mice, and of how often carpets must come up. It is better, however, to
take up the larger aspects of the question, using such suggestions for
talks or papers as these: Has housekeeping lost some of its difficulties
to-day? What about modern appliances to avoid sweeping, and the like?
Has house-cleaning lost its terrors? Can the average woman consider
housekeeping as a profession? and if so, how and where can she best be
trained? Compare the modern housekeeper with the one of half a century
ago. Show how the trained housekeeper is a practical domestic economist.
Discuss, Business-like Housekeeping; How shall we best train our
daughters in it? If there is time, take up the servant question. Are our
ideas changing on this subject? Present the new plans for specialists,
with set hours, and the like.

X--GARDENS

This is one of the subjects which can be indefinitely expanded; indeed,
a whole year's study might easily be put on it.

Begin with a study of historic gardens from the earliest times, and read
Bacon's well-known essay. Then turn to the gardens of to-day, and begin
with the description of what can be done in an apartment when one can
have only window-boxes; take up the tiny plots behind city houses, and
show what can be done there, with vines over the fences, climbing roses
over a little arbor, narrow beds by the edge of the grass; show
pictures of what has been done, if possible.

The lawn and small yard of a suburban house can next be studied, and
here a little ingenuity can be shown to accomplish a great deal. Speak
of the use of bulbs; of little cold-frames; of raising grapes under
glass in a small way, and of annuals, shrubs, vines, and roses.

The large gardens of our modern country houses deserve especial mention.
Have as many pictures as possible of these. Notice the formal gardens,
the Italian gardens, the sunken gardens, the rose gardens, the massed
shrubs, the walls of brick and stone, covered with vines. The adjuncts
of the gardens are often most beautiful also, the pergolas, the marble
and terra-cotta vases and seats, the sun-dials, the fountains, the
lily-ponds, and the vistas cut through the trees.

Old-fashioned and herb gardens, kitchen and market gardens, growing
violets and roses to sell, and the raising of unusual seeds and plants
are all topics of interest both theoretical and practical.

CHAPTER XIII

NATURE

I--TREES

1. _Trees That Are Familiar to Us_--Our home varietie