Pathway to Japanese Literature

First edition, October 1912

To Attain a Fortunate Life

First: do not easily grow angry; Second: do not envy others; Third: work so as not to waste time or possessions.
Should you uphold these three precepts without fail, anyone may assuredly attain a fortunate life.

It is said that people are born endowed with precisely enough sustenance for their lifetime, and likewise said that those who waste things shall know scarcity in old age.
Some may deem such notions improbable, yet upon earnest reflection, one comes to recognize their truth.
Pray consider this carefully.
When we labor with integrity, all hold us in esteem and find us indispensable; thus shall we never want for sustenance.
Yet there exists a limit to what any single person may achieve through toil.
None may pass their days in perpetual luxury.
Humankind receives neither excess nor deficiency at birth—it would seem we enter this world bearing an exact endowment for lifelong sustenance.
Should one thoughtlessly discard portions of this inheritance, inevitably shall provisions run short ere life’s end.
To handle tools carelessly until they break betrays equal wastefulness—this too constitutes squandering one’s birthright.
Foolish indeed is he who believes squandering another’s goods leaves his own store untouched.
Habits prove fearsome masters—particularly those etched into youth’s pliant soul, never to be shed through life’s span. Thus when those who heedlessly wasted their master’s chattel establish households of their own, though resolved henceforth to thriftiness, they find themselves powerless against ingrained proclivities—doomed thereby to lifelong wastefulness.
Even absent malice, when inconvenience prompts wastefulness, ’tis as though one daily cast away fragments of that lifetime treasure granted at birth—each discarded morsel matching each day’s negligence.
Small wonder then that such souls pass their years ever lamenting insufficiency.
If you aspire toward increasing fortune—surpassing each decade’s station as youth gives way to twenties, twenties to thirties, and beyond—then naught proves more vital than daily vigilance against the slightest waste.

It was thought that children of those who never learned prudent management and ended their lives in perpetual scarcity were born with meager blessings, while those who built fortunes within a single generation likely had parents and grandparents who lived conscientiously through successive ages, thereby leaving abundant blessings for their descendants.

Time is money, as the saying goes—to waste time equates to discarding money, just as wasting material things does.
To squander time through idleness leads to poverty—this truth everyone knows.
Unless one cultivates diligent work habits in youth without dismissing it as merely serving a master’s schedule, they become adults incapable of sustained physical industry.
A young woman still dependent on her parents while in service, who seeks out easy tasks and schemes to minimize her labor each day—such scheming amounts to devising ways to discard time.
To discard time means not only throwing away money but also casting aside wisdom.

It was said that time was money, but upon closer consideration, time was also wisdom.
It was something so precious that it could not even be compared to money.
While no amount of accumulated money could make a person wise, if one worked diligently without wasting time, not only could anyone acquire money, but their mind would also become wise and their body healthy.
Time was money, wisdom, and furthermore health.

A sloppy way of working—where something that could be done in one hour with proper effort ended up taking an hour and a half—discarded money and wisdom, and even weakened the body.
How could those who had worked diligently since youth, treasuring this precious time, possibly end up without attaining a fortunate life?

It is said that fortune comes to homes where there is laughter.
When one tends to get angry easily and works while irritated, such work never becomes part of one's being.
Those who fixate on others' happiness—envying this and coveting that—find their very souls detaching from their bodies.
Work that fails to become ingrained in one's being is what the God of Fortune detests most profoundly; moreover, it is said demons possess bodies from which souls have departed.
All girls who end up deceived and led astray are of this sort.
Not only do they avoid anger over trivial matters, but even when facing situations that would surely enrage most people, they endure with constant smiles—working selflessly at daily tasks until forgetting themselves. Around such individuals, the God of Fortune seems to draw near unnoticed.
When surrounded by the God of Fortune, one naturally finds constant cheerfulness and seldom grows angry over ordinary matters.
Those who grow angry over trifles should take this as proof that the God of Fortune has yet to surround them, and must strive earnestly to live diligently without complaint.
Since cheerful, diligent workers remain scarce in this world, the God of Happiness must indeed have ample leisure.
Thus by paying modest attention, inviting good fortune seems a rather simple matter.

Wise people and unwise people—

In any country, in any era, there exist both wise people and foolish people.
There is a vast difference between those with calm, attentive hearts and those whose hearts remain unengaged.

However, as people of old have said: “Though one’s form may be innate at birth, why should the heart not become wiser still?”
For young people who must henceforth devote themselves diligently to achieving ever-greater prosperity, I hope they will always maintain this resolve—if there existed a mirror reflecting the heart rather than one’s physical form—to desire to see the true state of their hearts.
For humanity to prosper, nothing matters more than possessing a wise mind.
Here, I wish to relate several matters that may serve as such mirrors for young people’s hearts.

A certain madam, having now finished the mounting work that had been troubling her for some time, thought she would take all the children to Ueno.
She could not leave without someone to watch the house, and she considered which of the two maids to take along.
Since the children were going, it would be more convenient to have someone thorough.
So the madam, though feeling sorry for Take-san, decided to have Haru-san accompany her.

After they had left, Take-san thought to herself.
"Because Madam shows favoritism only toward Haru-san, I find it truly disheartening..."
So naturally, my spirits grew gloomy, and I couldn't devote myself to my work.

Everyone returned.
She greeted them with "Welcome back," but even her welcoming face bore a shadow of gloom.
What would Madam think?
Though it was understandable that her efforts naturally waned from being made to stay behind, this inadequate cleaning remained troubling—if only she were more attentive in all matters, one could feel assured whether leaving her behind or taking her along—and thus, Madam would likely be disappointed with Take-san once again.

This time, all the children were invited to a certain house.
Since she had taken Haru-san to Ueno previously, she wanted to assign Take-san this time; however, as Take-san could not even manage house-sitting adequately, sending her with the children to another household seemed too precarious—thus, it was decided once again on Haru-san.
There should never have been any partiality from the start toward those who assist.
Since whether it be Take-san or Haru-san, the one who proves useful is valued, when Take-san—left alone on house-sitting duty—considered this and realized, "The reason I was assigned house-sitting today must be because Haru-san notices everything," what if she resolved henceforth to take utmost care and strive to become someone Madam could rely on?
If she were to devote herself fully to her work, perform splendid cleaning duties, and then greet them cheerfully—given that Madam’s heart overflowed with sympathy at having made her stay behind—then seeing Take-san complete her cleaning even more thoroughly than usual while waiting without resentment would lead Madam to think, "Take-san has recently come to understand something significant," and next time they would likely make arrangements to take Take-san along instead.

