Une maison bien tenue : Conseils aux jeunes maîtresses de maison by Marie Delorme
QR code
"Une maison bien tenue : Conseils aux jeunes maîtresses de maison" by Marie Delorme is a household management guide written in the early 20th century. Aimed at young mistresses of the house, it offers practical and moral guidance for keeping a clean, orderly, and welcoming home, from daily routines and hygiene to managing servants, the salon, and the table. The work blends exact instructions with the ideal of the “strong woman,” urging
capable, cheerful stewardship of family life. The opening of this guide invokes the biblical “femme forte” to argue that domestic competence is both noble and necessary, then addresses young women’s doubts and calls them to share their mothers’ burdens and learn by doing. It insists on steady, everyday order rather than occasional upheavals; emphasizes hygiene, fresh air, and firm but fair training of servants; and warns against fussy nagging that kills household peace. Detailed morning routines follow—airing rooms, brushing clothes, making beds properly—and young women are urged to “do their own room” as physical and moral discipline. A historical sketch of the salon leads to a critique of France’s unused show-salons, recommending instead a lived-in family parlour, then gives precise methods for cleaning salons, dusting furniture and bibelots, caring for plants, and preparing fireplaces. The narrative turns to the table: keeping odors at bay, organizing buffet and “office,” buying durable equipment, and laying a simple, correct cover. It closes this opening section with service etiquette in family meals—when to have servants present, who carves, how to serve children, clearing before dessert, coffee and liqueurs in the salon—and the rule to wash up and restore order promptly. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Delorme, Marie, 1836-1905 |
|---|---|
| Title | Une maison bien tenue : Conseils aux jeunes maîtresses de maison |
| Original Publication | Paris: Armand Colin, 1901. |
| Credits | Laurent Vogel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica)) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 71.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | French |
| LoC Class | TX: Technology: Home economics |
| Subject | Housekeeping -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 76416 |
| Release Date | Jun 29, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 204 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!