Gleaning From the Past

Good Monday morning to you all! It was a lovely weekend here. The temperatures are below normal and it was raining yesterday, giving my gardener the weekend off from watering. *grins*

I find myself in a seeking mood.  I am drawn to all things old.  I have a thirsty desire to glean from ages past, especially the late 1800's to early 1900's.    This knowledge that I am seeking is all about home keeping.

Last night I curled up with a couple good "books", I will call them books, for it was indeed from my computer that I read.  Gutenberg.org is one of my favorite sites.

The first is called, The Book of Household Management by Mrs. Beeton.  This book is more geared to a household with servants.  It was fun to read, anyway.  I just read the parts pertaining to the mistress of the house.  It has volumes on each servant's role.  Very interesting.  However, since I do not employ a house full of servants, the next book was more relevant. 


I also read bits from The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking by Helen Campbell. Some of the ideas are a little out dated, but there are real gems in these old books too.  I really liked the chapter entitled, "A Day's Work" in Mrs. Campbell's book.  The first sentence amused me.  Finally someone who understands! 

"It is safe to say that no class of women in the civilized world is
subjected to such incessant trials of temper, and such temptation to be
fretful, as the American housekeeper."

I like this quote, too. 

"In the beginning, then, be sure of one thing,--that all the wisdom you
have or can acquire, all the patience and tact and self-denial you can
make yours by the most diligent effort, will be needed every day and every
hour of the day. Details are in themselves wearying, and to most men their
relation to housekeeping is unaccountable. The day's work of a systematic
housekeeper would confound the best-trained man of business. In the
woman's hand is the key to home-happiness, but it is folly to assert that
all lies with her. Let it be felt from the beginning that her station is a
difficult one, that her duties are important, and that judgment and skill
must guide their performance; let boys be taught the honor that lies in
such duties,--and there will be fewer heedless and unappreciative
husbands."

I am also revisiting Mrs. Child's book, The American Frugal Housewife .  

I plan to look for more books in this line of thinking.  My library is in want 

of any that I can find on my own. 

Do you have any good old books you might 

recommend? (Or blogs?)