However, Take-san might perhaps say.
"What’s even interesting about going to Ueno?"
"It’s better to just lie down comfortably instead."

Is this what constitutes a wise mind?
When someone shows a joyful countenance even in trivial matters, anyone would naturally wish to do more for them; yet on days when one like Take-san behaved sullenly, all would inevitably deem her an unendearing girl.

"Even if the mistress here doesn't favor me, there are plenty of other households where I could work," Take-san might say again.
Could such an attitude be considered wise?
If one cannot prove reliable in one household, it will likely be the same in any other.
If someone becomes disliked by a single person, would it not remain so even if they went elsewhere?

This morning, she was told the rice was hard.
In the afternoon, she was told that the side dish had been poorly prepared.
"What a fussy Madam she is," Take-san thought again.
Could that truly be called a wise mind?
To have one's painstakingly prepared dishes called unpalatable proves equally painful for the critic.
Who would willingly choose to utter such reproaches?
Since these morning and noon failures stemmed from my own inadequacies, I resolved to take utmost care from tomorrow onward and cook the rice properly.
What exactly had gone wrong today?
Might it have been careless water measurement? Or perhaps excessive heat ruined the side dish?
Were I to analyze thusly, surely my skills would progress steadily—tomorrow surpassing today, each day outdoing the last.

A wise woman, in this way, comes to be cherished by all, gradually masters her work, and ultimately achieves advancement, while an unwise woman must spend her life voicing complaints and dwelling in dreariness.

To Avoid Wasting Free Time

During evening free time, one must not think it acceptable to doze off, engage in idle chatter, or become engrossed in frivolous reading material, but should instead cherish their free time and dedicate it to worthwhile pursuits.

For anyone who has a duty, after fulfilling that duty, there must be time that is solely their own.
You all must also sit quietly and consider your own affairs after completing your day’s duties.
Not only must you reflect, but you must also accomplish the immediate tasks surrounding yourself and study for your future.
Immediate tasks refer to things such as writing necessary letters or diligently doing sewing to maintain a neat appearance at all times.
Studying for the future refers to learning writing or reading instructive books.

Keeping a diary has become something of a trend these days, but there are matters one must consider regarding it.
Keeping a diary can indeed bring various benefits when done properly; however, I consider it utterly useless to spend twenty to thirty minutes each night—precious free time when one must also engage in self-study and sewing within an hour and a half to two hours at most—droning on about how the day was so scorching it felt bone-crushing, so freezing it made one want to weep, or how receiving scoldings proved disagreeable.

Day after day, there were maids who wrote in their diaries—with unpracticed hands—about criticisms of guests who had visited that day and trivial events that had occurred in the main household, and others who filled their pages with nothing but complaints about leftovers: "Leftovers again today, leftovers again today." I recently heard tell of such examples from your own accounts in a certain place.
Now, regarding these leftovers: in that household—with neither elderly nor children present, and with the master often away—the diligent Madam, to avoid hassle at every meal, would meticulously prepare simmered dishes over the charcoal brazier beside her sewing.
Given the small household size, it was indeed common for the noon simmered dish to remain into the evening and even the next day; yet each time, she took care to ensure the same side dish rarely continued consecutively—when it did persist, she would thoughtfully add something different as an accompaniment. That the maids’ diaries showed no awareness of this consideration, despite being not entirely ignorant of it, made one truly think such diaries were an appalling thing.

Since they were constantly occupied within the household, day after day the only matters that came to their attention were those pertaining to the house itself.
As these were daily occurrences, it stood to reason that not every day could be filled with interest and amusement.
Thus when they wrote, it naturally tended toward such matters.
What resulted was less a diary than something resembling a catalog of faults and grievances—first and foremost bringing shame upon the writer.

If one wished to keep a proper record, then when learning a new dish they might note its preparation method; when taken to visit some novel place, document that experience; or when hearing something of future use, commit it to paper—for such entries would provide both pleasure and practical benefit when revisited later.

Writing letters to various friends without any real purpose not only turns one's precious free time into waste but benefits neither party.
It goes without saying that sending well-composed letters to parents—and to friends as well—remains a commendable practice.

You may think it difficult not to rest during free time, but as you can see with us, we work as long as we are awake.
And that is only natural for humans.
To quietly relax and take one’s time during meals; to earnestly complete tasks with efficiency; after finishing major duties scattered throughout the day, to sit down or lean back—gazing at the sky while thinking “Ah, today was beautiful,” or reading a newspaper—such moments of leisure must be created.
Our greatest rest is sleep.
Housewives must ensure sufficient sleep hours, while you all should find true happiness not in reading books after entering bed or forgetting to turn off lights, but in retiring properly and sleeping without restless dreams.

Furthermore, when free time concludes, you must not forget to organize thoroughly both your immediate surroundings and all items present in each room under your charge according to separately designated roles, ensuring that by morning there will be nothing left to tidy up and you can immediately commence work.
And since I do not think that would take even thirty minutes, if time remains before bedtime at ten o'clock, you all may relax and converse together.

Savor and partake of your meals.

Table manners are regarded as extremely important both now and in the past, in both the West and Japan, and those who eat in an ill-mannered way are even said to be evidence of a base character.
One must eat without haste, calmly and leisurely, savoring the rice, soup, and other side dishes thoroughly; when something seems ill-prepared, reflect on why that might be, so that one may resolve to adjust things better next time.

If one engages in ill-mannered eating habits—such as gulping down tea-soaked rice or dousing rice with spicy stew broth—they will end up utterly failing to discern whether the rice is hard or soft, properly washed or not, or whether side dishes are poorly seasoned; thus, even when boiling a single block of tofu, they might sometimes overdo the soy sauce or add too much sugar, yet remain entirely unbothered by such inconsistent cooking until someone scolds them.
Since the number of household members remains fixed, the amount of stew typically prepared stays mostly consistent.
Therefore, if one pays a little attention, they can generally discern how much soy sauce and sugar are needed to properly season this stew.
As for the daily preparation of rice and miso soup, this holds all the more true; I believe these two must first and foremost be made delicious with consistent balance every day.

If one always maintains such considerations in daily life, even when being told to do this and that regarding cooking, one will fully comprehend the reasons behind the instructions, and misunderstandings will likely decrease.

