Slowly machinery is coming to the 
rescue of the housekeeper, and by and 
by, there will be leisure in her life that 
she may devote as she chooses. Her 
duties may be performed quickly, not 
neglected, and she will have time for 
education and occupations which are now 
being cried down because they take 
woman from her sphere. There is much 
to be done in simplifying housework, 
much that cannot be done until science 
and invention solve the problems. A 
good housekeeper is “Jack of all trades,” 
and master of them, too. The incompe¬ 
tent housekeeper has the old version to 
justify her. That she is “ master of 
none,” is not to be wondered at when we 
consider how varied are the tasks of the 
ordinary household. 
* 
That women have been expected to go 
on, generation after generation, perform¬ 
ing their work mechanically, as learned 
of their mothers, has been a great mis¬ 
take. Would it not be better if brains 
had spent themselves on domestic hygiene 
and social problems, and allowed astro¬ 
nomical questions to wait until humanity 
is better able to appreciate them ? What 
does it matter whether other worlds are 
inhabited, when the inhabitants of this 
earth do not know how to live ? If the 
common tasks of so large a part of 
humanity are not worthy the considera¬ 
tion of great minds, then we cannot 
blame the workers if they find the com¬ 
pass of their tasks too narrow, and seek 
freedom. 
Hut the truth is, that no work is so 
insignificant or commonplace that the 
worker may not find interest in it. We 
make a mistake when we despise our 
work because it is only “ drudgery.” If 
it is drudgery, let us make it our task to 
infuse into it enough of brains and better 
ways to lift it out of the realm of despis- 
able work. Let us take courage, house¬ 
wives; our little world is moving slowly. 
Impatience, well guided, will add to its 
speed, and in the good days coming, 
woman's world will be so great and grand 
that her aspirations will not be forever 
soaring beyond it. 
A GOOD DAY'S WORK. 
Part I. 
HE thoroughly energetic, systematic 
and successful housekeeper, “ look- 
eth well to the ways of her household, and 
eateth not the bread of idleness.” She 
has learned that, if a good day’s work is 
to be accomplished on the morrow, her 
plans must be well and systematically 
laid to-day. No woman can count on the 
labor of a single day being of and for 
that day only. A good day’s work begins 
the night before in the little arrange¬ 
ments and plans that require some time 
and effort to accomplish, but which count 
for so much on the morrow. She has 
learned from the faithful teacher, ex¬ 
perience, the importance of having a 
regular day for washing, ironing, baking, 
sweeping, etc., and of adhering as closely 
as possible to this rule. She has found 
it very convenient to have the Saturday’s 
baking sufficiently large to see her safely 
through washing and ironing day on the 
following week. 
Should unexpected company arrive 
j ust before meal time, she is not thrown 
into a flurry of excitement as to what 
She knows that ginger and cream cook¬ 
ies, if kept well covered, will keep for a 
long time, are always handy, and her jar 
is never empty. 
How often has it been her experience 
to have her nicely adjusted plans disar¬ 
ranged, making it necessary for her to 
work a little later or put forth extra 
effort to accomplish her task ! If on 
Tuesday a good day’s work is to be ac¬ 
complished, you may, on Monday, (when 
all is in order, after the noonday meal) 
find her neatly attired and comfortably 
settled for a short interval of rest. While 
the physical frame is at rest, her mental 
faculties are busily engaged in planning 
for the morrow. The morning mail brings 
a letter stating that, “ if perfectly con¬ 
venient ” (?), friends from the city may 
be expected Wednesday on the noon 
train. At dinner, her husband announces 
that to-morrow morning extra help must 
be added to the outdoor forces. “ Fore¬ 
warned, forearmed ! ” she ejaculates. 
Then, in addition to the ironing, some 
extra baking will be necessary. The 
washing was indeed large, but the iron¬ 
ing will not be heavy, as there are but 
few fine garments in the wash. She has 
long since learned the importance of 
economizing time, steps and muscle, thus 
enabling her to accomplish good results 
with comparatively little labor. 
