8–14 April 1839

Housekeeping. — Unroof any house, and you must find there confusion. Order is too precious and divine a thing to dwell with such fools and sinners as we all are.' . . . Incredible is it to me that in any family the work can be despatched from Monday to Monday again, all the year round, with sense and system. Then if the house is well kept, are the relations of the keepers, the men and women and children well and rever- ently observed, or are persons made things? On the whole, I am sure there is no house well kept : there go too many things to it.