I believe it would be good to cultivate the valuable habit of paying attention to all matters by first practicing the act of savoring one’s food when eating.
If one merely prepares fish dishes uniformly—simmered or grilled—and eats them thinking they all taste the same regardless of preparation method, then one will naturally be unreliable in all matters.

Two Principles

I believe that in any work, there are two essential principles to keep in mind when performing tasks.
The first is that work has an order; the other is the disposition to carry tasks through to completion.

You have all learned sewing before. There is naturally an order both to cutting fabric and to each step of stitching. Should you ever disregard this sequence and work haphazardly, you would struggle endlessly—no matter how many garments you sew, your skills would never progress. Moreover, whether working on hems, cuffs, or sleeve linings, unless you resolve to meticulously complete every prescribed detail without avoiding difficulties, your sewing cannot possibly achieve neatness.

Not only sewing but cleaning, tidying up, laundry—to elaborate, even making miso or cutting pickled vegetables—all required maintaining proper order and possessing the resolve to carry tasks through to completion.
If one left ground miso sitting there while searching for the miso strainer, allowed miso residue to remain in the washed grinding bowl, served pickles with rice bran still clinging to them, or left the nukamiso unpressed after scooping it out—then it was no wonder she’d be called a woman who couldn’t prepare soup properly or serve pickles correctly.

Even when tidying up after a meal，if one carried dirty dishes over leftovers，left the teapot forgotten over there，or had rice grains scattered here and there，it could not be said to have been properly cleaned.
First，one put away items like leftover soy sauce decanters into the cupboard；next organized surrounding objects such as chopstick boxes，teapots，and trays；then，using serving chopsticks，collected every remaining morsel from the dishes into a single container；stacked bowls，rice bowls，plates，and small plates respectively onto a tray；carried it to the sink area；thoroughly inspected for any fallen items；and only after gathering even the tiniest grains of rice did one wipe the dining table.
This task was something the family who dined there should do，but I wrote it down as a reference for all cleanup tasks.

At the sink: first discard remnants from the single container without scattering them; next pre-wash items starting with the least soiled; complete rinsing; place them in a draining colander; wipe once; cover with dry cloths; stack bowls and rice bowls separately on clean trays as before—ensuring no dish deviates from its proper place—then proceed to wash pots; finally wash cloths; clean sink surroundings and kitchen; launder cleaning rags; sweep dining room; meticulously rewipe dining table; then report cleanup completion.

Even when cleaning the bedroom in the morning, if one begins folding the bedding while leaving various items scattered about, the footing becomes poor and any nightclothes left out become soiled.
First tidy the items placed by the bedside, then hang the removed sleepwear on the clothes rack to air in sunlight. Once nothing remains in the vicinity, carefully fold the bedding and store it properly according to protocol.
Next, dust all portable containers in the room, carry them out to the adjoining room, and after sweeping, return every item to its original position.
Should you enter a room declared cleaned only to find the desk askew, floor cushions stacked in the left corner instead of the right, or objects left atop the wardrobe without being properly stored away, then that room cannot be considered truly cleaned through to completion.

I consider it a common failing among many young helpers that they proceed with work thoughtlessly—neglecting proper sequence, acting haphazardly here and there—leaving all tasks half-finished and incomplete. Though we may go to great pains to entrust you with responsibilities, such conduct creates significant difficulties; yet beyond this, I believe nothing proves more vexing or shameful for each of you personally than being incapable of seeing any task through to proper completion.

Though yesterday’s miso soup contained tofu while this morning’s used scallions—a mere difference in ingredients—the essence remained that each day repeated largely identical routines. Therefore, even regarding every individual task beyond our direct instructions—be it determining how to clean this area or approach that chore—if you established your own procedures through careful consideration and applied them daily to laundry, cleaning, or any undertaking requiring effort; if you completed each task thoroughly with resolute determination within limited time rather than stopping at superficial effort; then not only would this relieve our burdens and increase your self-cultivation hours, but I believed each of you would gradually become wiser women—more dependable women of steadfast character.

As I always say, the difference between wise people and absent-minded people lies solely in this: those who pay attention to all matters and devote themselves fully to their work versus those who act haphazardly without restraint—nothing more distinguishes them.
When one remains attentive in all things, they progressively learn various matters; when one acts recklessly without restraint, it becomes mere hand motions—like a puppet’s movements—leaving no lasting impression upon the heart.

Are you not forgetting to use your eyes and mind?

Those of us who sat while working tended to find our limbs becoming less responsive.
Therefore, I was both impressed and envious when I saw how actively you all worked day to day.
However, there was one thing I always found puzzling when observing all of your work habits.
It appeared that each of you was forgetting that you possessed both eyes and a mind.

Even though they should have swept the kitchen’s geta-removal area that morning, yesterday’s umbrella remained propped up until around noon; when observing them sweep the garden, they would roll large items like scraps of paper around with their broom tips from start to finish without picking them up; when watching them wash dishes and pots, despite applying considerable force with their hands, they often failed to clean them thoroughly; wiped trays in streaky patterns; hung laundry on poles by placing thin items in high areas with strong sunlight and thick items below; and when stacking folded clothes, placed Japanese summer kimonos—which should ideally settle softly—on top of the children’s Western-style clothes that needed to remain fluffy. Even counting only what had caught my eye over those past two or three days, there seemed to be quite a number of such instances.
Were you not simply moving your hands and feet while forgetting to use your eyes and mind?

Otherwise, when sweeping the geta-removal area, they would likely notice their own umbrella left there from yesterday.
If there were an umbrella, they would likely think to spread it out to dry.
If their eyes were truly engaged, it would be unthinkable to let broom tips roll around obviously accumulating paper scraps all across the garden.
If their minds were truly engaged, wouldn’t they necessarily think that such things should first be picked up and put into the dustpan for proper disposal?

It was mistaken to think that merely moving one’s hands would suffice to wipe trays properly.
The fact that they nonchalantly carried out trays left streaked stemmed from failing to use their eyes while working; their failure to notice that after wiping with a damp cloth one must thoroughly wipe again with a dry cloth proved they were not using their minds.
When laundering as well, one had to first assess the soiled areas: briskly washing clean sections while scrubbing dirty spots repeatedly until confirming they were thoroughly clean before proceeding; similarly during rinsing, unless employing both eyes and mind, not even a single laundry item could be truly completed properly.

