A woman in this position often wastes much nervous energy by fretting over unaccomplished work. She grows nervous and irritable in the useless efifort to get things done which are quite beyond her strength. Then, too, when the night comes on, the other members of the family do not always return from the day's work with a cheery and helpful spirit, but bring home with them the perplexities of the workaday world outside. But the mother or home maker is expected to be unfailingly pleasant, cheerful, and patient, and to smooth out all difficul- ties, no matter how worn or tired she may be. Now this home maker should not forget that she has a duty to herself. She should learn to plan to save strength and energy by having cooking utensils near the cooking table, and the table near the sink and stove; by sitting down when preparing vegetables and other food, and, in pleasant, mild weather, by doing such work on the back porch, in the fresh 221 Digitized by Google 222 SECOND YEAR air ; and if she could leam to take a few minutes' rest during each day, by lying or sitting down, if for but five minutes, completely relaxing, or, in other words, ** letting go " muscle, brain, and nerve, she would find that she would be refreshed and strengthened for her work. There are to-day many labor and strength saving devices for the busy home maker, such as electric or hand power wash- ing machines, fireless cookers, vacuum cleaners, bread mixers, food choppers, etc. They are investments, not expensive luxmies, and an effort should be made by prudent planning to get the money together with which to buy them, as they so greatly save the strength of the housekeeper. There are so many of these things on the market that only a few can be mentioned in this book. Labor-saving Devices A fireless cooker, or hay box, may be easily made at very little expense. Frame. — One can buy a box at any grocery store for a few cents, or an old ice box or old trunk will serve. In selecting a box, choose one made of heavy boards so hinges and a hasp may be put on firmly and well. The box must be considerably longer than the kettle which it is to contain. Kettle. — The kettle is the next thing to be considered. A large six or eight quart kettle, the shape of a conmion tin pail, and having a tightly fitting cover, is best. A small agate pail holding one quart may be bought in case one may sometimes wish to prepare two things at once, such as stew and a steamed pudding, in which case the small pail will hold the pudding. Packing. — The packing material, known as " insulating packing," may be of straw, soft hay, wool, excelsior, news- paper, sawdust, or groimd cork, etc. Wool is probably the Digitized by Google THE HOME MAKER'S DUTY TO HERSELF 223 best heat retainer, and may be bought at woolen mills or elsewhere for about 38 cents per pound. Being very Ught, much goes to the pound. If one cannot get wool, cheap cotton batting, or hair such as is used by plasterers, may serve. Method of Packing the Box. — To exclude air and avoid danger of catching fire, line the box and cover with several layers of newspaper or asbestos, putting it on smoothly. Put on the bottom of box four or five inches of the insulating packing selected for this purpose, covering top layer with a sheet of asbestos. Make a cardboard case by sewing to- gether three or four thicknesses of cardboard or, better still, sheets of asbestos, to fit closely aroimd the kettle or pail.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

A woman in this position often wastes much nervous energy by fretting over unaccomplished work. She grows nervous and irritable in the useless effort to get things done which are quite beyond her strength. Then, too, when the night comes on, the other members of the family do not always return from the day's work with a cheery and helpful spirit, but bring home with them the perplexities of the workaday world outside. But the mother or home maker is expected to be unfailingly pleasant, cheerful, and patient, and to smooth out all difficulties, no matter how worn or tired she may be. Now this home maker should not forget that she has a duty to herself. She should learn to plan to save strength and energy by having cooking utensils near the cooking table, and the table near the sink and stove; by sitting down when preparing vegetables and other food, and, in pleasant, mild weather, by doing such work on the back porch, in the fresh Digitized by Google air ; and if she could learn to take a few minutes' rest during each day, by lying or sitting down, if for but five minutes, completely relaxing, or, in other words, ** letting go " muscle, brain, and nerve, she would find that she would be refreshed and strengthened for her work. There are to-day many labor and strength saving devices for the busy home maker, such as electric or hand power washing machines, fireless cookers, vacuum cleaners, bread mixers, food choppers, etc. They are investments, not expensive luxuries, and an effort should be made by prudent planning to get the money together with which to buy them, as they so greatly save the strength of the housekeeper. There are so many of these things on the market that only a few can be mentioned in this book. Labor-saving Devices A fireless cooker, or hay box, may be easily made at very little expense. Frame. — One can buy a box at any grocery store for a few cents, or an old ice box or old trunk will serve. In selecting a box, choose one made of heavy boards so hinges and a hasp may be put on firmly and well. The box must be considerably longer than the kettle which it is to contain. Kettle. — The kettle is the next thing to be considered. A large six or eight quart kettle, the shape of a common tin pail, and having a tightly fitting cover, is best. A small agate pail holding one quart may be bought in case one may sometimes wish to prepare two things at once, such as stew and a steamed pudding, in which case the small pail will hold the pudding. Packing. — The packing material, known as " insulating packing," may be of straw, soft hay, wool, excelsior, newspaper, sawdust, or ground cork, etc. Wool is probably the Digitized by Google THE HOME MAKER'S DUTY TO HERSELF 223 best heat retainer, and may be bought at woolen mills or elsewhere for about 38 cents per pound. Being very Ught, much goes to the pound. If one cannot get wool, cheap cotton batting, or hair such as is used by plasterers, may serve. Method of Packing the Box. — To exclude air and avoid danger of catching fire, line the box and cover with several layers of newspaper or asbestos, putting it on smoothly. Put on the bottom of box four or five inches of the insulating packing selected for this purpose, covering top layer with a sheet of asbestos. Make a cardboard case by sewing together three or four thicknesses of cardboard or, better still, sheets of asbestos, to fit closely around the kettle or pail.

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