Fresh Industrial Opening.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 937, 14 February 1890, Page 4

Fresh Industrial Opening.

‘A Now York widow who was an excellent housekeeper when she had a homo of her own, is now turning her knowledge and experience to account to support herself. She keeps house for people who are too much occupied with the details of life elsewhere *o give all the attention to the'ie matters that they demard. She does it for bachelors as well as for families, and having made her con tract she comes once or twice a week for an hour or two. If it be a bachelor in chambers she is looking after, she i 3 getting cutins winter clothes, airing them to get rid of the smell of camphor in which they were packed, putting his summer garments away in the same chest ; looking over his underclothes, taking a stitch here and there, sewing on a button ; setting all his drawers in order, giving the whole place a thorough autumn cleaning, and getting the curtains up and carpets down, and the whole establishment oosy and comfortable for the winter. After he is once well in order it is only necessary for her to come once or twice a week to see that nothing is wanting. ‘ln the homes of rich women she spends more time. Here she looks after the proper care of precious bric-a-brac, and knows how costly frescoing, gilding, marblos, rare carpets and brocades must be treated to keep them from any injury in the cleaning. She looks after the cleaning of big services of rare plate, goes over the lists of linen closets, silver closets, china closets, and the kitchen utensils, to see that there is no stealage, breakage, or waste, and, when new thingi must be purchased, goes and does it. She keeps her eye on the plumbing, the cleanliness of the entire house, and markets twice a week, paying the bills and doing away with -the commissions to servants aud waste or theft in the kitchen. ‘ In some houses where there are children without mothers, she studies the question of the ventilation of their nurseries, the preparation of their food, and the proper warmth of their clothing. Her memory is, of course, an excellent one to be able to keep all these details in her head, and she has systematised her work so that she can keep house for a dozen families at once, and save enough in the proper care of the paint and furniture, and in the carelessness or dishonesty of servants, to more than pay for her wages.

* She is up by six, and three mornings in the week goes to market. She never attempts more than two or three households in a day, and gets through her labours by four o’clock, unless some ball or dinnerparty for that night makes it necessary to stay and see everything prepared.’