As I have often remarked, being unpracticed in such matters, my hands and feet do not move as much as yours do. Yet when I tend to the kitchen myself, it becomes tidied more orderly than when all of you work together. Though these may be clumsy hands and feet, this occurs because the mind and eyes take precedence, remaining constantly engaged. I do not mean to say hands and feet are unimportant. However, whether handling great matters or small, it falls to the mind to impose order upon human tasks, while the eyes must ceaselessly monitor and oversee the work of hands and feet. To move only one's limbs without employing the ordering mind or watchful eyes would be like laboring in utter darkness.

In particular, there were numerous times throughout the day when tasks required little physical strength from the hands and feet but had to be performed primarily with the eyes and mind.
A recent example was that the child had stopped eating porridge and had recently started eating rice, so for the time being, I had requested that the rice be cooked softer than usual.
They had been doing well every day, but I could tell just by looking that that morning’s rice was a bit hard.
Yet they failed to notice and were attempting to serve it as-is.
Had their eyes and minds been properly engaged, they should have immediately noticed the rice’s hardness upon glancing at it.
And then they ought to have realized without delay that the child’s portion needed to be made into porridge.

If your eyes and mind remain unfocused, you will unknowingly neglect essential tasks.
While hands and feet may be summoned when work arises and still manage timely completion, eyes and mind must remain ever active save during nightly slumber.

Though adequate during service when overseers guide your movements, persisting thus would mean establishing a household only to bungle tasks perpetually, mismanage domestic affairs utterly, and rear joyless children.
Just as sedentary limbs lack vigorous motion, young workers' minds naturally overlook complexities; yet in daily mundanities should resolve foster attentiveness, no eye or mind could possibly fail its function.

Precisely because you all do not use your own heads and eyes, those delegating tasks must constantly act as substitutes for your eyes and minds—and the more hired help employed, two for every one, the more exhausting this becomes.
In households that truly utilize a large staff of maids, it seems the mistress finds no leisure at all and rather ends up with less time to go out.
In such cases, those employed would also feel restricted, as if being led about by reins.
I believe working by vigilantly employing your own eyes and mind without needing others to correct you would prove much more enjoyable and motivating.

From now on, even if there remain dirty spots on the wiped engawa veranda, even if the laundry is poorly done, I shall refrain from saying, "This area is still so filthy," and instead ask, "Is this work done using your eyes and mind?" Please make sure to use your eyes and mind before being asked such questions.

The Method of Cleaning

I believe it is crucial to first and foremost keep in mind that the foundation of cleaning lies in knowing where items belong.
If you do not know where things belong, cleaning cannot be done properly at all.
The placement of items is always fixed in each household.
You must take care to ensure there are no mistakes.

For any small kitchen items not assigned specific locations by the mistress, you must determine their designated spots yourself; for certain items, you should seek the mistress’s instructions on where to place them, and under no circumstances should you carelessly leave anything without a determined location.
If even a single item in a household lacks a designated place, or if there are items whose locations are fixed yet remain unknown to some, or if servants who know the locations carelessly fail to maintain them properly, the house becomes disordered and unpleasant, necessitating constant searches for things throughout the year—thereby increasing everyone’s workload all the more.

Please be sure to remember that the foundation of cleaning lies in properly organizing where items belong.

When tidying a room for cleaning, one must first remove all items that do not belong there and ensure they are returned to their designated places (items such as tea utensils that cannot be stored until washed should be taken to the washing area).

Once every item that should not remain in the room had been carried out without exception and each had been put away in its respective location, one would open the shoji screens on the side where dust would be swept out; dust the fixtures in the room—such as the hibachi, zabuton cushions, and desks—with a feather duster and carry them out to the adjoining room; close off the space between this room and the adjoining room; dust the shoji screens; next meticulously sweep out the interior; thoroughly reorganize the items carried out to the adjoining room (including carefully wiping down desks and hibachi); then carry them back in and position each correctly in its proper place.

This was the general sequence for indoor cleaning.

Regarding the method of initial tidying, I will now explain in greater detail.

When first removing items that do not belong to the room, if there are food items among them—such as a confectionery dish bearing arranged sweets—these must be put away foremost.
This occurs because leaving food items there while moving about to tidy will allow dust to settle upon them.
Even when not food items—such as cloth goods or lacquerware—anything that would prove more troublesome if dust accumulates must similarly be prioritized for storage.

Moreover, when observing how most maids tidy up, they tend to fixate on large items and want to move those first; however, even if one plucks out a large item from amidst numerous small ones scattered about, not only does the area afterward look not the least bit tidier—it instead appears even more disorderly, making the tidying feel all the more troublesome—but also carrying large items around amid small ones strewn here and there becomes a source of breakage.
When you start by deftly tidying small items first, even if large ones still remain, the room will appear increasingly orderly with each thing you put away—this serves as encouragement for your continued tidying and makes you seem remarkably adept at managing the task to any observer.

By applying and considering the above logical sequence, the kitchen can also be kept sufficiently clean.

What must be reiterated in conclusion is that when cleaning any single room, one must not leave even one item that does not belong there within that space.
Moreover, even within the same room, placing objects meant for this corner into that corner—no matter how insignificant—remains absolutely impermissible.

When a child leaves a magazine atop the dresser (though of course the child bears fault here and must be separately instructed), the maid responsible for cleaning that room leaves it untouched.
Next comes a regular merchant bearing a hand towel as a mid-year gift.
Someone again places it upon the dresser.
With two or three items already accumulated there, other maids and children begin treating the spot as some makeshift storage area, piling object upon object.
Before long it grows mountainous—whenever anything goes missing, people instinctively search there first despite its absence, simply because various things lie heaped there.
Since even a single magazine left out inevitably seeds such disorder, each individual must remain vigilant while those tasked with morning and evening cleaning must exercise particular care to leave no item misplaced, returning everything to its proper station.
For deliveries received during absences or items of uncertain placement, consult the housewife.
Should she be unavailable, place them upon the designated temporary shelf and ensure you seek instructions later without fail.
Even when storing items in drawers, consistently placing what belonged on the right end onto the left will inevitably cause fumbling during retrieval.
Failure to reliably return objects to their precisely designated locations marks one as a woman fundamentally incapable of proper cleaning.

Next came cleaning methods. When wielding a feather duster, most people appeared to face shoji screens directly and strike only the paper with vigorous force—this would not do. By standing diagonally and targeting the screen frames themselves, dusting each sequentially with light strokes until sufficient particles fell away, the paper naturally became properly clean through this process alone. To achieve truly thorough dusting, one first stood diagonally facing away to completely clean all four panels where four existed; then turned orientation to continue dusting sequentially from the last cleaned panel onward—thus ensuring every side of each screen frame received meticulous attention. When pressed for time however, it proved acceptable to clean from this side during morning chores and from the opposite side during evening cleaning.

