,,the ,,children',s ,,library ,,of ,,work ,,and ,,play ,,carpentry ,,and ,,woodwork ,by ,edwin ,w4 ,foster4 ,,electricity ,,and ,,its ,,everyday ,,uses ,by ,john ,f4 ,woodhull1 ,ph4,d4 ,,gardening ,,and ,,farming ,by ,ellen ,eddy ,shaw4 ,,home ,,decoration ,by ,charles ,franklin ,warner1 ,sc4,d4 ,,housekeeping ,by ,elizabeth ,hale ,gilman4 ,,mechanics1 ,,indoors ,,and ,,out ,by ,fred ,t4 ,hodgson4 ,,needlecraft ,by ,effie ,archer ,archer4 ,,outdoor ,,sports1 ,,and ,,games ,by ,claude ,h4 ,miller1 ,ph4,b4 ,,outdoor ,,work ,by ,mary ,rogers ,miller4 ,,working ,,in ,,metals ,by ,charles ,conrad ,sleffel4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,have ,you a ,play-,house8 ,the ,library of ,work and ,play ,,housekeeping ,,by ,,elizabeth ,,hale ,,gilman ,illustration ,,leer,v,,solon4 ,,garden ,,city ,,new ,,york ,,doubleday1 ,,page ,,company #aiaa ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved1 ,,including ,,that ,,of ,,translation ,,into ,,foreign ,,languages1 ,,including ,,the ,,scandinavian ,,copyright1 #aiaa1 ,,by ,,doubleday1 ,,page ,,company ,look not thou down1 but up6 ,to uses of a cup1 ,the festal board1 lamp's flash and trumpet's peal1 ,the new wine's foaming flow1 ,the ,master's lips a-glow6 ,thou1 ,heaven's consummate cup1 what need'st thou with earth's wheel8 ,,contents ,,page ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,play ,,house #a ,,part ,,ii4 ,,learning ,,and ,,helping #da ,,part ,,iii4 ,,my ,,heritage #fa ,,chapter ,i4 ,my ,heritage #fc ,,ii4 ,the ,plan #fi ,,iii4 ,the ,accounts #hg ,,iv4 ,the ,schedule #aja ,v4 ,possessions #aae ,,vi4 ,care of ,fittings and ,furniture #aba ,,vii4 ,upstairs ,work #adf ,,viii4 ,dining-room and ,pantry ,work #afj ,,ix4 ,the ,kitchen #ahh ,x4 ,the ,cellar1 ,fires1 ,plumbing1 etc4 #bjh ,,xi4 ,menus and ,marketing #bdd ,,xii4 ,cooking #bgd ,,xiii4 ,washing and ,ironing #cab ,,xiv4 ,house ,cleaning #ccg ,,xv4 ,emergencies #cec ,,xvi4 ,servants #cgj ,,xvii4 ,martha #chb ,,xviii4 ,the ,inspiration #chh ,,illustrations ,have ,you a ,playhouse8 ,frontispiece ,,facing ,,page ,a ,playhouse ,somebody ,else ,has ,made #ad ,tidying #eb ,the ,account ,book #ij ,the ,broom ,closet #adj ,straight and ,smooth #aej ,air1 ,sun1 and ,water #aef ,order and ,daintiness #afd ,cooking #bgd ,,part ,i ,,the ,,play-,,house ,,the ,,play-,,house ,monday1 ,i wash my dollies' clothes1 ,and ,tuesday1 smoothly press them4 ,wednesday1 ,i mend their little hose1 ,and ,thursday1 neatly dress them4 ,friday1 ,i play they're very ill1 ,saturday1 something or other4 ,sunday1 ,i say1 ,lie still1 ,i'm going to church with mother4 ,,when ,i was walking in a garden the other day1 ,i saw a play-house4 ,and what do you suppose it was8 ,a big tree with humpy roots which stuck out of the ground1 and low branches which nearly touched the grass at the ends4 ,you could not stand up straight in the house if you were more than three feet tall1 but as the people who lived in the house were only about two feet eleven inches1 they did not mind that4 ,you should have seen the china-closet4 ,it was under a bent root1 and all the dishes were white with violet markings4 ,one might have thought they were big and little and middling-sized clam-shells1 if one had not seen them in a china-closet4 ,there was a bedroom between two big roots4 ,a doll was taking a nap there1 not on a pine-pillow1 but on a whole bed of pleasant-smelling pine needles which had dropped off a tree in the neighbourhood4 ,the mistress of the house was in the kitchen cooking1 and the kitchen1 of course1 was where the sun came through a break in the branches4 ,one must have a patch of sun in a kitchen1 for how can you bake without it8 ,when ,i went into this kitchen1 there was a cake baking1 with an ornament on the top that looked quite like an acorn4 ,i was invited to stay for lunch1 and ,i will tell you what we had3 ,first1 there were brown-bread cutlets1 and smooth white stone potatoes1 and a wonderful salad made of maple leaves and pepper-grass4 ,then for dessert we had the cake ,i had seen baking1 and milk4 ,the cake had a brown layer made from the garden beds and a yellow layer made from the path1 and was iced with white sand4 ,you will guess that the brown bread cutlets and the milk were what people getting up plays call practicable1 which is just a grown-up word for really and truly4 ,a tree is one of the nicest play-houses a person can have4 ,but suppose it is a rainy day6 ,we will play it is a rainy day1 and we will go and go until we get to a house with a steep roof4 ,and we will go in1 and go upstairs1 and then upstairs again until we get to a garret1 where we can see the rafters sloping to the ridge over our heads1 and the inside of the shingles4 ,on the floor are trunks and boxes and barrels1 and all sorts of things are hanging from the rafters4 ,sometimes we hear the pigeons running on the outsides of the shingles and cooing under the eaves4 ,it is a lonely sound4 ,it is rather dark1 too1 but we are brave1 and we get past two saddles1 and a row of white petticoats1 and a dim place where there are a lot of old books with strange dark pictures in them1 which one likes to be sure are shut in tight4 ,at last we get round a corner and find a gable with a pointed window1 and there is a play-house where a little girl and eight dolls live4 ,there are four rooms in the play-house1 though if you are not thinking1 you may very likely walk right through the walls and not know it4 ,on one side of the window is a bedroom1 and on the other side is the kitchen4 ,the dining room and the living room are in the corners nearest the rest of the garret4 ,the little girl's big sister put up some pictures on the sloping wooden walls to suit each room4 ,one of them is very useful when the little girl is deciding what to play4 ,it is seven little pictures on a card with verses to explain them4 ,you can read the verses at the beginning of this chapter2 ,i am sorry the pictures are not there1 too4 ,this little girl likes especially to play ,monday1 ,i wash my dollies' clothes--because she has a tub and a washboard1 and a wringer that will really let buttons through1 and clothespins and a clothes-horse1 and all the garret to put up lines in4 ,housework1 you know1 is so much more fun if you have the right things to do it with4 ,tuesday1 ,i neatly press them1 is a good day1 too1 but ,wednesday1 ,i mend their little hose1 is not4 ,one cannot sit still and make believe sew1 for many minutes4 ,when mother was told about this trouble1 she looked at the pictures and said1 ,why1 there's no sweeping day6 ,as soon as the stockings are mended on ,wednesday1 you had better sweep1 and tidy things up a little4 ,mother often wants things tidied up when it isn't in the game4 ,she says1 she does not keep her little girl's hat on the dining table1 nor leave her bed unmade1 and she cannot have the dolls brought up that way either4 ,the ,friday game is one of the best4 ,the two dolls that have night dresses are most often sick4 ,of course1 it is a great care to have a doll sick1 but it does make a great many interesting things to do4 ,she may need cold-water cloths1 or a hot-water bottle1 or a poultice1 and there is always medicine to give and meals to serve on a tray4 ,then the bed should be made over often4 ,the little girl who lives in this play-house likes to have her dolls ill when she has company1 because then there is some one to be the doctor4 ,saturday something or other1 usually means cooking1 and that1 too1 is a favourite game for company4 ,sometimes the little girl goes down into the really and truly kitchen to market1 or sometimes mother sends up a little cake baked in a doll's pan4 ,that makes a very grand occasion4 ,the table must be laid with all the dishes1 and napkins if possible1 when there is a cake from the big kitchen4 ,a great many things can happen in a garret play-house1 besides housekeeping4 ,sometimes it is so still up there1 that one knows one must be in a deep forest1 or out on the plains2 and1 of course1 in that case1 the cooking or nursing may be interrupted by a band of robbers1 or an attack from ,indians1 or one may have a visit from an escaping prisoner1 and besides1 there are always long1 dangerous journeys to take through the garret4 ,in fact1 every time one hears a new story1 something unusual