HowellsMyfriendcameintheotherday，beforewehadlefttown，andlookedroundattheappointmentsoftheroomintheirsummershrouds，andsaid，withafaintsigh，\"Iseeyouhavehadtheeternal—womanlywithyou，too.\"
I.
\"Isn\'ttheeternal—womanlyeverywhere？Whathashappenedtoyou？\"
Iasked.
\"Iwishyouwouldcometomyhouseandsee.Everyrughasbeenupforamonth，andwehavebeenlivingonbarefloors.Everythingthatcouldbetieduphasbeentiedup，everythingthatcouldbeseweduphasbeensewedup.Everythingthatcouldbemoth—balledandputawayinchestshasbeenmoth—balledandputaway.Everythingthatcouldbetakendownhasbeentakendown.Bagswithdraw—stringsattheirneckshavebeenpulledoverthechandeliersandtied.Thepictureshavebeenhiddenincheese—cloth，andthemirrorsveiledingauzesothatIcannotseemyownmiserablefaceanywhere.\"
\"Come！That\'ssomething.\"
\"Yes，it\'ssomething.ButIhavebeenthinkingthismatteroververyseriously，andIbelieveitisgoingfrombadtoworse.Ihaveheardpraisesofthethoroughhousekeepingofourgrandmothers，butthehousekeepingoftheirgranddaughtersisathousandtimesmoreintense.\"
\"Doyoureallybelievethat？\"Iasked.\"Andifyoudo，whatofit？\"
\"Simplythis，thatifwedon\'tputastoptoit，atthegaitit\'sgoing，itwillputastoptotheeternal—womanly.\"
\"Isupposeweshouldhatethat.\"
\"Yes，itwouldbebad.Itwouldbeverybad;andIhavebeenturningthematteroverinmymind，andstudyingoutaremedy.\"
\"Thehighesttypeofphilosopherturnsathingoverinhismindandletssomeoneelsestudyoutaremedy.\"
\"Yes，Iknow.IfeelthatImaybewronginmyprocesses，butIamsurethatIamrightinmyresults.Thereasonwhyourgrandmotherscouldbesuchgoodhousekeeperswithoutdangerofputtingastoptotheeternal—
womanlywasthattheyhadsofewthingstolookafterintheirhouses.
Lifewasindefinitelysimplerwiththem.Butthemodernimprovements，aswecallthem，havemultipliedthecaresofhousekeepingwithoutsubtractingitsburdens，astheywereexpectedtodo.Everynovelconvenienceandcomfort，everyarticleofbeautyandluxury，everymeansofrefinementandenjoymentinourhouses，hasbeensomuchaddedtotheburdensofhousekeeping，andthegranddaughtershaveinheritedfromthegrandmothersanundiminishedconscienceagainstrustandthemoth，whichwillnotsufferthemtoforgettheleastdutytheyowetothenaughtiestoftheirsuperfluities.\"
\"Yes，Iseewhatyoumean，\"Isaid.Thisiswhatoneusuallysayswhenonedoesnotquiteknowwhatanotherisdrivingat;butinthiscaseI
reallydidknow，orthoughtIdid.\"Thatsurvivaloftheconscienceisaverycuriousthing，especiallyinoureternal—womanly.IsupposethattheNorthAmericanconsciencewasevolvedfromtherudimentalEuropeanconscienceduringthefirstcenturiesofstrugglehere，andwasmoreorlessreligiousandeconomicalinitsorigin.Butwiththeadvanceofwealthandthedecayoffaithamongus，theconscienceseemstobesimplyconscientious，or，ifitisotherwise，itissocial.Theeternal—womanlycontinuesalongtheoldlinesofhousekeepingfromanatavisticimpulse，andnoonewomancanstopbecausealltheotherwomenaregoingon.Itissomethingintheair，orsomethingintheblood.Perhapsitissomethinginboth.\"
\"Yes，\"saidmyfriend，quiteasIhadsaidalready，\"Iseewhatyoumean.
