Perhaps, truly, it is easier for her to notice trifles and to remember them. Metaphysicians may not agree, but it does seem as if a woman can carry on more trains of thought at one time than a man can ; the nature of her work demands that she shall. Eeflect for a moment upon the number of uninterrupted hours any mother has, and then picture to yourself Mrs. Somerville keeping house, 5 98 HOUSEHOLD HINTS. teaching her children three hours a day, reading books and newspapers, going into society, getting married twice, and carrying on at the same time her scientific studies. Every woman must, of course, decide for herself as to how she shall manage her husband, and settle the great problem whether she shall quietly reclaim his hat each time he loses it ; but, in any event, she can refrain from troubling him by leaving her things around, as Mr. Pepy^ complains. If she is not naturally orderly, if she has an instinct, when she comes into the house, to put her hat on the table, her shawl on a sofa, and her gloves somewhere else, and each day tries a new place for her rubbers, this tendency may be overcome. It involves efforts equal to those we make when striving for any other virtue, but it is possible for a person to acquire habits of order ; it is certainly no more difficult than to learn a language, and will contribute much to her happiness and the comfort of those around her. It is a sad truth that the little disturbances occasioned by disorderly habits are not so unimportant as they ap- pear ; it is a great deal easier to express impatience and dissatisfaction the second time than it was the first. The home life which is not founded on the complete under- standing that order is a heavenly law can not be healthful, or in any way successful, SUPERVISION". A Southern lady of more than ordinary intelligence, visiting a New York village recently, remarked with the nmvetS of childhood upon the wonderful housekeeping of the North. It was a constant surprise and delight to her. The homes which seemed especially to interest her were those where the work was daintily done by the lady of the house, as is so often the case, with the assistance of one girl. ^^We, too, are beginning to keep house a little," she said, ^* since we are obliged to hire our servants, and are TALKS UPON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, 99 learning that in order to get anything properly done we must oversee them, and know something about it our- selves ; we are doing things better than we used to." This, one of the unforeseen results of the war, is a sub- ject for thoughtfulness among us, and suggests a solution of one of the many questions growing out of our relations to our help. It is a fact, although always reluctantly ad- mitted, that in many families the real head of the house is to be found in that obscure part of the establishment called the kitchen. If things are not arranged to suit her, she can leave at any moment ; if she is a capable girl she knows that she is one of the most independent beings in the world. There is always some one in distress for a girl. She is sure of a place any day. The nominal mistress fears to offend her ; consequently she is, to a great extent, left to carry on the household as she pleases. When burdensome bills are brought in, and the matter is looked into by the man of the house, the result is not particularly pleasing. If he does not say it, he assuredly thinks that his wife is careless, and almost wickedly weak. In many other in- stances the wife is so inexperienced and ignorant that she can not direct a girl as to how the work should be done — assuming that the girl would be directed. She realizes that something is wrong, but what it is, or how to set it right, she knows not, or if she does study it out she is afraid of having trouble with the girl, and so takes the way which seems easy and smooth for the present.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Perhaps, truly, it is easier for her to notice trifles and to remember them. Metaphysicians may not agree, but it does seem as if a woman can carry on more trains of thought at one time than a man can ; the nature of her work demands that she shall. Reflect for a moment upon the number of uninterrupted hours any mother has, and then picture to yourself Mrs. Somerville keeping house, teaching her children three hours a day, reading books and newspapers, going into society, getting married twice, and carrying on at the same time her scientific studies. Every woman must, of course, decide for herself as to how she shall manage her husband, and settle the great problem whether she shall quietly reclaim his hat each time he loses it ; but, in any event, she can refrain from troubling him by leaving her things around, as Mr. Pepys complains. If she is not naturally orderly, if she has an instinct, when she comes into the house, to put her hat on the table, her shawl on a sofa, and her gloves somewhere else, and each day tries a new place for her rubbers, this tendency may be overcome. It involves efforts equal to those we make when striving for any other virtue, but it is possible for a person to acquire habits of order ; it is certainly no more difficult than to learn a language, and will contribute much to her happiness and the comfort of those around her. It is a sad truth that the little disturbances occasioned by disorderly habits are not so unimportant as they appear ; it is a great deal easier to express impatience and dissatisfaction the second time than it was the first. The home life which is not founded on the complete understanding that order is a heavenly law can not be healthful, or in any way successful, SUPERVISION. A Southern lady of more than ordinary intelligence, visiting a New York village recently, remarked with the nnaivete of childhoodupon the wonderful housekeeping of the North. It was a constant surprise and delight to her. The homes which seemed especially to interest her were those where the work was daintily done by the lady of the house, as is so often the case, with the assistance of one girl. ^^We, too, are beginning to keep house a little," she said, ^* since we are obliged to hire our servants, and are learning that in order to get anything properly done we must oversee them, and know something about it ourselves ; we are doing things better than we used to." This, one of the unforeseen results of the war, is a subject for thoughtfulness among us, and suggests a solution of one of the many questions growing out of our relations to our help. It is a fact, although always reluctantly admitted, that in many families the real head of the house is to be found in that obscure part of the establishment called the kitchen. If things are not arranged to suit her, she can leave at any moment ; if she is a capable girl she knows that she is one of the most independent beings in the world. There is always some one in distress for a girl. She is sure of a place any day. The nominal mistress fears to offend her ; consequently she is, to a great extent, left to carry on the household as she pleases. When burdensome bills are brought in, and the matter is looked into by the man of the house, the result is not particularly pleasing. If he does not say it, he assuredly thinks that his wife is careless, and almost wickedly weak. In many other instances the wife is so inexperienced and ignorant that she can not direct a girl as to how the work should be done — assuming that the girl would be directed. She realizes that something is wrong, but what it is, or how to set it right, she knows not, or if she does study it out she is afraid of having trouble with the girl, and so takes the way which seems easy and smooth for the present.

Household hints