is likely to happen in the play-house4 ,have you a play-house8 ,i hope you have4 ,nowadays1 when rents are so high1 and when many people live in flats and apartments1 it is often hard to get a play-house1 but it can usually be managed in some way4 ,if we have a nursery or a play-room all our own1 then it is easy to have a play-house4 ,we only have to get mother1 or nurse to give us a corner to fix as we like1 and to advise us about sorting things4 ,perhaps they will let us make the whole room into a play-house1 but we really can keep house nicely in a much smaller space than that4 ,the great point is to get the things together which belong together4 ,if the bedroom things stand together1 that is all we need to have a bedroom1 and if the kitchen things are together1 there is the kitchen4 ,if we have a dining table1 why1 there is the dining room1 and our living room can be anywhere where mother likes us to have most of the chairs4 ,but even if we have not a play-room we can still have a house4 ,i know some clever dolls and their mother who keep house in the cupboard part of an old-fashioned washstand4 ,the way they manage is to make the cupboard any room they wish to use4 ,monday morning it is a laundry1 and every night it is a bedroom1 and if they give a luncheon it is a dining room1 and ,saturday it is a kitchen4 ,they keep the furniture which does not suit the room they are using in the drawer of the washstand which is over their heads4 ,i know another family who live under a dressing table4 ,the legs of the table show where the corners of their house are1 and they change the room into anything they need it for1 as the other people do4 ,one little girl ,i know1 whose name is ,esther1 lives in a flat and has only a bureau drawer for her housekeeping things4 ,this is quite hard1 for it means so much packing and unpacking1 and parting with things she would like to keep when the drawer gets too full4 ,she has to take her two dolls and a few things she thinks they will need into the parlour or the bedroom and play house there4 ,in the bedroom1 she plays it is night1 because it is always nearly dark in there4 ,her mother lets her play with her big grown-up beds and chairs and stoves and irons4 ,if she did not1 ,esther would have a hard time keeping house for her dolls4 ,but it is not always the people who live in flats who have not room for their things1 is it8 ,sometimes after ,christmas1 or a birthday1 one just feels as if one were trying to keep house in a toy shop4 ,the best cure for this trouble is to give things away4 ,because--it is dreadful to think about--there are people who have no dolls3 and there are people who have not so much as a tin cup to begin housekeeping with2 and there are little girls who have real babies to look after1 and real meals to cook who would just dearly love to have the games and toys that have to be packed away in closets and drawers because their owners have so many other things4 ,it is easy to say1 give things away1 but1 my stars6 how hard it is to decide which to give4 ,one just can't give away the new things1 and one feels so fond of the old ones1 when one gets them out and looks at them4 ,the only way to part with them is to think of ,saint ,martin cutting his cloak in two for the beggar1 or something inspiring like that4 ,even then one feels a little dreary4 ,once there was a little girl whose family moved into a smaller house4 ,there was not room in her new play-house for the many things she had in her old one4 ,some of them had to be given away4 ,one decision was so hard to make that she remembered about it after she was a grown-up woman4 ,there was a little green wagon with yellow wheels1 which she had always had1 and which her older sisters had played with before she was born1 and there was a little orange-coloured cart with four red wheels1 which her father had brought out from town1 a week or two before1 filled with soap4 ,two wagons were too many for the new play-house1 and mother said keep the green one1 because the other was only an advertisement2 and the older sisters said keep the green one1 because it was better and they had played with it2 and father just smiled and said1 ,you must decide4 ,when no one was looking1 the little girl took the little orange-coloured wagon with four red wheels1 and the big letters round the outside1 which made it an advertisement1 and put it in the box mother was packing for some other children1 and it hurt so to do it that she could not quite help crying4 ,some of us are troubled more with having too few things than too many1 are we not8 ,we can make a game of getting out of this trouble4 ,we must all be discoverers and inventors1 and if there is something needed in the play-house1 we must keep our eyes wide open to see what else will do or what we can find to make into the thing we want4 ,it spoils the hunt1 and the surprise1 if some one else tells you what to do1 but one or two little things will show what the game is like4 ,for instance1 if it is a bed you need1 try a strong pasteboard box1 not very deep4 ,if you mind its having no legs1 then you must go on a journey and have it a berth on a car or a ship4 ,a cigar-box makes a good trunk for a small doll1 especially the boxes which have trays in them4 ,a doll with a cigar-box trunk will never have moths in her clothes4 ,paper napkins are useful for dolls' tablecloths1 and for napkins when they are cut into small squares4 ,they will even do for sheets1 if mother cannot spare us white pieces that are big enough4 ,a bandanna handkerchief1 or a scrap of bright calico1 makes a good bedquilt4 ,shells we have brought home from a day at the beach are convenient for dishes4 ,radiators are splendid stoves4 ,and did you ever find out how much closet room there is under a bed8 ,with the help of a few pins1 one can hang all the dolls' clothes from the springs1 and shut them in with the counterpane1 if it happens to be a long one4 ,but if mother does not want you to do this1 you mustn't4 ,you will be able to make a great many discoveries and inventions1 if you think what you want1 and then think what to make it out of4 ,but the best and most wonderful thing about a play-house is1 that if we have to1 we can make one anywhere1 or out of anything4 ,once1 two little girls wrote home about a visit they had paid1 ,we had two rag dolls and we played house4 ,even one little girl1 without so much as a rag doll1 can have a play-house4 ,she has only to imagine1 that is1 pretend1 and there it is--with rooms1 and staircases1 and people1 and everything needful4 ,it can be big or little2 and in the country or in the city4 ,she can do the washing1 or give a dinner party2 take care of a sick doll1 or work in the garden1 just as she pleases4 ,it is easier and happier to play with the pleasant things people give us1 and to be able to see and touch most of the things in our play-houses1 but we always want some imagined things1 too4 ,and if it should happen that we are in a place where we have nothing to play with1 then we can imagine and pretend1 and go and play in the play-house we always have with us4 ,in a second1 we can build it into a wigwam1 or a palace1 or a cave1 or a great castle1 or it can be just the house we live in when we are at home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sometimes1 when we have played a good while in the play-house1 we feel tired1 and if it isn't a nap we want1 perhaps it is that we would like to go and play in a play-house somebody else has made4 ,we need not take a journey to do this1 we only need some one to tell us a story1 or a story-book to read to ourselves4 ,we might choose to read ,cinderella1 for that is the princess of housekeeping stories1 or it may be that we will find one we like1 if we go on reading this book4 ,,irish ,,stew ,do you ever have ,irish ,stew for luncheon8 ,most ,irish ,stews are a good deal alike1 but this is the story of one that was different4 ,once upon a time there was an ,irishman who lived in a little two-roomed hut on the edge of a bog4 ,all day1 he cut peats in the bog1 for that is the way he made his living4 ,it was not a very good living2 in fact1 he was very poor indeed4 ,at night1 when he came back to the hut1 there were often only a few potatoes for supper1 which he boiled in a pot over the fire4 ,his old father had died a few years before1 and that was the reason he lived alone4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,a ,play-house ,somebody ,else ,has ,made ,one chilly1 foggy night1 the ,irishman had come home late through the wet and the dark1 and lighted his fire4 ,there was very little for supper1 and he had not had a chance to cook that1 when ,thump6 ,thump6 came a knock on the door4 ,he was ever so frightened1 but he thought it would be better to open the door than have it thumped in4 ,when he did open it--,preserve us6 there were five big robbers with knives1 and pistols1 and high boots and fierce1 bright eyes4 ,they all crowded into the little hut1 and threw more peat on the fire and demanded supper4 ,the ,irishman apologized1 and said he had only potatoes4 ,the robbers said they had to have something better than that1 and all five of them laid their five big knives on the table with a look which meant1 ,supper or your life6 ,the ,irishman went into the other little room and sat down on a chest to think4 ,there was nothing in the room but the chest1 and nothing in the chest but a few old clothes1 and the more he tried to think1 the less he was able to do it4 ,at last1 for no reason at all1 he opened the chest4 ,in it lay an old cloak1 which his father had worn forty years and more4 ,no sooner had he seen it1 than he went back to the room where the robbers were1 and they saw him take the pot into the little room1 and very soon come back and put all the potatoes into it and some water1 and hang it over the fire1 which was now so hot and bright that the pot soon began to boil4 ,it simmered1 and bubbled and steamed and soon the robbers began to sniff their supper4 ,it did not smell like anything they had ever had before1 but was not bad for a cold1 foggy night4 ,pretty soon the ,irishman set the pot on the table1 and the robbers ate heartily4 ,the ,irishman was busy arranging something near the door4 ,all of a sudden1 one robber choked4 ,he choked1 and choked1 and two others beat him on the back4 ,he coughed and coughed1 and then1 something flew out of his mouth4 ,it was a button4 ,the ,irishman turned up his eyes to the roof and said1 ,ah me1 that is the last of a good old cloak4 ,before the robbers could move1 he had opened the door and disappeared into the fog4 ,,king ,,alfred ,,and ,,the ,,cakes ,a good while ago there was a king of ,england named ,alfred4 ,he was a great and good king1 but in spite of this1 he had many enemies1 who tried to take his kingdom away from him4 ,once1 after a battle1 the country was so overrun with his enemies1 that he had to separate from his followers and go away in disguise4 ,you would never have guessed he was a king when he started1 and when1 after he had wandered a few days in the forest1 he came to a cowherd's hut1 he looked like a hungry1 ragged beggar4 ,the cowherd and his wife gave him supper1 and let him stay all night1 and gave him some breakfast next morning4 ,after breakfast1 he sat for a long time looking into the fire1 thinking of his kingdom1 and of the dangers and sorrows of his people4 ,the cowherd's wife was a hard-working woman1 and it provoked her to see a great big man dreaming over the fire all the morning4 ,she said to herself1 ,if he has no work of his own to attend to1 he shall just help with mine4 ,she put some meal cakes on a board to bake before the fire1 and told the ,king to watch them carefully while she went out to feed the pig4 ,the ,king said he would watch them1 but he kept on thinking about his army1 and the heavy taxes1 and by and by the woman came back4 ,there was smoke in the room1 but she could see that the stranger was still sitting beside the fire1 and that her cakes were burned to cinders4 ,my1 my1 but she was angry4 ,she boxed her guest's ears soundly1 little dreaming that she was laying hands on the ,sacred ,person of the ,king1 and might be hanged for it4 ,the ,king1 however1 took her blows and her scolding1 for he was very sorry he had let the cakes burn4 ,afterward1 when he had driven out his enemies and was at home again in his own castle he told what a scolding he had got for thinking about his troubles when he should have been baking the cakes4 ,,roast ,,pig ,long ago1 longer than you can even imagine1 nobody in the world knew how to cook4 ,people were not as dreadfully hungry on that account as you might think1 because1 you see1 they ate their food uncooked4 ,no one had ever cooked1 and no one had ever thought of it2 no one had ever eaten cooked food1 and no one knew how pleasant it tasted4 ,this is the story of the way a little ,chinese boy found out how to roast pig4 ,his name was ,bo-bo and he had been left at home by his father1 ,ho-ti1 to look after their hut1 and their one big pig1 and their nine little pigs4 ,bo-bo1 was fond of playing with fire1 and what did he do but set fire to some straw1 and that set fire to the hut1 and burned it down4 ,a much more serious matter was that the one big pig and the nine little pigs were burned along with the hut4 ,bo-bo was dreadfully frightened when he saw what he had done4 ,he knew his father would beat him1 and he began to cry4 ,he also poked round among the ruins of the hut1 though he did not hope to find anything4 ,as he was turning over the embers1 he found one of the little burnt pigs1 and tried to pull it out4 ,it was very hot1 and burnt his hands1 and he did just what you or ,i would have done--put his burnt fingers in his mouth4 ,the instant his hands reached his mouth1 ,bo-bo forgot all about being burned4 ,he licked his fingers1 but not because they hurt him4 ,he did not know why he did lick them1 but he kept on4 ,neither he nor any one else in the world had ever tasted such a wonderful taste4 ,pretty soon1 it came to him that it was the pig which tasted so delicious1 and no sooner had he thought this1 than he sat down in the ruins of the hut and began to eat great pieces of the little burnt pig4 ,while he was making the best meal he had ever had in his life1 his father came home1 and when he saw that the hut was burnt down and that his son was eating some horrible food that no one else had ever eaten before1 he began to beat ,bo-bo with the stick he had in his hand4 ,but ,bo-bo did not seem to feel it4 ,he hunted in the ashes for another pig and thrust it into his father's hands4 ,then the same thing happened which had happened to him4 ,the pig burned ,ho-ti's fingers and he put them in his mouth1 and after that he had no time to think of beating any one1 but sat down with his son in the ashes and made a good dinner4 ,from that time on1 whenever they had little pigs1 they burned down their hut to roast them4 ,when the neighbours found it out1 they thought it very wicked of ,ho-ti and ,bo-bo to eat burnt pig1 but as soon as they were persuaded to taste it1 they changed their minds1 and then everybody was burning down his house in order to roast his pigs4 ,after a long while1 some one found out that one could cook without burning one's house down1 which ,i am sure you will agree was a great discovery4 --,some day1 when you go to school1 you will have this story given to you to read--for a lesson6 ,,the ,,king',s ,,kitchen ,when ,king ,arthur was ,king of ,england1 a boy named ,gareth1 was growing up in a castle far away from ,camelot1 the ,king's city4 ,but he had two brothers who were at ,court1 and who were ,knights of the ,order of the ,round ,table1 and when they came home1 now and then1 ,gareth asked them more questions than you could count about the ,king and his knights1 and the ,court1 and tournaments1 and battles4 ,every day1 he rode and practised with lance and sword1 and exercised in all ways that would make him strong and skilful with arms4 ,and always he tried to be brave and to be gentle toward weak things and to tell the truth4 ,and the reason for all this was that1 more than anything else in the world1 he longed to be in the service of the ,king1 and to be a ,knight of the ,round ,table4 ,as ,gareth grew older1 and more and more worthy to be made a knight1 his mother1 ,bellicent1 sorrowed and grieved4 ,her husband was very1 very old1 and her two elder sons had gone away to the ,court1 and she could not bear to have ,gareth leave her1 for he was the youngest and last4 ,though she saw that his heart's