How to please your man (on a rainy day), 1894 edition

Upon rising, dress with particular care. On the certainty that no one will be in, there is a tendency to don old clothes and add to the gloominess of the wet evening. Father and Fred will be unconsciously cheered by the sight of smiling faces and bright dresses. They will enjoy and appreciate the hot chocolate or cocoa or some little extra planned as a pleasant surprise.

The feeling of satisfaction on looking back over the well-employed hours and uncongenial tasks performed will help to create a happy atmosphere at the dinner table and enable all to laugh heartily over the little joke which Fred brings home from the office--his way of contributing to the family cheer.

--From Good Housekeeping--

The housewife was also enjoined to take a short rest during the day to "smooth her brow".

Music for a rainy day circa 1580

A rainy day circa 1580

I read this in Moll Flanders:

...I took care to lay up as much money as I could for a wet day...

and went looking for the origin of the idiom "to save for a rainy day". I found it was from a play, The Bugbears, by John Jeffere/Jefferay/Jefferie (they can't agree on the spelling) but couldn't find how it was actually used. Here it is:

wold he have me kepe nothyng agaynst a raynye day?

Would he have me keep nothing against a rainy day?

You have got to love the spelling. My thanks to Google book search. Link to text (see page 26)