With her work mapped out before her, 
she rises refreshed and may soon be seen 
carefully removing and folding her 
snowy spreads from the line. These will 
require no ironing, for when hung out 
they were carefully stretched over the 
line that the center fold and edges might 
A BAD FIX. (From Life.) Fig. 25. 
come exactly straight, and the wind has 
kindly snapped out all the wrinkles. 
The flannels, so soft and fuzzy, have 
never been fulled and hardened by iron¬ 
ing. These, when thoroughly aired, 
may be neatly folded and placed in the 
drawers. The soft tennis-flannel night 
gowns can soon be made ready for the 
family, not having been robbed of the 
fragrance of freshly-washed clothing by 
the hot iron. The stockings, too, and 
several other pieces, are laid aside to be 
aired and darned if necessary. 
You may now see her seated on the 
long-legged office stool by the table, 
with sufficient warm water, starch, bowl, 
ironing-sheet and other necessities for 
preparing the clothes for ironing day. 
The coarser garments are sprinkled spar¬ 
ingly, that too much time may not be re¬ 
quired to dry them out. These are rolled, 
not folded (for more time is required to 
iron folded clothes than when rolled), 
and placed in the bottom of the basket, 
so that if anything must be hurried, or 
perhaps slighted, it may be the more 
common garments. The finer garments 
are dampened with a more prodigal hand, 
carefully rolled in a coarse towel that 
they may thoroughly dampen through 
that it may be sufficiently light to mix 
into a firm, smooth loaf, and set where 
it will keep warm, through the night. 
After the supper dishes are washed and 
the table laid, the preparations for a 
hasty but substantial breakfast are made. 
After the apples are peeled and sliced 
for the pies, and the little ones tucked 
away in their cosy beds, quiet is restored 
to the household. You may then see her 
comfortably seated for the rest of the 
evening, poring over the columns of the 
newspaper, the last magazine, or perhaps 
some work of her favorite author. 
MRS. A. R. PHILLIPS. 
THE AID OF SMALL CONVENIENCES. 
RE women to blame for the lack of 
helpful machinery in housework ? 
Or, is there a lack of good machinery to 
help them ? are questions that occur to 
me as I read the articles of late in our 
special department of The R. N.-Y. 
When we are accused of a love of the 
old, hard ways of doing housework, and 
of a dislike for securing such aids in our 
work as we might have, I am reminded 
of the warning of a woman who for 
many years edited the home column of 
the New York Tribune. It was in the 
days when the inventive genius first 
turned his attention to the needs of 
women, that she said : “ Reware of 
machinery that must be run by woman- 
power.” As I furnished the “power” for 
two different washing machines, and was 
almost persuaded from my aching back, 
that the really helpful wringer would 
come in the same list K I pondered whether 
the farmer would find his various reap¬ 
ers, binders, rakes, harrows, etc., a very 
great help if he had to drag them around 
the field himself. My washing machines 
long ago went on to the wood pile, and 
now when 1 do my washing, I trust to 
the helps of Pearline, washing powders, 
fluids, etc. My investigations as to the 
modern “washers” have always resulted 
in this confession from their users, that, 
“They do good work, but you need a 
man to run them.” So while we wait for 
the coming motor that shall be available 
for the humblest kitchen, let me urge 
that we use the minor helps that may 
be secured at little cost. 
Not one kitchen in a dozen is properly 
supplied with utensils. Investigate the 
tinshops and five-cent stores, and you 
will find dozens of inexpensive helps. 
Many a woman yet whips her eggs and 
shaves her cabbage with a knife, and 
dreams not of modern bake tins. My meat 
chopper has robbed mince pies (not to 
mention hashes and croquettes) of their 
terrors since we learned that it would cut 
the apples as well as the meat. 
When I think of the army of women 
through the length and breadth of this 
land, that are toiling wearily up and 
down the cellar stairs before and after 
each meal, 1 long to sing the praises 
of the refrigerator, though I know 
one woman who put that down cel¬ 
lar. We put ours in the dining room, 
between the kitchen and pantry doors, 
and just back of the dining table, and a 
pipe runs from it into the waste pipe of 
the sink. Oh, the comfort of opening its 
doors and, by just turning around, dis¬ 
posing of the food, bringing it back on 
the table, to say nothing of ‘ ‘ iced fix¬ 
ings” in July and August ! 