desire was to be with the ,king1 yet she felt as if her heart would break if he went4 ,she tried to make him especially happy at home2 she tried to persuade him that he was not skilful or brave enough to be a knight2 she told him of dangers and wounds1 and besought him not to go4 ,again and again he asked her permission to go away and earn his knighthood2 again and again she refused4 ,one day when he had spoken so bravely and truly that she knew not how to resist him longer1 the thought came to her to test his great desire to be with the ,king1 and she said to him3 ,if you desire so greatly to serve the ,king1 give the proof of it which ,i shall ask of you4 ,go to the ,king and ask him to let you serve him in his kitchen for a year and a day1 and tell no one your name and rank until the time is over4 ,she thought he would refuse to do it1 but he kissed and thanked her1 and quickly made ready to go to ,camelot4 ,for he wanted to serve the ,king1 and this was a way of doing it1 though not the one he had hoped for4 ,he journeyed a day and a night1 and came to ,camelot1 the wonderful big city which he had never seen before4 ,in the morning1 the ,king sat in the ,great ,hall of his palace to hear the requests and troubles of his people4 ,there ,gareth came1 and stood before him4 ,and when he raised his eyes to the ,king's quiet face1 and met his eyes1 he loved him and longed more than ever to serve him4 ,it was a little hard1 when he was longing to be made a knight1 and to be sent on an adventure1 just to ask to be a kitchen-boy2 but he did it1 and the ,king granted his request4 ,so joyous and strong was he when he went out from the presence of the ,king1 that he felt nothing would ever be hard to do again4 ,but there were things which were hard4 ,the kitchen was a great stone room with an earth floor1 and a fireplace at either end as big as a little room4 ,when the great fires were lit it was mightily hot between1 and there was smoke and hurry1 and jostling of servants1 and there were some bad-tempered people and a great deal of hard work4 ,there were trenchers and platters to be scoured1 and big iron pots to be lifted about and washed1 and roasting meats to be watched and turned before the fires4 ,the cooking tanned ,gareth's face and hands as riding in the hot sun had never done4 ,when he could1 he would run out into the courtyard1 and play games with the other kitchen-boys1 and when they were tired1 they would sit against the wall and he would tell long tales he had read1 and some that he made up1 about knights and dragons and enchanted forests and robbers4 ,the stories he loved best to tell1 though1 were stories of the ,king4 ,often these play-times were broken in upon by the ,master of the ,kitchens1 who called them back to their tasks with no great gentleness4 ,especially was he a hard master to ,gareth2 and1 strangely enough1 this was because ,gareth was willing and cheerful1 for there are people with such crooked places in their minds that they cannot see a person working gladly at a hard task but they want nothing so much as to see if they cannot break their cheerfulness4 ,and that was the sort of master ,gareth found in the ,king's ,kitchen4 ,he missed his rides over the downs in the clear air1 and the right to go and come as he pleased4 ,but when things seemed hard he cast off the thought and laughed to himself1 saying1 ,it is for the ,king4 ,in a little while1 too1 he learned to take fault-finding1 and1 now and again1 a blow1 in quietness4 ,and this1 too1 was for the ,king4 ,as the days came and went1 ,bellicent1 alone now with her old husband1 thought of her son day and night2 and the tasks that he must do and the discomforts he must suffer seemed to her a thousand times worse than he ever thought them4 ,at last1 when hardly a month of his trial had yet gone by1 she could bear it no longer1 but sent a messenger to the ,king to tell him the story1 and to take to ,gareth a horse and armour and all things that he would need when it should please the ,king to make him a knight4 ,after the ,king had seen the messenger he sent for ,gareth1 and ,gareth left his scouring and went gaily and eagerly to him4 ,he was glad in his love for the ,king1 and ,i think he may have felt that he had borne rather unusual things for his sake4 ,as he came near1 the ,king loved him for his youth and gaiety and faithfulness4 ,but ,gareth1 looking up into the quiet1 loving eyes that were fixed on him1 knelt down at the ,king's feet and bowed his head1 and knew that nothing he could do for the ,king would ever be too much4 ,the ,king ended ,gareth's kitchen service and made him a knight1 and some day you will read other stories about him1 for he fought many battles and loved a beautiful lady4 ,and it seems likely that the ,king loved him all the more because he could cook and scour for his sake4 ,,brother ,,juniper',s ,,cooking ,have you heard stories about ,saint ,francis of ,assisi8 ,there are a great many1 and people like to hear them over and over again4 ,for1 though ,saint ,francis lived most of his life in a little1 faraway1 country town in ,italy1 called ,assisi1 and though he died hundreds of years ago1 yet every year many people go to see the place where he lived1 and the church where he is buried1 and many people in countries far away from ,italy love him as well as they do their friends whom they can see and talk to4 ,one of the stories about ,st4 ,francis tells of a flock of birds that came to listen to a sermon he preached to them1 and another is about a wolf whom he persuaded not to hurt people any more4 ,the reason he could do these things1 and the reason people who have never seen him love him very dearly is because he loved everything and everybody in the world1 and ,god and our ,lord ,jesus more than all4 ,no one was so dirty1 or so sick1 that he did not want to take care of him2 no one was so cross1 or so cruel1 that he did not want to be kind to him4 ,every day he went about helping poor people1 and sick people1 and troubled people2 and he taught them all to be sorry for the wrong things they had done1 and to sing songs of joy because ,god loved them4 ,after a little1 a good many men began to help him do this4 ,they gave everything they had to the poor1 and never after that kept any money4 ,they worked every day to get a little food1 and the rest of the time they spent in helping and teaching people4 ,st4 ,francis called them his ,little ,brothers1 not because they were small or young1 but because he taught them to think themselves of no importance1 and to think1 if anybody scolded them or hurt them1 that they deserved it and more too4 ,one of these ,little ,brothers was named ,brother ,juniper4 ,he was always thinking of ways to help people4 ,one day1 all the ,brothers went out to work1 and left ,brother ,juniper to take care of the little hut where they lived1 and to get some food for them4 ,when he set about this he began to think of the ,brothers who usually did the cooking1 and how much time they had to spend every day getting food ready for the others to eat4 ,to be sure1 they had but one good meal a day1 yet even so the cooking of it took time the ,brothers might otherwise have used for prayer1 or tending the sick1 or some other good work4 ,as ,brother ,juniper was thinking of this1 a plan popped into his head which made him very glad4 ,he took two big baskets1 and went off happily to several farmhouses in the neighbourhood1 where the people were fond of the ,little ,brothers and liked to give them anything they needed4 ,that day they gave ,brother ,juniper chickens and eggs and meat and salad and all sorts of vegetables1 and they lent him some big iron pots4 ,he took the baskets home heavy with food1 and he came back and took the pots home4 ,then he made a big fire1 and all the time he was happy and sang to himself1 because he thought1 ,i will work hard to-day1 and cook all this food1 and then the ,brothers won't have to think about cooking for a week or more4 ,he hung the pots over the fire1 and put into them all the food he had gathered without so much as taking the feathers off the chickens or the shells off the eggs1 or stopping to see whether the vegetables were all just fit to eat or not4 ,then he filled the pots with water1 and before long they began to boil4 ,the fire