When taking up the broom to sweep—whether dealing with the fusuma doors of closets, those between rooms, or the veranda's shoji screens—each must be opened individually before sweeping.
Dust remaining on thresholds proves particularly unsightly.
Especially when opening closet fusuma, one must not only sweep the threshold but move aside any temporarily placed items to sweep as far into the closet interior as possible.
The sweeping method that flips up dust with broom tips remains unacceptable.
This threshold-dusting approach has reportedly been termed "blind cleaning" in certain households.
Those blessed with functional eyes must refrain from practicing such blind cleaning.

The Method of Wiping with Cleaning Cloths

To thoroughly perform wiping and consistently keep the veranda and counter clean, it is essential to first determine the number of cleaning cloths required.
This is because if you use a single cleaning cloth to wipe both wooden floors and water spilled on tatami mats, and continue using it from morning till evening, the cloth will inevitably become soiled, rendering the wiping ineffective.

When you consider it, the number of cleaning cloths required is surprisingly large. Excluding expansive households, even in an average home using the method I will describe here, you would first need three cloths for the tatami rooms, two for the kitchen, two for instances when water is spilled in the tatami rooms, another two for the kitchen, three for shelf wiping, two for the dining table, and two for the toilet—upper and lower areas. With just this rough calculation, fifteen or sixteen cloths become absolutely necessary.
And for those cleaning cloths and counter wipes, you must mark which is for where with stitched labels.
Moreover, you must also be sure to determine a designated storage place for each of these items.
You must designate an appropriate outdoor drying pole for cleaning cloths; a separate storage place for kitchen wipes; within the house, a spot for kitchen wipes; a place for cloths used when water is spilled in the tatami rooms; and similarly, a designated area for kitchen use.

The number of buckets and their storage locations must also, of course, be determined.

Some people may think there are too many cleaning cloths.
That is because they are used in this manner.
The fundamental issue with wiping with cleaning cloths is that if you attempt to clean a somewhat long corridor using a single cloth—washing it, wiping, then washing again to wipe further ahead—having to change the water each time becomes bothersome, so gradually the water inevitably becomes murky.
Using even slightly murky water for wiping will cause the wooden floors to turn black.

Therefore, when beginning morning wiping starting from the tatami rooms, first take five cleaning cloths in total—for tatami rooms and verandas—which have been washed clean and hung outside on poles; rinse all five at the well with water, wring them tightly, place them in a bucket and bring it along; once all five cloths have been used, wash them all at once in fresh water before wiping again in this manner.
By doing this, you will never use a single drop of dirty water.
If the house is large, rather than washing them many times over, it is better to increase the number of cleaning cloths.
When you finish wiping, change the water several more times, thoroughly wash all the cleaning cloths, leave one tatami room cloth aside, and hang the rest back on the outdoor pole as before.

The method for using the four kitchen cloths followed the same principle.

After finishing wiping in the morning and evening, all but one of the cleaning cloths were hung on the drying pole.
One was kept for interim use—when water spilled in the tatami room or when the kitchen required spot cleaning.
Following established storage protocols—and because morning-used cloths remained damp—a dry replacement was prepared.
After using two tatami room cloths, they were washed then alternately carried to and retrieved from the drying pole.
One tatami room cleaning cloth was always placed at each designated location.

Therefore, in addition to the three tatami room cloths and two kitchen cloths needed for morning and evening cleaning, two interim cloths each became necessary.

Always keep one bucket for used cleaning cloths at the kitchen area, establishing a routine of washing and spreading out interim cloths after each use.
(Leaving soiled cleaning cloths bunched up while still dirty becomes a source of filth within the house.)

For dining table cloths and shelf cloths, one made it a practice to wash and spread them out after every use; each day thoroughly cleansing yesterday’s used ones with soap before hanging them on the drying pole, then replacing them with those dried the previous day.
When wiping shelves—since water remained readily accessible nearby—one took care to rinse the cleaning cloth repeatedly.

When wiping with a cleaning cloth, one was not to sweep across long stretches swiftly in a single motion; instead, applying full force with both hands through small, precise movements ensured the cloth made contact with each spot two or three times.

Moreover, I believe thickly made cleaning cloths are unsuitable because they dry poorly, do not adhere well to floorboards, and prove inconvenient when wiping corners.
A piece of cloth about the size of a regular hand towel will make exactly one cleaning cloth.
Especially the large cotton bags sold by cotton merchants—when cut and used directly as cleaning cloths—absorb water well and prove truly effective.

Do not forget to occasionally wash the tips of brooms and the soles of kitchen clogs with soda water.
Even clean tatami mats will turn black if swept with a dirty broom, and even wiped wooden floors will quickly become muddy if walked on with clogs that have dirty soles.

While one might initially think that anyone could handle cleaning and wonder if there could possibly exist a woman incapable of proper cloth-wiping, from what I observed, there seemed remarkably few housemaids who could truly clean properly or execute proper cloth-wiping techniques.
Should one diligently master these two skills, she would be prized as a cleanly woman and maintain an orderly household throughout her lifetime.

I had previously written about the principles of sweeping.
If one wipes exactly according to these instructions, the cleaning can certainly be performed to a standard that will earn praise from anyone.

Charcoal Fire Management

Powdered charcoal must never be allowed to accumulate at the bottom of the charcoal container.
When removing charcoal, debris must always be transferred to the designated powdered charcoal receptacle while ensuring not a single straw particle remains in the thoroughly cleaned container before replenishing fresh fuel.

Layering new charcoal atop residual fine particles at the container's base—then repurposing accumulated debris for portable stoves—is strictly prohibited.
The addition of fine charcoal to portable stoves not only clogs mesh openings but produces inferior combustion, rendering collection of residual embers in extinguishing pots impossible after completing simmered dishes.
Powdered charcoal placed within morning long-handled braziers—when ignited atop—maintains durability comparable to lump charcoal through sustained combustion.

No matter how well-lit the charcoal may be, if one carelessly dumps the remaining hard coals from the portable stove into a cold long-handled brazier using a shovel and arranges them haphazardly, the fire in the long-handled brazier will continually go out, forcing one to repeatedly relight it and prepare new kindling multiple times within a single day.
Needless to say, the long-handled brazier must be thoroughly cleaned every morning by digging out the fire pot well, then properly arranging two or three pieces of cut charcoal according to their size, placing kindling on top, first roughly gathering ash around it, rearranging everything properly once half-lit, and avoiding unnecessary stirring.

