They should have had some good old friend, like ourselves, to say, "Now, my dears, I like your plan of housekeeping; you will find it the most comfortable and economical in the end, if you will only go the right way to work. You have made a fortunate selection in your house. It is neither too large for your means nor your family. How many rooms in it? How have you disposed of them? Now take a spare scrap of paper, and write them down in order.
"Begin with your kitchen, end with your parlor. Reverse the usual plan, if your aim is comfort and not show. Only Mrs. M. or N. will notice whether you have shades or curtains. If your family lack comfortable bedding, or your kitchen needful conveniences, you certainly incommode those you care most to please. Take the kitchen, for example. How large is it? Will you have it covered with carpeting or oil-cloth? How many yards, and at what price? Have you a range? If not, count the cost of stove and boilers. How many chairs and tables? At what price? The dresser, and delf necessary for cooking and servants' use." Fortunately, the lists of the furnishing warehouses save an endless amount of thought and trouble, especially in the matter of cooking utensils. Those unlearned in such research will find one of them in our answers to correspondents the present number.
As for the kitchen, so for the dining-room, the china-closet, the linen-press, store-room, chambers, and finally the parlor. Make your calculation as accurately as possible, to come within the limit you have set yourself, remembering in all cases to take from articles of mere adornment or show, rather than essential comforts, and that infinite petty mortifications and care can be saved to a house-keeper by making plenty, not superfluity, her rule.
A LESSON WORTH REMEMBERING.
THERE are very few of our readers—we take it for granted—who have not met with the little book, "A Trap to Catch a Sunbeam." A longer story, by the same author, has made its appearance in England, prettily illustrated by Gilbert. The title is "Influence," neither more nor less; and the object in view is to show the weight good or bad influence will have on the character, even from the nursery.
As most appropriate to our "Centre-Table Chat," which unites gayeties and gravities, we give as a sample of the new book. Speaking of the education of Cyril, its hero's sister—
"Yes, Julia was improving in every knowledge but one of the most important, the knowledge which a mother's example could best have taught her, to know and perform her mission here, the proper exercise of woman's paramount influence over man."
There would be fewer wretched marriages, fewer dissipated, degraded men, if this lesson were included in a woman's education; if they were taught to feel the angel duty which devolves on them—to keep the wandering steps of those who are tempted so much more than they in the paths of virtue and peace; to make them feel that in the busy world are noise and confusion; that at home there are order and repose; that there "eyes look brighter when they come, that the smile of welcome is ever ready to receive them, the work, the books are ever ready to be laid aside to minister to their pleasure"—they would find amusement then at home, nor strive to seek it elsewhere.
And not alone to the higher classes of society should this be taught. It should be a lesson instilled into the minds of all, high and low, rich and poor. Duty has seldom so strong a hold on men as women; they cannot, they will not, for duty's sake, remain in a dull, tedious, or ill-managed, querulous home, but leave it to seek elsewhere the comfort and amusement which fail them there; and, when riot and revelry have done their work, the wives and sisters who have done so little to make them otherwise are pitied for their bad husbands and brothers.