was furiously hot4 ,brother ,juniper could not get near enough to it to stir the pots4 ,when he found this out1 he took a board and tied it fast to himself1 and1 with that for a shield1 he leaped to a pot and stirred it1 and then leaped away again to cool himself2 then he dashed at another and stirred that1 and so on4 ,by and by1 the ,brothers came back1 and the ,brother ,guardian with them1 and they all sat down to dinner4 ,brother ,juniper poured out some of the stew from his pots and brought it to the table4 ,he was hot and tired1 but delighted1 and he told the others what he had done1 and that they need not do any more cooking for a long time4 ,the ,brothers looked at him1 and looked at the stew1 and looked at each other1 but not a mouthful could they eat4 ,brother ,juniper urged them to begin1 and when they did not1 wondered what could be the matter4 ,he was not left long in doubt1 for the ,brother ,guardian told him that the dinner was not fit for a pig to eat1 and scolded him well for wasting so much good food4 ,brother ,juniper listened and the gladness died out of him4 ,he went and knelt at the ,brother ,guardian's feet and confessed his fault1 and begged to be forgiven for wasting the ,brothers' food1 and for getting them a dinner they could not eat4 ,then he went away by himself1 and the rest of that day and all the next1 he neither ate nor spoke1 nor ventured to come near any of the ,brothers1 because he was so sorry for his wastefulness and stupidity4 ,but the ,brothers and the ,brother ,guardian thought they would be willing to know as little about cooking as ,brother ,juniper if they could be like him in some other ways4 ,,the ,,widow',s ,,cruse ,long1 long ago1 there was a famine in a little town called ,sarepta4 ,for months and months there had been no rain1 and nothing could grow in the fields1 and the streams dried up and the sheep died and many people died1 too1 because they had no food4 ,a widow lived in ,sarepta1 who had one boy1 and she was poor4 ,when the famine began she had just one barrel of meal and one cruse of oil1 and because she knew she could get no more1 she and her son ate as little as they could1 but even so1 in a few months the meal was far down in the bottom of the barrel1 and the cruse of oil felt very light4 ,at last one morning1 when the woman got up1 she found there was only enough meal and oil to make one little cake4 ,she looked at it a long time1 thinking they must certainly starve to death when that was gone2 then she went out to get some wood for the fire1 for she said to herself1 ,i will bake this one cake and we will eat it1 but after that we will have to die4 ,i expect she looked white and sad as she went1 for it hurts very much to be so hungry that you die of it4 ,she found a few sticks1 and was picking them up1 when a tall old man stopped beside her and leaned on his staff4 ,his clothes were made of hairy skins1 and he had a long gray beard1 and his face and arms and legs were brown and rough as if he had lived out in the sun and the frost4 ,he seemed to have been making a journey1 and he asked for a drink of water4 ,the widow was glad it was only water that he wanted1 and was hurrying off to get it1 when the old man called after her1 and asked her to bring him a piece of bread4 ,she thought of the little bit of meal and oil1 and of her hungry boy1 and of how hungry she was herself--and now1 here was this tired old man asking for food6 ,it was really more than she could bear4 ,she came back toward him and said1 ,as the ,lord liveth1 ,i have not a cake1 but only a handful of meal in a barrel1 and a little oil in a cruse2 and behold ,i am gathering two sticks that ,i may go and dress it for me and my son1 that we may eat it and die6 ,the old man saw how hungry and desperate she looked2 it may be that he knew beforehand that she was2 nevertheless1 he said3 ,fear not2 but go and do as thou hast said3 but make me thereof a little cake first1 and bring it unto me1 and after that make for thee and thy son4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel1 ,the barrel of meal shall not waste1 neither shall the cruse of oil fail1 until the day that the ,lord sendeth rain upon the earth4 ,the widow did not altogether understand what he said1 but somehow she felt stronger and more brave4 ,she went home quickly and baked a little meal cake1 and brought it to the old man1 and asked him to come to her house and rest4 ,he went back with her1 and then she set about baking the rest of the meal and oil4 ,she thought it would only make a very little cake1 but the more meal she took out of the barrel1 the more there was in it2 and the more oil she poured from the cruse1 the heavier it was to lift4 ,she could hardly believe it1 and yet she saw it was surely so4 ,then she went1 crying with gladness and relief1 and knelt beside the old man and thanked him1 and begged him to stay with them as long as he could4 ,and he did stay1 a good many months1 and all the time of the famine there was meal in the barrel and oil in the cruse4 ,by and by1 the widow and her son learned that the old man's name was ,elijah1 and that he was a ,prophet of the ,lord ,god of ,israel4 ,,the ,,luncheon ,if we sailed across the ,atlantic ,ocean1 and then sailed as far east on the ,mediterranean ,sea as we could1 we should come to ,asia4 ,then if we travelled into ,asia for a little distance1 we should come to a small lake4 ,long ago1 this lake was called the ,sea of ,galilee1 and one of the little towns on the shore was named ,bethsaida4 ,in this town1 almost one thousand1 nine hundred years ago1 a boy lived and played and went to school4 ,his uncles had boats on the lake1 for they were fishermen1 and the boy played in the boats1 and sometimes his ,uncle ,andrew let him go out with him to the fishing4 ,bethsaida was a busy1 little town4 ,there was always something to do4 ,the lake and the boats and the fishermen and the nets were always there2 then sometimes ,roman soldiers marched into the town1 and merchants from far-off countries came to trade in the market-place4 ,now and again men came who gathered crowds round them1 and talked loud and shook their clenched fists and tore their long robes and kept the town restless for days together4 ,the boy liked to go with his uncles to listen to these men4 ,he could not understand what they were talking about1 but the crowd buzzed and jostled1 and sometimes groaned and yelled4 ,it was very exciting4 ,uncle ,peter was often angry about what he heard these men say1 but ,uncle ,andrew just stroked his beard and went back to the boats4 ,the people called a man who spoke to them in this way a ,rabbi4 ,this meant in their language1 a master--a man who knew a great deal about something4 ,one day1 a ,rabbi came to ,bethsaida1 who acted differently from the others4 ,he did not make speeches in the market-place1 and often when people were crowding to hear him1 he went away on the lake or into the hills4 ,if they followed him1 he would sometimes stand in a boat by the shore1 or on a hillside1 and talk to them2 and he could make sick people well4 ,he liked children2 and the boy had seen him once stop in the road and talk to a woman4 ,that was a very queer thing for a great ,rabbi to do4 ,the boy saw very little of his uncles after this new ,rabbi came1 for they followed him everywhere he went and seemed to be his close friends4 ,when they did come home they spoke of him as if they did not know just what to say1 yet always it seemed as if they could have said more if they had thought it well4 ,one day1 the ,rabbi and his friends had gone up into the hills1 and people from the towns on the lake1 and from the country round it1 had gone out to find him2 for those who had seen him wanted nothing so much as to see him again1 and those who had not seen him could not rest until they had found out what the others went to see4 ,the boy had been playing in the boats that morning1 which nowadays were most of the time pulled up on the shore1 and when he saw some of the neighbours setting off for the hills1 he made up his mind to go too4 ,first1 though1 he thought1 ,uncle ,andrew will be hungry1 and so shall ,i1 and he went home and got some food to take with him4 ,the way up through the hills was long and steep4 ,the boy and his neighbours were tired