When dealing with the fire remaining in the portable stove after simmering dishes, if you have carefully arranged the fire in the long-handled brazier as described, it remains better to immediately collect it in an extinguishing pot rather than placing it on top of the brazier.
When preparing lunch and taking kindling from the long-handled brazier, remove one piece from the previously arranged cut charcoal; if you find the remaining fire insufficient after removal, insert a new piece of cut charcoal into the vacated spot and restore the original arrangement.
Even if the iron kettle hanging over the long-handled brazier has been thoroughly heated, should you remove all fire from the brazier while kindling remains, the boiled kettle will cool back to its original state, forcing you to hurriedly place it on the portable stove for reboiling.
This represents the height of wasted effort and fuel inefficiency.

The inefficiency of completely removing all fire from the long-handled brazier for kindling not only necessitated reboiling an already-boiled iron kettle, but charcoal—when left undisturbed in warm ash—lasts much longer, whereas fire placed in a cold brazier extinguishes quickly.
When taking kindling, repeatedly emptying and cooling the long-handled brazier's fire pot then arranging fire within that chilled container caused the arranged flames to die out unexpectedly fast.
As such accumulated practices led to household wastefulness, young people who would soon become householders needed to remain mindful of this for their future.

In households with children, there are many items to place on the brazier, such as rice porridge and other dishes.
When simmering dishes on a brazier—since there is generally no need to intensify the fire—if the prearranged fire suffices, leave it as is; should you judge it insufficient, loosen the gaps between existing charcoal pieces and add an appropriate amount of hard charcoal (preferably lump charcoal), then once it begins to catch fire swiftly sprinkle ash over it and let it simmer undisturbed.
After removing simmered dishes, be sure not to forget to cover them thickly with ash.

As an additional note, you must always keep a water pitcher prepared atop the long-handled brazier.
Needless to say, the copper kettle must be scrupulously washed clean each day; since rice porridge and similar dishes rest upon the brazier, you must ensure hot water from the copper kettle stands ready whenever the iron kettle cools—for tea and other necessities. After drawing this hot water, you must unfailingly replenish it from the designated water pitcher to avoid shortages. To lack fire or hot water not only breeds disarray but constitutes utter shame for those charged with kitchen stewardship.

"You might think, 'If only we had to deal with charcoal fires that take effort to light—but with gas and electricity, we can boil water anytime,'" but if you neglect the brazier fire, letting it frequently go out, and boil water with gas every time it’s needed—only to let it cool and have to reboil it—in households with many comings and goings, this becomes tremendously wasteful in terms of gas usage.
Not only does this result in wasteful gas consumption and damage to kettles, but you also end up expending that much more effort.

You must be aware that in tea ceremony there exists what is called sumi temae—to put it simply, the practice of preparing charcoal fires. The overall fire configuration, depending on whether the kettle, pot, stove, or portable charcoal stove placed beneath has too much or too little fuel, will result in poorly boiled water and unsatisfactory simmered dishes; whether using firewood or charcoal, depending on their kindling method and ignition quality, even a small amount might conversely produce strong firepower, while conversely, even when using large quantities proportionally, the fire’s effectiveness could prove entirely inadequate.

One cannot casually dismiss charcoal fire preparation as something anyone knows how to do.
As an old proverb states, a woman who skillfully builds fires becomes a woman who manages her household well.
Have you ever crammed charcoal sideways into hibachi or portable charcoal stoves with a crunching sound, only to find scorch marks from excessive heat clinging to every pot?

You may think boiling water over high versus low heat makes little difference, but try simmering tea leaves in gently heated water.
You must know the scum won’t rise properly, leaving them tough and inedible.
Conversely, attempt boiling them in violently bubbling water over an overly strong flame.
Uneven boiling occurs—another troublesome outcome.
Furthermore, excessively fierce flames prove remarkably damaging to pots, demanding constant vigilance.

Whether lighting a fire in a portable charcoal stove or building one in a hearth, if you cram charcoal or firewood too tightly, the compressed firewood will merely smolder while the charcoal naturally shifts away, resulting in no real firepower being generated.
Whether dealing with charcoal or firewood, take care not to pack them too closely together; arrange each piece of firewood to burn freely with vigorous flames, and similarly ensure each charcoal piece can fully ignite.
Daily scoop out ash from beneath both stove and bath, have a large ash sieve ready to sift the removed ash thoroughly, then place small embers into an extinguishing pot.

This essentially constitutes the fundamental principles of charcoal economy.
Not only regarding charcoal and firewood, but when one applies such attentiveness to all daily tasks, that person becomes wiser with each passing day.
Conversely, should one perform daily work distractedly—merely seeking to avoid any inconvenience—not only does everything become wasted (thereby diminishing each individual’s share of blessings as previously discussed), but their mind too shall gradually grow foolish.
Please reflect deeply upon how applying diligence to daily work to cultivate wisdom truly forms the foundation of a fortunate life.

Principles for Managing the Household in Absence

Skillful Handling of Children

When a housewife went out, what weighed on her mind most was the children.
The maid entrusted with the house who understood this concern and skillfully cared for them—how immeasurably joyful this must have been for the mother.

For example, such as washing hands before snack time or meals, wearing a table apron, small children taking naps at set times, or older children following certain routines upon returning from school—in every household, children had their own respective disciplines.
When the mother was away, it was of utmost importance to attentively and kindly care for them while ensuring not a single one of these rules was broken.

When a mother returned home after going out for unavoidable errands to find her children with disheveled hair and dirt-covered clothes, her youngest child having skipped their nap, school supplies left scattered on the veranda, and the doll—designated as a rarely brought out precious toy—discarded in the garden, she could not help but see how thoroughly the children had forgotten all discipline and run wild. Though she thought it fortunate no one had been hurt, imagining the disorder during her absence pained her deeply.

In contrast to this, when the children greeted their returning mother with proper appearances—the child back from school having neatly organized tools, hakama, and handkerchiefs in designated places; the young child having completed a nap as usual; and if there was a child taking medicine, they had still received medication as prescribed—the kindness of the person entrusted with managing the household became deeply gratifying.

Although children are inherently willful and there will inevitably be times when they do not easily heed anyone’s words, if you devise various methods—as though you were a kindergarten teacher—to skillfully enforce discipline, this will not only bring fortune to the children but also serve you well when you eventually become mothers yourselves.

