Though we did not realize the success we hoped for by making the dress popular， yet the effect was not lost. We were well aware that the dress was not artistic， and though we made many changes， our own good taste was never satisfied until we threw aside the loose trousers and adopted buttoned leggins. After giving up the experiment， we found that the costume in which Diana the Huntress is represented， and that worn on the stage by Ellen Tree in the play of "Ion，" would have been more artistic and convenient.
But we， who had made the experiment， were too happy to move about unnoticed and unknown， to risk， again， the happiness of ourselves and our friends by any further experiments. I have never wondered since that the Chinese women allow their daughters' feet to be encased in iron shoes， nor that the Hindoo widows walk calmly to the funeral pyre； for great are the penalties of those who dare resist the behests of the tyrant Custom.
Nevertheless the agitation has been kept up， in a mild form， both in England and America. Lady Harberton， in 1885， was at the head of an organized movement in London to introduce the bifurcated skirt； Mrs. Jenness Miller， in this country， is making an entire revolution in every garment that belongs to a woman's toilet； and common-sense shoemakers have vouchsafed to us， at last， a low， square heel to our boots and a broad sole in which the five toes can spread themselves at pleasure. Evidently a new day of physical freedom is at last dawning for the most cribbed and crippled of Eve's unhappy daughters.
It was while living in Seneca Falls， and at one of the most despairing periods of my young life， that one of the best gifts of the gods came to me in the form of a good， faithful housekeeper. She was indeed a treasure， a friend and comforter， a second mother to my children， and understood all life's duties and gladly bore its burdens. She could fill any department in domestic life， and for thirty years was the joy of our household. But for this noble， self-sacrificing woman， much of my public work would have been quite impossible. If by word or deed I have made the journey of life easier for any struggling soul， I must in justice share the meed of praise accorded me with my little Quaker friend Amelia Willard.
There are two classes of housekeepers杘ne that will get what they want， if in the range of human possibilities， and then accept the inevitable inconveniences with cheerfulness and heroism； the other， from a kind of chronic inertia and fear of taking responsibility， accept everything as they find it， though with gentle， continuous complainings. The latter are called amiable women. Such a woman was our congressman's wife in 1854， and， as I was the reservoir of all her sorrows， great and small， I became very weary of her amiable non-resistance. Among other domestic trials， she had a kitchen stove that smoked and leaked， which could neither bake nor broil，朼 worthless thing，朼nd too small for any purpose. Consequently half their viands were spoiled in the cooking， and the cooks left in disgust， one after another.
In telling me， one day， of these kitchen misadventures， she actually shed tears， which so roused my sympathies that， with surprise， I exclaimed：
"Why do you not buy a new stove？" To my unassisted common sense that seemed the practical thing to do. "Why，" she replied， "I have never purchased a darning needle， to put the case strongly， without consulting Mr. S.， and he does not think a new stove necessary." "What， pray，" said I， "does he know about stoves， sitting in his easy-chair in Washington？ If he had a dull old knife with broken blades， he would soon get a new one with which to sharpen his pens and pencils， and， if he attempted to cook a meal杇ranting he knew how杘n your old stove， he would set it out of doors the next hour.
Now my advice to you is to buy a new one this very day！"
"Bless me！" she said， "that would make him furious； he would blow me sky-high." "Well，" I replied， "suppose he did go into a regular tantrum and use all the most startling expletives in the vocabulary for fifteen minutes！ What is that compared with a good stove 365 days in the year？
Just put all he could say on one side， and all the advantages you would enjoy on the other， and you must readily see that his wrath would kick the beam." As my logic was irresistible， she said， "Well， if you will go with me， and help select a stove， I think I will take the responsibility."
Accordingly we went to the hardware store and selected the most approved， largest-sized stove， with all the best cooking utensils， best Russian pipe， etc. "Now，" said she， "I am in equal need of a good stove in my sitting room， and I would like the pipes of both stoves to lead into dumb stoves above， and thus heat two or three rooms upstairs for my children to play in， as they have no place except the sitting room， where they must always be with me； but I suppose it is not best to do too much at one time." "On the contrary，" I replied， "as your husband is wealthy， you had better get all you really need now. Mr. S. will probably be no more surprised with two stoves than with one， and， as you expect a hot scene over the matter， the more you get out of it the better."
So the stoves and pipes were ordered， holes cut through the ceiling， and all were in working order next day. The cook was delighted over her splendid stove and shining tins， copper-bottomed tea kettle and boiler， and warm sleeping room upstairs； the children were delighted with their large playrooms， and madam jubilant with her added comforts and that newborn feeling of independence one has in assuming responsibility.
She was expecting Mr. S. home in the holidays， and occasionally weakened at the prospect of what she feared might be a disagreeable encounter. At such times she came to consult with me， as to what she would say and do when the crisis arrived. Having studied the genus homo alike on the divine heights of exaltation and in the valleys of humiliation， I was able to make some valuable suggestions.