Husbands are not so much selfish as 
thoughtless, and it is the wife’s place, not 
his, to plan the best methods for her 
work and then secure the needed tools, 
that shall give the greatest saving in 
health and strength, ella c. goodell. 
HOME MAY BE ALL-SUFFICIENT. 
VEItYBODY’S sons and daughters, 
either on isolated farms or in the 
crowded city, can best spend their even¬ 
ings at home. It is conceded that the 
saloon wrecks health, wealth and char¬ 
acter. The village store—and the smaller 
the hamlet the worse it is—is the loafing 
place of all the shiftless, foul-mouthed, 
tobacco users within its reach. The 
home is about the only place of safety 
for impressionable youth. All children 
feel the influence of outside wicked 
attractions. These cannot be counter¬ 
acted by frowns, scoldings, pleadings, 
punishment ever so severe, or imprison 
ment. The only successful remedy is to 
instil an energetic, healthy interest in 
something which shall act as a mental 
stimulant. Farm work may tire the 
muscles, but it leaves the brain more 
active and restless. 
Too many homes offer no inducement 
for the children to remain within them. 
Bare floors, walls and tables accentuate 
the poverty of thought and interest of 
the parents, and drive the children from 
home. The green wood, smoking stove 
and father, cold rooms, and general lack 
of comfort, are not conducive to kind 
thoughts, high aspirations, or cheerful 
mothers. Parents should contrive, _n 
spite of debt, to beautify home. N» 
great amount of money need be speut. 
Flowers are an ever-present source of 
pleasure to the natural girl who has not 
oeen spoiled. Boys are called bears by 
some, but little knicknacks please them, 
and even a small looking glass in the 
bed-rooin will be prized. One room with 
rugs, a coal stove with glowing sides, 
tables supplied with magazines, papers 
and games, pots of flowers and good 
lights, should be provided for the child¬ 
ren’s use, and everything in it, even to 
the occupants, kept sweet. 
After supper, at our home, the books 
come out and the lessons for to-morrow 
are studied, and to-day’s discussed. The 
boy or girl who receives a loving pat or 
kiss from mother for “leaving off head,” 
will do so again ; but children whose 
parents take no interest in their studies, 
rarely do their best. When tired of their 
books, or lessons are learned, we talk 
over the current events of the day, apply¬ 
ing the geography and other lessons as 
far as possible in proving or disproving 
the statements of the various writers. A 
spirit of inquiry and discrimination is 
encouraged. Later in the evening, studies 
and tasks are laid aside, and the home 
games, stories and fun are enjoyed, 
without rebuke. Apples, popcorn, mo¬ 
lasses taffy and chestnuts are indulged 
in often. The chjap, paper-covered good 
books are now within reach of all. The 
newspapers are marvels of comprehen¬ 
siveness, and free libraries not far away. 
When a good lecture or musical treat is 
in town, the double team and sleigh are 
got out, and life viewed from its best 
side. Thus a home may be far from any 
other, yet still be in touch with the wide 
world, through the medium of papers, 
magazines and books, c. e. chapman. 
she shall set before them. She knows and not dry out. The collars, cuffs and 
that the steamed suet pudding which she shirt-fronts are then starched in cold 
prepared several days ago, will need only starch, and, if previously stiffened in 
steaming again for a short time to make hot starch, will be smooth and glossy 
it quite as good and fresh as when first when ironed. These are also rolled in 
made. Her fruit cake, too, though made something else, placed on the top of the 
some weeks before, has only improved basket and will be first to receive atten- 
by standing, awaiting just such an occa- tion. All are closely covered with the 
sion. The roomy tin box on the broad ironing-sheet, and will be thoroughly 
shelf in the cellar-way, is sure to contain and evenly dampened on the morrow, 
one, if not both, of these old stand-bys. The bread sponge must now be set, 
Highest of all in Leavening Power.—Latest U. S. Gov’t Report 
Absolutely pure 
