJl upon those girls who, like mere butter- 

 have only hovered over the flowers and basked 

 le sunshine of life. These become mere drones 

 he busy hive, and gather no honey to support 

 iselves during the dark wintry day of age, sick- 

 er advereity. 'WTiat a contrast to the bright, 

 ■e, cheerful, contented matron, " whose children 

 up and call her blessed!" Of such an one it may 

 aid — "The heart of her husband doth safely 

 in her, so that he shall have no need of the 

 . She shall do him good and not evil all the 

 of her life; strength and honor are her clothing, 

 she shall rejoice in the time to come. She open- 

 ler mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the 

 Df kindness. Many daughters have done virtu- 

 !, but thou excellest." 



jad the portrait of a virtuous woman by the wise 

 ', Lemuel, most probably drawn from the charac- 

 Df his own mother, a princess or noble lady in 

 ice, who wa.s not ashamed to superintend tfee 

 ling and household labors of her maidens — an 

 ]ple not unworthy of imitation by our own 

 ;hters. 



''omen of Canada, " go and do thou likewise." 

 K. 



ECONOMY IN TIME AND LABOR. 



UNT Uannah's advice to a young housekeeper, 

 ■h we find in the Ohio Farmer, contains many 

 1 things, and practical common sense suggestion, 

 ;h we copy for the benefit of housekeepers who 



not have Mother's tact for business. 

 How in the world do you manage to get along 

 I the work. Auntie ?" said Mary, one day, after 

 had sufficiently recovered to lie upon the lounge, 

 ch at her request, had been moved into the 

 hen, that she might not keep Aunt Hannah from 



household duties, whils they chatted together. 



I never could get along so. What ii di.!er<'iu o 

 there is in women. Mother always said that 1 had 

 no tact for business — I wish I had yours." 



"It's all in taking advantage of your work,"' said 

 the good lady, giving her dish cloth a vehement 

 twist ; and shaking it out, she proceeded to wi))e oil' 

 the table, whereon the morning dishes had been 

 washed. "All in taking advantage. Now, I am 

 never in a hurry, if you ever noticed it. I Uecj) 

 ahead of my work. Sometimes, indeed, sickness, or 

 some other circunistances, will throw one back ; but 

 I always want to catch up again as soon as 1 can, 

 and then keep up. I don't take near as many steps 

 as you do, Mary ; but I make every step count, as 

 father used to say. When I go out to shake the 

 table cloth, I bring in an armful of wood ; I always 

 calculate to make one journey answer two purposes, 

 if possible ; for instance, when I am cooking pastry, 

 I take my dish of shortening, salt, or something back 

 into the pantry, and bring back the rolling-pin and 

 kneading-board ; or, in crossing the room after some- 

 thing for use, I stoop to pick up some misplaced 

 article, a child's toy, or something of that sort ; then 

 I know how much time I require for a certain amount 

 of work — just how long it takes to cook every dish 

 — just how long it takes to wash, to iron, to bake, to 

 do everything ; and so, I can have any kind of work 

 done at a given hour. I never let my fire get down, 

 while I am using it ; and if you ever noticed it, I 

 burn a great many chips, and always want wood 

 chopped, instead of sawed ; one can't always Jiave it, 

 but give me nice, dry chips, with a few sticks of 

 wood to keep them up where the blaze can circulate 

 through them, to make a humming fire. I always 

 have my breakfast calculated over night, the cofi'ee 

 ground, the potatoes dressed, the meat cut, and then 

 I have only to clap on my tea-kettle and potatoes, 

 the first thing in the morning — brush up the room, 

 put the meat cooking, make the cofi'ee, set the table, 

 and breakfast is ready. Then I always have the 

 water on, for washing the dishes, before I sit down 

 to the table. There is a great deal of time saved by 

 this simple act. As soon as a meal is finished, you 

 have only to clear up the dishes, wash them in the 

 steaming-hot water, put them away, sweep, dust, and 

 rub your stove over with the blacking brush used 

 for the purpose, and your kitchen work is done. 

 Then, unless you have bread, pastiy, cake, or some- 

 thing of that sort to. make, you have only the cham- 

 Ijer work, the sitting room to set in order, and a few 

 little things to see to, and you are ready to sit down 

 to your sewing. If the baby cries take it up and 

 make it good natured if you can. Give it your 

 shoe, the broom, a tin pan, or some other odd play- 

 thing ; it will suit it much better than the toys made 

 on purpose to please children. 



"Always wash on Monday, if you can. Have 

 your regular days for everything — your washing day, 

 your ironing and baking day — and never put away 

 your clean ironed clothes till every rent in old gar- 

 ments is made whole. Have a basket in which to 

 put garments, stockings, &c., that want mending ; and 

 never let that basket, stand neglected till Saturday 

 uight. In so small a family as yours, you can gen- 

 erally mend in the afternoon after ironing. If you 

 manage in this way, your work will go on smoothly, 