ButIthinkitisintheairmorethanintheblood.IwasinParis，aboutthistimelastyear，perhapsbecauseIwastheonlythinginmyhousethathadnotbeenswathedincheese—cloth，ortiedupinabagwithdrawstrings，orrolledupwithmoth—ballsandputawayinchests.Atanyrate，Iwasthere.OnedayIleftmywifeinNewYorkcarefullytaggingthreeworn—outfeatherdusters，andputtingthemintoapillow—case，andtaggingit，andputtingthepillow—caseintoacamphoratedself—sealingpapersack，andtaggingit;andanotherdayIwasinParis，diningatthehouseofaladywhomIaskedhowshemanagedwiththethingsinherhousewhenshewentintothecountryforthesummer.\'Leavethemjustastheyare，\'shesaid.\'Butwhataboutthedustandthemoths，andtherustandthetarnish？\'Shesaid，\'Why，thethingswouldhavetobeallgoneoverwhenIcamebackintheautumn，anyway，andwhyshouldIgivemyselfdoubletrouble？\'Iaskedherifshedidn\'tevenrollanythingupandputitawayinclosets，andshesaid：\'Oh，youmeanthatoldAmericanhorrorofgettingreadytogoaway.Iusedtogothroughallthatathome，too，butIshouldn\'tdreamofithere.Inthefirstplace，therearenoclosetsinthehouse，andIcouldn\'tputanythingawayifIwantedto.
Andreallynothinghappens.IscattersomePersianpowderalongtheedgesofthings，andunderthelowershelves，andinthedimcorners，andIpulldowntheshades.WhenIcomebackinthefallIhavethepowdersweptout，andtheshadespulledup，andbeginlivingagain.Supposealittledusthasgotin，andthemothshavenibbledalittlehereandthere？Thewholedamagewouldnotamounttohalfthecostofputtingeverythingawayandtakingeverythingout，nottospeakoftheweeksofdiscomfort，andthewearandtearofspirit.No，thankgoodness——IleftAmericanhousekeepinginAmerica.\'Iaskedher：\'Butifyouwentback？\'
andshegaveasigh，andsaid：
\'IsupposeIshouldgobacktothat，alongwithalltherest.Everybodydoesitthere.\'Soyousee，\"myfriendconcluded，\"it\'sintheair，ratherthantheblood.\"
\"Thenyourfamousspecificisthatoureternal—womanlyshouldgoandliveinParis？\"
\"Oh，dear，not\"saidmyfriend.\"Nothingsodrasticasallthat.Merelytheextinctionofhouseholdproperty.\"
\"Iseewhatyoumean，\"Isaid.\"But——whatdoyoumean？\"
\"Simplythathiredhouses，suchasmostofuslivein，shallallbefurnishedhouses，andthatthelandlordshallowneverystickinthem，andeveryappliancedowntothelastspoonandultimatetowel.Theremustbenocompromise，bywhichthetenantagreestoprovidehisownlinenandsilver;thatwouldneutralizetheeffectIintendbytheexpropriationofthepersonalproprietor，ifthatsayswhatImean.Itmustbeinthelease，withseverepenaltiesagainstthetenantincaseofviolation，thatthelandlordintofurnisheverythinginperfectorderwhenthetenantcomesin，andistoputeverythinginperfectorderwhenthetenantgoesout，andthetenantisnottotouchanything，tocleanit，ordustit，orrollitupinmoth—ballsandputitawayinchests.
Allistobesosacredlyandinalienablythepropertyofthelandlordthatitshallconstituteakindoftrespassifthetenantattemptstoclosethehouseforthesummerortoopenitforthewinterintheusualwaythathousesarenowclosedandopened.Otherwisemyschemewouldbemeasurablyvitiated.\"
\"Iseewhatyoumean，\"Imurmured.\"Well？\"
\"Someyearsago，\"myfriendwenton，\"whenwecamehomefromEurope，weleftourfurnitureinstorageforatime，whileweratherdriftedabout，anddidnotsettleanywhereinparticular.Duringthatintervalmywifeopenedandclosedfivefurnishedhousesintwoyears.\"
\"Andshehaslivedtotellthetale？\"