On the Preservation of a Good Temper in a Housekeeper Response

    “On the Preservation of a Good Temper in a Housekeeper,” by Catherine E. Beecher, is an excerpt dealing with women and housekeeping. It provides methods and examples of how to be a better housekeeper.
    A housekeeper according to Beecher is a woman that is in charge of the home and family. An “equable and cheerful temper” (249) is so important for the housekeeper because her mood determines the one of the family. A housekeeper in a bad mood will cause the entire family to be in a bad mood. But a happy housekeeper will cause a happy home and family.
    Beecher has a list of what a housekeeper should do in order to maintain a “cheerful temper and tone” (250) during ever day life.  A housekeeper should “regard her duties as dignified, important, and difficult.” (250) This means she should value her job so that when she accomplishes something it feels meaningful. A housekeeper needs to “be elevated above petty temptations.” (250) “For a woman deliberately to calculate on having her best-arranged plans interfered with... and to be in such a state of preparation, that the evil will not come unawares.” (251) Meaning a woman should plan on have her plans messed up and to be in a position to deal with the result. A housekeeper should “form all plans and arrangements in consistency with the means at command, and the character of those around.” (251) She should take on only what she can actually do. Next “system, economy, and neatness, are valuable, only so far as they tend to promote the comfort and well-being of those affected.” (251) A woman should make sure her family is alright before putting her system first. “The sixth method, relates to the government of the tones of voice.” (251) A woman should speak calmly and gently instead of in harsh angry tones. “Another method... is to cultivate a habit of making allowances for the difficulties, ignorance, or temptations, of those who violate rule or neglect duty.” (252) This means being understanding about your children not always following the rules and to be able to forgive people who don’t do what they should. The last method is that women need “to cultivate the habitual feeling, that all the events of her nursery and kitchen, are brought about by the permission of our Heavenly Father...” (252) This way complaints about what a woman does are really complaints about God.
    Beecher makes the assumption that women keep up the house and raise their family. She makes the assumption that women are in charge of their household. She assumes that the woman of the house is also the housekeeper and that the housekeeper is a woman. This is not always true. The woman of the house could be man as could the housekeeper.