|
Classic
Cook Books
< last page | next page >
page 332
HOUSEKEEPING.
Housekeeping, whatever may be the opinion of the butterflies of the period, is
an accomplishment in comparison to which, in its bearing on woman's relation to
real life and to the family, all others are trivial. It comprehends all that
goes to make up a well-ordered home, where the sweetest relations of life rest
on firm foundations, and the purest sentiments thrive. It is an accomplishment
that may be acquired by study and experiment, but the young and inexperienced
housekeeper generally reaches success only through great tribulation. It ought
to be absorbed in girlhood, by easy lessons taken between algebra, music and
painting. If girls were taught to take as much genuine pride in dusting a room
well, hanging a curtain gracefully, or broiling a steak to a nicety, as they
feel when they have mastered one of Mozart's or Beethoven's grand symphonies,
there would be fewer complaining husbands and unhappy wives. The great lesson to
learn is that work well-done is robbed of its curse. The woman who is satisfied
only with the highest perfection in her work, drops the drudge and becomes the
artist. There is no dignity in slighted work, but to the artist, no matter how
humble his calling, belongs the honor which is inseparable from all man's
struggles after perfection. No mother who has the happiness of her daughter at
heart, will neglect to teach her first the duties of the household, and no
daughter who aspires to be queen at home and in her circle of friends, can
afford to remain ignorant of the smallest details that contribute to the
comfort, the peace and the attractiveness of home. There is no luck in
housekeeping, however it may seem. Every thing works by exact rule, and even
with thorough knowledge, eternal vigilance is the price of success. There must
be a place for every thing and every thing in its place, a time for every thing
and every thing in its time, and "patience, patience," must be written in
glowing capitals all over the walls. The reward is sure. Your husband may admire
your grace and ease in society, your wit, your school-day accomplishments of
music and painting, but all in perfection will not atone for an ill-ordered
kitchen, sour bread, muddy coffee, tough meats, unpalatable vegetables,
indigestible pastry, and the whole train of horrors that result from bad
housekeeping; on the other hand, success wins gratitude and attachment in the
home circle, and adds luster to the most brilliant intellectual accomplishments.
One of the first ideas the young housekeeper should divest herself of is that
because she is able or expects some time to be able to keep servants, it is
therefore unnecessary to understand household duties, and to bear their
responsibility. "Girls" are quick to see and note the ignorance or the
incapacity of the mistress of the house, and few are slow to take whatever
advantage
< last page | next page >
Classic
Cook Books
|
