House-thrift is homely, but beneficent.  Though unseen of the world, it makes many people happy.  It works upon individuals; and by elevating them, it elevates society itself.  It is in fact a receipt of infallible efficacy, for conferring the greatest possible happiness upon the greatest possible number.  Without it legislation, benevolence, and philanthropy are mere palliatives, sometimes worse than useless, because they hold out hopes which are for the most part disappointed.

How happy does a man go forth to his labour or his business, and how doubly happy does he return from it, when he knows that his means are carefully husbanded and wisely applied by a judicious and well-managing wife.  Such a woman is not only a power in her own house, but her example goes forth amongst her neighbours, and she stands before them as a model and a pattern.  The habits of her children are formed after her habits:  her actual life becomes the model after which they unconsciously mould themselves; for example always speaks more eloquently than words:  it is instruction in action—­wisdom at work.

First amongst woman’s qualities is the intelligent use of her hands and fingers.  Every one knows how useful, how indispensable to the comfort of a household, is the tidy, managing, handy woman.  Pestalozzi, with his usual sagacity, has observed, that half the education of a woman comes through her fingers.  There are wisdom and virtue at her finger-ends.  But intellect must also accompany thrift:  they must go hand in hand.  A woman must not only be clever with her fingers, but possessed of the power of organizing household work.

There must be Method.  The late Sir Arthur Helps observed, that “as women are at present educated, they are for the most part thoroughly deficient in method.  But this surely might be remedied by training.  To take a very humble and simple instance.  Why is it that a man-cook is always better than a woman-cook?  Simply because a man is more methodical in his arrangements, and relies more upon his weights and measures.  An eminent physician told me that he thought women were absolutely deficient in the appreciation of time.  But this I hold to be merely one instance of their general want of accuracy, for which there are easy remedies:  that is, easy if begun early enough.”

Accordingly, to manage a household efficiently, there must be Method.  Without this, work cannot be got through satisfactorily either in offices, workshops, or households.  By arranging work properly, by doing everything at the right time, with a view to the economy of labour, a large amount of business can be accomplished.  Muddle flies before method; and hugger-mugger disappears.  There is also a method in spending—­in laying out money,—­which is as valuable to the housewife, as method is in accomplishing her work.  Money slips through the fingers of some people like quicksilver.  We have already seen that many men are spendthrifts.  But many women are the same.  At least they do not know how to expend their husband’s earnings to the best advantage.  You observe things very much out of place—­frills and ruffles and ill-darned stockings—­fine bonnets and clouted shoes—­silk gowns and dirty petticoats; while the husband goes about ragged and torn, with scarcely a clean thing about him.