Starting Work Early

When you return home thinking, “By now the room cleaning should be done and the bath heated,” you find the bath fire poorly lit or the children having scattered so many things that cleaning requires extra effort, leaving tasks still incomplete.
Even if you have made arrangements to complete tasks on time with due care, when situations occur such as forgetting to bring in the laundry amidst all this—though you manage without particular complaint since the mistress was away and it’s unavoidable—you still somehow feel unreliable.
For when delayed actions lead to rushing tasks like heating the bath fire—which may conversely make it difficult to ignite or cause it to extinguish midway—if you begin all tasks early during the mistress’s absence, whether room cleaning, laundry retrieval, or bath preparation, and work calmly, you will rarely make mistakes.

When she returned home thinking, "The cleaning must be done, but perhaps the bath isn’t ready yet," and they informed her that the bath had already been heated, everyone’s work during her absence appeared all the more commendable.

Taking Proactive Measures

When the morning weather had been fine and bedding was aired before going out, one could not help worrying whether they had thoughtfully brought it inside should an unexpected wind arise and stir up dust.
If upon returning one first saw the bedding still hung out amidst swirling dust; or though having brought in laundry when rain began, found the detached veranda’s glass doors left unclosed against the downpour; or despite having instructed “Let the children play outside today since it’s fine,” left them outdoors even when unexpectedly cold winds arose; or neglected to wipe down corridors turned gritty by afternoon winds—thinking “Floor wiping is only for mornings”—then this could not be called truly reliable house-sitting.
Not only matters like rain falling or winds blowing, but also situations where circumstances differed from what the housewife instructed upon departure—which frequently occurred in various forms—managing the household in absence became an opportunity for each person to practice initiative; I earnestly hoped you would approach this duty with the mindset that it offered its own rewards.

Keeping Records of Financial Transactions and Errands

Those entrusted with money must record each purchase in the current account ledger where it was deposited; those who took messages must write down both the names of visitors during the absence and tasks that must not be forgotten; and one must not neglect to place received mail in a designated location.

Harmoniously and Quietly

While it goes without saying that one must never scold children loudly or quarrel with peers during the mistress’s absence, becoming overly carried away—running about with the children, laughing and chattering in great commotion—means even the usually solemn-faced greengrocers and general store clerks who come to inquire about orders join in the uproarious laughter. Consequently, the voice at the entrance goes unheard, and when the maid who finally notices this emerges to declare, “Everyone is currently away,” imagine how dissatisfied the visitor must feel.
When maids are seen causing such commotions during the mistress’s absence, some may well consider that this suggests a usual lack of discipline.
Since such behavior would bring shame upon all those managing the household in absence, we must never allow it to occur; during the time when those in charge are away, living harmoniously with united hearts and yet quietly is the most crucial discipline for an unattended home—this is what we must never forget.

The principles for managing a household during absence contain nearly all the same level of work required for a housewife to govern an entire family: skillfully handling children, starting tasks early, taking proactive measures for unexpected events, carefully preventing ambiguity in financial transactions, and ensuring no reportable matters are forgotten.
I consider this the best possible practice for when you later maintain your own home.

When Going on Errands and When Receiving Visitors

When going on errands, you must take care to listen attentively to your instructions, committing to heart not only the words but their full meaning, so that no mistakes occur.
You must likewise calmly listen to and accurately discern the other party's response before returning.
Even when delivering the same message, it would be problematic if careless language from the errand-runner caused offense to the other party, or if—due to slight wording choices—an ordinary response from them were perceived here as though they were being overly deferential.

When receiving visitors at the entrance, you must remain calm and composed, listen carefully to what they say without misunderstanding, and usher them in appropriately.
There are also cases where carelessness occurs, such as mistakenly relaying surnames or mishearing the nature of the visit, resulting in turning away guests who had appointments.
Mistakes in relaying visitors occur when you scrutinize their clothing with staring eyes, think while listening to their message—"Ah, this person might have visited before"—or become overly surprised by their splendid appearance; when you take offense at their arrogance—"My, what an insolent guest!"—or deem them peculiar.
This is precisely what it means to strive to keep one’s mind free of thoughts and to perform the reception with composure and attentiveness in all situations.

This Will Make Children Like You

Children are inherently blunt; they’ll say things like “I love Take-san but can’t stand Haru-san!” If it were just once or twice, that would be one thing, but being told this constantly every day—even while recognizing it’s a child speaking—no one could feel good about it. If you must work regardless, how much better it would be to be beloved like Haru-san and care for them. How can one become liked by children?

Responding Well

Even when children called out “Haru-san! Haru-san!”, there were often times when her reply was not immediately heard.
Adults might think they hadn’t been heard because someone was absorbed in work or that their own voice had been too soft, but children showed no such consideration at all.
If no response came even after two or three calls, they would immediately become upset.
This would lead them to complain, “Mom, Haru-san doesn’t answer when we call her!”
When such incidents occurred repeatedly, the children would bluntly declare “I hate Haru-san!”, while Haru herself gradually ceased to find them endearing.

At first glance, one might consider that even a slight delay in responding when called by the master or mistress would seem quite rude, yet with young children, one might feel it matters less—so naturally, adults’ calls reach our ears swiftly, while we tend to become unintentionally lax when children call. However, I wish you to understand that responding when called by children is far more crucial than when called by adults.
For as I’ve previously stated, if a prompt response isn’t given when children call, they won’t consider that their voice might not have been heard but will quickly conclude Haru-san is at fault—thereby clouding those pure childish hearts and planting seeds of resentment.

When called by children, you must be even more attentive than when called by adults, responding promptly with a clear and pleasant reply.
Things like thinking they must be calling about something trivial again and thus pretending not to hear once out of every three times or replying reluctantly are foremost among what will make children start to dislike you.

Cheerfully fulfilling requested tasks

If one gave a pleasant response, they were next to promptly go to the calling child's side, cheerfully agree to the requested task, and even if other duties needed rearranging, it proved crucial to complete it immediately.
When called while working—if sewing, for instance—she might think, "I'll finish this stitch soon anyway," then rush to stop and stand up only to waste time; such occurrences happened frequently. Yet from the children's perspective, their growing impatience made them conclude Haru-san was truly inadequate.
Once children came to view Haru-san as bad, they absolutely never obeyed her again.
Since they refused obedience, managing childcare grew increasingly troublesome.

When called, she would promptly respond and always come out immediately with a smile.
Even something this simple brought children immense delight.
"I love Haru-san," they declared, and immediately placed their trust in her.
Once you had gained the children's trust and spoke kindly to them, children would surprisingly listen to what adults said.