enough before they came in sight of a great crowd of people in a green hollow of the hills4 ,it was strange but1 though there were thousands of people all standing together1 they did not make a sound4 ,as the boy came a little nearer1 he heard the ,rabbi's voice in the stillness4 ,he wondered why the people kept so quiet4 ,he did not realize that he was keeping very quiet himself4 ,after a while he no longer heard the ,rabbi's voice1 and the people began to move and make a little murmur of talking4 ,he crept through the crowd toward the group round the ,rabbi where his ,uncle ,andrew would be4 ,when he got there he found they were trying to think of a way to feed all these hundreds of people who were tired and hungry1 and miles away from any place where they could get food4 ,that reminded him of the luncheon he had brought1 and he pushed the basket into ,uncle ,andrew's hand4 ,uncle ,andrew looked into the basket and smiled when he saw what it had in it4 ,then he said to the ,rabbi1 ,there is a lad here1 which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes2 but what are they among so many8 ,all the same1 though1 he held out the basket to the ,rabbi1 as if he really thought it would be of some use to him4 ,the boy looked to see if the great ,rabbi would be angry with ,uncle ,andrew for saying such a useless thing1 when all the others were trying hard to think what could be done4 ,but no2 instead of that1 he looked as if something had made him delightfully happy1 and he said1 ,make the men sit down4 ,and they did4 ,then the ,rabbi blessed the five little loaves and the two little fishes which he had taken out of the basket1 and began to break them up and give them to those especial friends of his who were always with him4 ,and they carried them to the people sitting on the grass1 and came back for more again and again4 ,and there always was more4 ,the boy went with ,uncle ,andrew1 back and forth1 again and again4 ,he wanted1 more than anything1 to help in some little way1 if it were only to hold back his uncle's robe as he bent toward the people on the ground4 ,when they would walk back for more food1 he scarcely dared go so near to the wonderful ,rabbi4 ,and yet--his heart was in his throat with the joy and wonder of it--was it not his own barley bread and fish that the ,rabbi had been so glad to have1 and with which he was feeding all these thousands of hungry people8 ,last of all1 after every one was fed1 the boy sat down close to his uncle and they had some luncheon1 too2 but he could not take his eyes from the ,rabbi's face4 ,he looked and looked until he could not see it any more1 for he had gone to sleep in the warm grass4 ,when he waked the crowd was moving away1 and his uncle was helping gather up the food which was left4 ,the ,rabbi had gone away alone into the hills4 ,,the ,,fire ,,of ,,coals ,it was spring-time1 and eventide1 in the thirty-third year of that amazing time when ,god walked on the earth1 not only everywhere1 and in every man as ,he does now1 but ,himself in the form of one ,man4 ,five of those men who loved ,him best1 and had been with ,him most often1 stood on the shore of the ,sea of ,galilee in the quick-coming darkness4 ,only a week or two before1 they had seen their dear ,lord nailed on a cross and left to die4 ,and ,he had died4 ,and when that happened1 they felt they could not bear to live any longer4 ,but--what do you think8--first one1 and then another1 had seen ,him alive again1 had talked with ,him1 touched ,him1 and been taught by ,him as they used to be4 ,when ,he was with them1 they wished for nothing else2 and when ,he was away they watched and longed for ,his return4 ,it had now been several days since ,he had been with them1 and meanwhile they had been going about among people who thought of them as men who had wasted three years wandering round after another man1 who was always about to do something but never did1 and who1 at last1 had been put to death by the government4 ,i expect it made these men feel lonely then1 just as it makes us feel lonely now1 to have to be with people who think that ,our ,lord is not alive4 ,they did not know what to do with themselves as they stood on the shore that evening4 ,so1 when one said1 ,i go a-fishing1 all the rest said they would go1 too4 ,they were glad to be at work again1 at something they had done all their lives4 ,they started out on the dark water under the stars1 and cast their nets1 but when they drew them in1 they had caught nothing4 ,they cast them again1 and rowed here and there1 and worked as hard as they could1 but they got no fish for their pains1 and the night was passing4 ,one cannot tell whether or not they thought it strange1 that men who had made sick people well1 and cast out devils1 could not now catch a few fish4 ,whatever they thought1 they were wet and tired1 and hungry1 and the cold1 gray early morning had come4 ,when it began to dawn1 they rowed toward the shore4 ,as they drew near1 they saw some one standing on the beach who called to them and asked if they had any fish4 ,they had to say no4 ,then the ,stranger said ,cast the net on the right side of the ship1 and ye shall find4 ,they had cast it1 perhaps1 in that very place during the night1 but they did not say so2 they just cast the net4 ,when they began to draw it1 it was heavy with fish4 ,this was a strange thing4 ,one of the men said very low1 ,it is the ,lord4 ,then the one who had suggested that they go fishing1 threw himself into the water and swam to the shore2 he just could not wait4 ,the others came in the boat1 dragging the net full of fishes4 ,as all through the night everything had seemed to go wrong1 so now1 everything was all right4 ,on the shore was just the thing that tired1 hungry1 cold people want--a fire1 burned down to glowing coals1 with fish and bread baking on it4 ,but that was not the best thing they found on the shore4 ,the ,stranger told them to draw up the net1 and they did1 and counted the fish1 one hundred and fifty-three4 ,then ,he told them to come and eat1 and ,he said grace for them and waited on them1 and they knew every word and every gesture1 but they could not speak4 ,they just ate and rested and looked at ,him4 ,it made them so glad1 and yet it almost made them afraid1 too1 that ,he should care about their hard work1 and come and cook for them and wait on them ,himself4 ,perhaps it often happened in the years which followed1 that when a friend1 or a woman1 or a slave came to these men1 bringing food and comfort for their weariness1 that with them came also the memory of the dawn on the beach1 and the fire of coals1 and the blessing of a ,presence more than theirs4 ,,part ,,ii ,,learning ,,and ,,helping ,,learning ,,and ,,helping ,she was one of those persons who possess1 as their exclusive patrimony1 the gift of practical arrangement4 ,it is a kind of natural magic that enables these favoured ones to bring out the hidden capabilities of things around them2 and particularly to give a look of comfort and habitableness to any place which1 for however brief a period1 may happen to be their home4 --,hawthorne ,,one would like to take the person ,hawthorne is describing on a camping party or a picnic4 ,she would be equally agreeable to stay at home with1 or to find at home when one came in4 ,it is a sign that there is such a person in a house when the whole family have to know where ,mother is1 as soon as they get inside the front door4 ,sometimes it is a sister or an aunt1 sometimes a father1 who has to be found before one can settle down1 but whatever the relationship1 it is the person who makes us feel at home4 ,it is odd1 is it not1 the way we are always saying that we feel at home1 or not at home1 or homesick1 or that something is homelike8 ,what do we mean by it1 anyway8 ,when people try to tell what home is1 they usually make poor work of it4 ,it is not in the least necessary to tell what it is2 a home is a thing to have1 not to talk about4 ,all ,i want to say here is that homes are not houses and furniture1 but people4 ,there is an ,indian proverb which says1 ,the hearth is not a stone but a woman4 ,fathers and brothers have their own share in making their homes1 but mothers and daughters are more apt to take care of their homes and stay in them4 ,so it has come to be that making