A WORD TO HOUSEWIVES.
(To MC EDITOR or THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR, —I have small excuse for writing, but I write when some correspondent excites me to reply—so far I have always torn my letters up. It is many years since the first letter was destroyed. To-day it is the " Housewives " discussion which has set me at another letter. " A Horne Maker " seems to think that for a professional man's wife, unused to such toil, to run a house with- out servants and not to break down under the strain, is impossible, and I want to tell her it isn't, and that she must not discourage people who through poverty, or for patriotic reasons, are obliged to cut down their staff. I hove been without servants since June 10th, 1815, and I am quite well, and not a "nervous wreck." My family consists of myself, my husband (ineligible for Army), and four children; the son just twelve, and below him three little girls. I have done the cooking (learnt as a girl in a Belgian .onvent) and the housework (a weekly charwoman helps), and besides, I hare made nearly all my own and the little girls' clothes and hats, and washed and ironed all the clothes, except about half- avrown's worth, which goes out. With my son's help, I planted the little garden, and raised twelve good marrows, mint and parsley, and two or three hundred tomatoes in the greenhouse towards the national food supply. We had to fetch the manure from a livery stable, as they could not send as formerly before 1914. My grief in I can do no war work; I do envy the V.A.D.'s, and the women with time to help at the war depots. It is beeides more interesting to do something outside the home, something to show for one'e trouble. In my home work I use any labour-
a
sving device which after a trial has proved its usefulness, and I have learnt what to leave undone. I have very few ornaments, and sever anything euperfluous to make work. I do not pretend that the life is not hard, and sometimes I have to count over my blessings to cheer myself up and to keep going; but I do any that "A Home Maker" is wrong when she thinks that no gentlewoman is strong enough to run her home alone, without servants, and not get ill. I am sure I cannot be the only one, and I even have some leisure. I lead the Spectator every week, and the Thrice most days, and any new hooks I can Jay my hands on, and I help any children with their homework in term, and I do my beet to have some picnics and expeditions in the holidays. They are all looking forward to the Christmas-tree now. Please forgive my remonstrance to " A Home Maker." I hope you will not think my letter irrelevant, but she has mistaken the wisdom of Mr. J. S.
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