Not Reprimanding with Harsh Words

When called by children, one must respond promptly and come out immediately.
She always handled their requests cheerfully—having diligently maintained such conduct toward children daily and thereby earned their trusting affection through declarations of “I love Haru-san.” When unavoidably occupied during a summons she would say, “Young Master, Young Miss, I’m currently attending to Madam’s such-and-such task—might you wait just a moment?”—whereupon the children would wait willingly.
Even if one were to protest, “But I’m in a hurry too,” and say, “Well, come here and see,”
most children would undoubtedly respond, “Oh, is that so?” and come to Haru-san’s side if told, “Haru is currently engaged in such tasks.”
At such times, were she to politely explain, “What do you need? I would gladly assist you right away—please look, I am occupied with this task but will finish shortly,” or depending on circumstances add, “I’m certain the Young Miss could manage that herself,” the children would become cooperative.

Even someone trusted by the children would, at such times, cause them to quickly become angry and storm off saying, “Fine then! We won’t have you do anything for us anymore,” if on that day she were to argue back with harsh words like, “No matter how much you say that, Haru cannot attend to it right now.”
And then we have the usual outcome: “I hate Haru-san.”

Being the Children's Ally

When you have no particular hindrance yourself and are called by a child to request some task, if that matter is something their mother has instructed them they must do alone, or if it is something they should not do, then it is better not to do it for them.
However, even when refraining from doing it for them, it is forbidden to harshly rebuke the children by saying, “Did Madam not instruct you to do such things by yourself?”
“It seems Madam did say it would be better for you to do such things by yourself.”
“If you simply say gently, ‘Haru is watching, so please try doing it yourself, Young Master,’ the children will surely listen.”

Even when a child had done something wrong alone, one was not to reprimand them by saying things like, “Oh dear, Young Master, I’ll have to report this to Madam.”
“That won’t do, so please stop,” resonated more with children’s hearts when said kindly.
Above all, one had to be careful not to use thoughtless reprimands like “What a truly unpleasant Young Master” or “This is utterly hopeless” for every little thing—such words from those caring for children were disagreeable even to overhear and became the root of why children came to dislike them.

When a child calls, recognize it as more important than when an adult calls and respond immediately.
When children request tasks, rearrange other tasks as much as possible and cheerfully fulfill them.
Do not reprimand children with harsh words.
Always be the children's ally and kindly assist them.
If you thoroughly keep all these things in mind, you will surely become a caretaker whom children like.
Not only will you become a caretaker, but this knowledge will also become extremely essential when you all later become mothers.

In This Way, Have the Children Eat Their Meals

You might think there could be nothing as simple as serving meals to children, but when you consider it properly, having young children eat well proves no easy task.

If you can skillfully have the children eat their meals during times when their mother is away or occupied, that would indeed count as one great achievement among your duties.

First—have you never considered that feeding young children truly requires profound patience?

They eagerly ate two or three mouthfuls but soon turned away.
It’s not that they didn’t want their meal, but playing around like this and that while eating was common for children.
In such situations, merely repeating “Hurry up and eat, hurry up and eat” would get you nowhere.
If you pestered them too much, they would say “I don’t want my food anymore!” and stand up to leave.
If you thought they truly disliked it and left it at that, they would soon get hungry and ask for snacks.
Thinking there hadn’t been enough rice, they gave them snacks.
However, snacks could not satisfy their stomachs.
They soon pleaded again.
Since they had been given some just earlier, you ended up giving them a little more again, which led to them nibbling away until finally they no longer wanted their next proper meal at all and instead grew increasingly mischievous while eating.
This was the first example of poor meal-serving methods.

Next, because merely saying “Hurry up and eat” proved ineffective, they often resorted to methods like pouring soup or tea over rice, mixing in flaked fish, and making children shovel it down quickly—a frequently occurring feeding approach.
Though appearing efficient initially, once they did this, children would immediately adopt the habit and demand soup-poured rice or tea-soaked rice at every meal.
You all surely know well that rice swallowed unchewed as tea-soaked rice becomes indigestible.
This constituted another poor feeding method.

Next, when there are two types of side dishes, children will become particularly fond of one and pay no attention to the other, devouring only their preferred choice with growing enthusiasm.
If told to eat this one as well, they will declare, “I hate that!”
At such times, you end up leaving it untouched with the rationale that another side dish remains available anyway.
When such situations recur repeatedly, they grow into adults who unreasonably pick at food—liking this and hating that—through sheer force of habit.

Depending on individual constitutions, there are people who prefer rich foods and those who favor light ones, but if from childhood you have meat-preferring children eat vegetables alongside their favored meat and vegetable-preferring children eat meat alongside their vegetables, they will grow to be people who, while tending toward meat preference, can also eat vegetables.
They will become people who can eat anything—though fundamentally preferring vegetables but not disliking meat—and this will also greatly benefit their health.
Letting children start declaring preferences like “I like this” and “I dislike that” due to a bit of carelessness is yet another poor method of serving meals.

When one considered it carefully, having children eat their meals was by no means as careless a matter as asking, “Could there really be someone incapable of such a thing?”
Calmly engaging carefree yet mischievous children who easily grew bored—ensuring it benefited their health while leaving no bad habits for the future, all while making mealtimes enjoyable—required considerable ingenuity.

For a child who had just transitioned from porridge to solid rice, one first said something like, “Now that you’ve moved up to rice, you must chew thoroughly like everyone else—nice and slow,” ensuring proper mastication. Next came alternating instructions: “This time it’s meat,” followed by rice again, then “This time vegetables.” When faced with a side dish the child typically disliked, one might declare, “Today we have a lovely soup you’ll adore.”
“Even if the vegetable happened to be daikon radish,” children—innocent as they were—would generally comply when told something like, “Let’s take turns having this.”

Once children have gradually developed good habits in this way, things will become much easier from there; however, should you grow careless, they will begin picking up undesirable habits again—eating just a little before stopping, pouring hot water over their rice, or favoring only their preferred side dishes—so during mealtimes you must always stay close and remain vigilant: ensure they chew slowly, eat all side dishes evenly, and take their meals calmly and thoroughly. You must skillfully manage them without deviating from these requirements.

Having children eat properly was truly essential for raising them to be healthy, so when a mother was away from home during mealtime, her foremost concern became whether the children at home had managed to eat well thanks to everyone’s care.
Please strove diligently to ensure they did not develop bad habits through carelessness.

――End――