homes is a special and particular work of women4 ,whatever work a girl may hope to do in the future1 she will live somewhere1 and whatever that somewhere is like1 it should be as homelike as she can make it4 ,this is partly on account of a good many people she will find who need a little pleasantness and comfort given to them1 and partly because she will not be comfortable and happy herself unless she has something homelike about her4 ,this is why it is a great advantage to be a woman2 what power we have to make homes1 we carry with us4 ,hawthorne says that a woman1 who is especially gifted in this way1 can make a home of any place1 even though she is there but a few hours--a hotel bedroom1 for instance4 ,the ,indian proverb1 however1 goes even further4 ,it says1 not that a woman can make a home1 but that she is a home4 ,that is1 we should have the power to make people feel at home wherever we are4 ,most women1 though1 have something more to make a home out of than themselves4 ,they have little houses or big houses to keep4 ,when they begin to do this they find themselves very glad of all the cleverness1 and learning and experience which they can gather4 ,it is much easier to do some of this gathering before one has a house of one's own1 and ways of doing it lie all round us1 often unrealized and unused4 ,through most of our teens1 school is the principal thing4 ,whether we are interested in it or not1 it is then our recognized occupation4 ,nowadays1 there are opportunities in many schools to learn things helpful in housekeeping4 ,they are not only to be found in cooking and sewing classes4 ,chemistry and physics1 which may one or other of them be required of you for college entrance examinations1 are also of excellent service in housekeeping4 ,some of you will be in schools where you can choose to some extent what courses you take4 ,in that case1 do not say chemistry is messy1 and physics is too hard1 but just tussle with them for the sake of your home-making1 as a boy would who knew he was to be a physician or an engineer4 ,i hardly dare to mention it1 but detested arithmetic1 learned in school1 often afterward saves the peace of a household and the happiness of the housekeeper4 ,personally1 ,i have found what geometry ,i know useful on many unexpected occasions4 ,but to turn to a more agreeable subject1 ,i can recommend any course in light carpentry1 for you will almost surely like it if you try it1 and no one thing is more useful in a house--except perhaps1 arithmetic4 ,if1 on the contrary1 you are in a school where there are no choices1 or if you are obliged to narrow down to the requirements of a college entrance examination1 the only thing to do is to keep in mind the things which will be especially useful to you--physical sciences1 mathematics1 manual training1 domestic science2 study some of them if you can1 and1 besides that1 see what you can learn at home4 ,i do not mean that the other things which you study at school are not useful in home-making2 they are4 ,it is just that certain things are part of the special training for this work1 and those named above are the ones more usually taught in schools4 ,we turn now to the preparation which can be given to us1 and which we give ourselves1 at home4 ,ideally1 this is the place to learn home-making4 ,if we have a home1 whether it is a palace or a room in a tenement1 some one in it keeps house4 ,if that person is one's mother1 then is one the normal and fortunate person who learns in the normal and fortunate way1 from being with her4 ,if she does some of the work of the house herself1 and we help her1 we learn far more than we realize until some moment of emergency comes and we find that our eyes1 and hands1 and noses1 and muscles are trained for service4 ,if your mother merely directs the affairs of her house and the details are carried out by others1 watch how she does it1 for this may be the way in which you will keep house2 and persuade her to let you try it1 sometime when she is to be absent4 ,in this case there will be some one else in the house from whom you will need to take a few lessons4 ,it will perhaps be a housekeeper1 or a very trusted maid4 ,make friends with her and ask her questions4 ,if she sees you want to learn and not to criticize she will become the most delighted1 flattering teacher you ever dreamed of4 ,if your mother does part or all of the housework it will probably be one of your appointed duties to assist her4 ,if it should happen1 as is sometimes the case1 that you are not required to help with the housework1 then be a woman1 and not a lap dog1 and ask to help4 ,in the proper story-book1 a mother's response to such a request would be an affectionate answer and much patient teaching1 and ,i think1 in many1 many cases1 that is the reply a daughter does receive4 ,but just suppose that you are one of the other cases4 ,i can imagine a variety of answers you might get to ,may ,i help8 ,one of them might be1 ,go out of the kitchen1 you'll spoil your clothes2 and others might be1 ,don't bother me1 ,i'm busy1 or ,don't interrupt1 or1 ,i'd rather do it myself than put up with your clumsiness4 ,the first thing to do when one gets an answer like this is to go away4 ,the second is according to temperament2 if you feel hurt and discouraged1 then1 try not to1 or if you feel that your responsibility is ended by the refusal of your offer1 then don't think that2 it isn't true4 ,think rather1 that you may have offered just at the wrong moment--you will find when you begin to keep house yourself that there are a good many wrong moments--or that there may have been some simpler thing you could have done which would have been a greater help4 ,we might also consider the possibility that our way of helping has not been quite agreeable on some former occasion4 ,perhaps1 alas1 we may be clumsy1 or we may be slow1 or we may be more nuisance than help just at first4 ,after we have gone away and thought ourselves quiet1 then we must do that most difficult and heroic of things--try again to help the person by whom we have been rebuffed4 ,you see ,i speak entirely of your side in this matter4 ,that is because neither you nor ,i may be permitted to pass judgment on your mother4 ,she is like some one about whom we have read a short story1 we only know one little period of her life and only a few of her thoughts and feelings even then4 ,she must always remain a bit of a mystery to us1 because we can never know very much about what happened before we were born4 ,there is a thing which makes helping mothers difficult1 that one must guard oneself against1 especially because it is so natural and so insidious4 ,it is especially a snare when we learn about housekeeping outside of our homes1 though it very frequently lies in wait for us anyway4 ,it is the desire to reform our homes and our mothers1 and that instantly4 ,i venture to say that the trouble with this lies in the instantly4 ,the ways you are taught at school may be better than mother's ways2 but1 on the contrary1 mother's ways may be the result of practical experience1 and they may be an adaptation to the practical needs and tastes of her family4 ,it may be that the things you learn are better adapted to your own generation and your own future housekeeping than they are to your parents' tastes and needs4 ,you are the future1 but remember that your parents are the past1 without which you would never have been4 ,there is this also to consider1 that as we grow older1 we grow toward orthodoxy4 ,we place our faith in the new thing of the hour1 and in a little while1 find that it was proved impracticable ten centuries ago4 ,while we are deciding that the old people we know are narrow-minded old fogies1 behold1 some girl or boy tells us that the reason we do not believe in their theory of the universe is because we are old-fashioned4 ,to you1 young1 thoughtful1 and alive1 belongs the belief that you are born to make the world better2 and this is true4 ,not1 however1 by tearing down is this accomplished1 but by building up4 ,and the building is done by laying in a lifetime one small stone in the structure1 ages old1 which has its foundations in the deeps of the universe1 and upon whose finished spires shall shine the glory of ,heaven4 ,but there--it is of some practical ways of