American Woman's Home: Or, Principles of Domestic Science;: Being a Guide to the Formation and Maintenance of Economical, Healthful, Beautiful, and Christian HomesStowe, Harriet Beecher
Religion
American Woman's Home: Or, Principles of Domestic Science;: Being a Guide to the Formation and Maintenance of Economical, Healthful, Beautiful, and Christian Homes
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Home economics
In offering these examples of various modes of systematizing, one
suggestion may be worthy of attention. It is not unfrequently the case,
that ladies, who find themselves cumbered with oppressive cares, after
reading remarks on the benefits of system, immediately commence the
task of arranging their pursuits, with great vigor and hope. They
divide the day into regular periods, and give each hour its duty; they
systematize their work, and endeavor to bring every thing into a regular
routine. But, in a short time, they find themselves baffled,
discouraged, and disheartened, and finally relapse into their former
desultory ways, in a sort of resigned despair.
The difficulty, in such cases, is, that they attempt too much at a
time. There is nothing which so much depends upon _habit,_ as a
systematic mode of performing duty; and where no such habit has been
formed, it is impossible for a novice to start, at once, into a
universal mode of systematizing, which none but an adept could carry
through. The only way for such persons is to begin with a little at
a time. Let them select some three or four things, and resolutely
attempt to conquer at these points. In time, a habit will be formed,
of doing a few things at regular periods, and in a systematic way.
Then it will be easy to add a few more; and thus, by a gradual process,
the object can be secured, which it would be vain to attempt by a more
summary course.
Early rising is almost an indispensable condition to success, in such
an effort; but where a woman lacks either the health or the energy to
secure a period for devotional duties before breakfast, let her select
that hour of the day in which she will be least liable to interruption,
and let her then seek strength and wisdom from the only true Source.
At this time, let her take a pen, and make a list of all the things
which she considers as duties. Then, let a calculation be made, whether
there be time enough, in the day or the week, for all these duties.
If there be not, let the least important be stricken from the list,
as not being duties, and therefore to be omitted. In doing this, let
a woman remember that, though "what we shall eat, and what we shall
think, and wherewithal we shall be clothed," are matters requiring due
attention, they are very apt to obtain a wrong relative importance,
while intellectual, social, and moral interests receive too little
regard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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