“What time has a young girl to do anything at home?” True. What time for home affairs, with the present mode of education, and the present customs of social life, have young men or maidens? Our teachers know they are expected to “fill” their pupils to the utmost extent of their mental capacity, and social life grasps every moment that can be spared from books or schools, even claiming the hours that should be given to sleep. No matter about the health. “That is not our business,” say the educators; and, “That is not our business,” echoes Fashion. Our children go from one study to another—rushing on to be educated—as fast as possible; and, in two years after leaving college or seminary, of what practical use will half these studies, for which they have given so much time and health, be to them? Far be it from us to undervalue a thorough, practical education,—one that will fit our boys and girls to lead good and useful lives. “Its price is above rubies.” But we sometimes think that they are being educated to death; mind and body enfeebled and made unhealthy for lack of practical common-sense on the part of parents and teachers. If more time was given to physical labor while our children are growing up, and less time to schools, and fewer studies crowded into each term, the fathers and mothers would not grow old so fast,—being relieved of part of their work; and our young people would have nobler minds in sounder bodies.
But to return to housekeeping, and the young who must take that position: let them secure as much knowledge as they can without injury to health, but let it be understood that, whatever place they may be called upon to occupy, a thorough domestic education will be the best foundation on which to build, and by which they can best secure happiness, honor, and usefulness.
Instead of filling the papers with lamentations because they are not permitted certain rights which an unregulated ambition urges them to claim, let our women first be certain that they fully understand how to exercise all the rights which are unalienably their own, and which no one attempts to dispute. Let these rights be well cared for and properly executed, and who will object to any woman’s reaching out after, and securing just as many more as she can possibly assume and manage successfully, without neglect of other duties already her own. Let the highest right, the noblest that woman can desire,—for it is next to the angels’,—the supreme right which God gave us, and no man disputes or can usurp, be fully appreciated and acted upon,—the right to make a glorious home, to make our husbands nobler, because they are happy and comfortable there (they don’t know how to do that, they can’t take care of themselves without us); the right to nurse and rear and bless our children; the right, with the ability, to teach our servants by our own practice how to be a blessing to themselves and to us. Then enter the lists, if you choose, and do battle for just as many of what have been called man’s rights as you are capable of managing well, or have any ambition for.
Until these first duties are understood and properly performed the prospects for home comforts and happiness are very shadowy. The fault is not wholly with the servants. If those duties which belong to the mistress are delegated to uneducated, ill-informed subordinates, what, even with the very best intentions, can you expect but anarchy and misrule? Care and experience are as essential to good housekeeping and home comforts as in any other profession or field of labor.
The lawyer cannot look for success in his profession if he simply opens an office and delegates the care to an ignorant office-boy, while he himself knows nothing about law, and never studies. The doctor gives years of time and study before he attempts to practice. The merchant goes through a long apprenticeship before he commences business for himself; but our young girls leave the school-room to assume a right of which they know nothing,—the privilege and honor of making a home. If women would only understand how much skill and power is requisite, what a noble, honorable thing it is to succeed, or become eminent as a homemaker, there would be fewer boarding-houses, fewer miserable, dissipated husbands, fewer fast, wild, reckless children, and fewer worthless servants.
LXXII.
A FEW LITTLE THINGS.
WE take up now a few perplexities which are apt to disturb the equanimity of the young housekeeper, and propose to give some minute directions for the better performance of those “little things” which so often discourage the beginner, such as the building of fires, dusting, etc.
With an open grate or fireplace in daily use, it is very necessary, before any dusting can be thought of, to clear out the grate, remove the ashes, and kindle the fire; for nothing so fills a room with dust as the necessary work about a fire of any kind, even with the most careful management. To be ready to do this, or in a condition to instruct a girl how to do it, it is important that the necessary implements and conveniences should be on hand, and in a suitable condition for easy and successful operation.
And, first, a coarse piece of bagging, or an old bit of carpeting, or, if you have neither, a large piece of stout brown wrapping-paper, should be kept in an appropriate place, ready for this part of the morning’s work; even old newspapers will answer, though by no means so convenient or durable as bagging. Spread a large strip before the grate or fireplace to protect the oil-cloth or carpet from ashes and cinders while you are clearing out the grates. This done, lift up the fender or polished hearth-pan, always in front of a grate, and set it down on the floor-cloth or bagging. Put up the blower, and with the poker rake out all the ashes that can be shaken from the under part of the grate. By keeping the blower up while doing this, most of the ashes which would otherwise float over the room, lodge in the furniture or carpet, and in the end do them much injury, will be made to fly up chimney. Having thus removed all the ashes, you can take the blower down and rake again smartly from the top until only the half-burnt coals remain.
Now, with a stout, coarse holder kept expressly for that purpose, take the ash-pan, full of ashes, from under the grate, and empty it in an ash-barrel in the cellar, or outdoors; by no means empty them from the pan into an empty coal-hod in the room, as is too often done. Be careful that no live coals go into the barrel. You will be obliged to watch a girl very carefully about this “little thing,” or, under the silly idea that it saves work, most girls will do this so carelessly when you are not by, that your rooms will be filled with ashes by their folly.