helping mother1 and thereby learning housekeeping1 that ,i wish to speak just now4 ,they belong to the class of things called little services1 but ,i can assure you1 they are great1 in tact1 and helpfulness and love4 ,they are homely2 but they are just the sort of things angels would like to do4 ,dusting is one of them1 the little everyday dusting which makes such a difference in the tidiness of the house1 and perhaps takes five minutes1 or less1 to a room4 ,with this goes taking up crumbs in the dining room1 with a sweeper or dustpan and brush1 and arranging flowers and watering plants4 ,tidying means removing dirt and litter1 and putting each thing in the place where it belongs4 ,tidiness is not a housekeeper's superstition2 it is a mechanical device for invoking the spirit of restfulness4 ,another homely thing always needing to be done is mending4 ,it is1 by nature1 incidental work1 and therefore it is especially grateful to the housekeeper to have it done by an incidental helper4 ,i do not mean merely darning stockings and sewing on buttons though that is the larger part of it1 but also1 mending which is done with hammer and tacks1 or glue1 or perhaps a varnish brush4 ,i mean all those odd jobs which pursue the busy housewife in the hours when she ought to rest4 ,get your mother to write a list of these odd jobs on her memorandum pad1 as she sees or thinks of them during the day1 then see how many of them you can find a way to do4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,tidying ,if your household does not include a waitress1 there is a class of small services which need to be done before each meal4 ,one is not quite so sure to be at home at meal times1 as if one were a boy1 but one can arrange to be4 ,certain things are needed on the table which come from the refrigerator or the cellar1 cool things which should be put on at the last moment4 ,the cook has already fifty things to do at the last moment1 and few things relieve her more than to know that she need not think of the table until she puts the meal upon it4 ,i saw a girl1 once1 looking at the dining-room table1 and tapping out some sort of rhythm with four finger-tips against her cheek4 ,she owned up that she was saying to herself1 ,bread1 butter1 milk and water--four things which she had made it her business to see on the table before each meal4 ,sometimes there were jelly and pickles and other relishes to put on1 but these four1 which she counted off on her fingers and her cheek1 were the essentials4 ,wiping and putting away the dishes is a small service which one can do often and acceptably4 ,it is elsewhere described1 but is also mentioned here because it belongs to this list of opportunities4 ,if your mother1 or whoever does the cooking in your house1 likes to be helped with it1 there will be many little things which you can do1 like beating eggs for instance1 or shelling peas4 ,no one can tell you what they are1 though1 except the person who is cooking4 ,how many1 and which of these small services you are able to do1 depend on how long your school hours are1 and on what sort of health you have1 and on how much of the housework is done by the family4 ,it is not fatal if you do not do any of them1 provided your reason is not laziness or selfishness4 ,there is another group of small things1 helpful1 but more personal to yourself1 which you are less likely to be prevented from doing4 ,you probably have a room1 or half a one1 and a closet1 and bureau drawers1 and certainly clothes1 which are your own4 ,possession means responsibility4 ,if we find this sharp-cornered foundation-stone of truth in the depths of our own bureau drawers1 it is less likely to fall heavily on us later on4 ,our own things and the places in which they are kept should be our own care1 and not another's4 ,it may not be your business to do the periodical sweeping in your room1 but the daily dusting and tidying the household authorities will be glad to have you do4 ,you cannot find a better way to learn to make beds than to make your own1 for in that case you get the benefit of the insufficient airing or the crease1 or the crumb1 which you have let go4 ,if1 for some reason1 you cannot make your bed every day1 try to do it on ,sunday4 ,it is a custom of gentleness from one woman to another4 ,keeping a room in order is accomplished by the same means that any tidiness is brought about1 that is1 by having a place for things and seeing that they are there4 ,the things that most girls want in their rooms are apt to be hard to keep in order4 ,they are things which our heartless elders call trash4 ,i would not undertake to say what a girl's room should or should not contain1 but ,i would ask her not to have so many things that they are either never neat or else a tormenting care2 not to hang things on her walls which are vulgar or silly2 and not to leave her clothes and little adornments for other people to put away4 ,keeping one's own possessions in order is a reasonable service to others1 and one of the natural1 gradual ways of learning home-making4 ,will you turn over a few pages and read the suggestions about the fittings and care of closets you will find in the chapter on upstairs work8 ,bureau drawers1 however1 are not mentioned elsewhere than here1 for ,i consider them the private property of individuals1 to be cared for by their owners and not to be intruded upon by others except in emergency4 ,articles put in drawers should be classified as far as possible1 and things used least often should be put in drawers least easy to get at4 ,suppose1 for instance1 a bureau has four drawers1 the lowest is probably deepest and requires stooping to open it4 ,in it can go best waists1 and sashes1 and girdles1 and scarfs1 and fluffy objects which should lie loosely4 ,in the third drawer underclothes might be put2 to be folded and packed close does not hurt them4 ,as they are things which go into the wash1 they should be worn in rotation1 and this is accomplished without thought or trouble if we pile all the garments of the same kind together and always put the newly washed ones on the top or the bottom of the pile1 and take the ones we are to wear from the opposite place4 ,it takes a great many troublesome words to describe this action1 which is very simple1 and almost immediately becomes mechanical4 ,in the second drawer of this possible bureau might go collars1 and handkerchiefs1 and gloves1 and ties1 and things which must be kept uncrumpled4 ,if one has ample room1 pretty boxes are good to keep these things in1 and they make for neatness4 ,if one must economize space1 it is better to have some squares of silk1 or pretty coloured linen or silkoline in which one's possessions can be laid flat1 and then the four corners of the wrapper folded over upon them4 ,i have found these more convenient to get into and more easily washed than regular veil and necktie and glove cases4 ,the top drawer is the one which locks most securely1 because it is under the top of the bureau1 instead of under another drawer which might be removed4 ,it is therefore the one in which people usually keep the things which they especially value1 and their pocketbooks or handbags4 ,if a part of the top drawer is set apart for the collars1 ties1 handkerchiefs1 hair ribbons and belts which are in immediate use1 it will assist immensely to keep a room and bureau top neat4 ,one does not wish to put things1 which have been worn1 away with things which are perfectly fresh1 and one wants the belt and ribbons which one wears for two or three days in succession close at hand4 ,if they are folded or rolled up to keep them shapely1 and put in a space in the top drawer which has been chosen for the purpose1 time and tidying will be saved4 ,the space will need emptying out frequently1 but that can be done on those ,saturdays when one is seized with a sudden clearing-up fit4 ,care of our clothes is not directly related to housekeeping--it is only a collateral relation4 ,a neat house1 however1 is marred if the housekeeper herself is untidy4 ,for our immediate purpose1 though1 the point is1 that the habit of caring for our clothes1 and the deftness and inventiveness which such care requires1 are qualities constantly useful in housekeeping4 ,i met a woman once1 who boasted that she did not know how to hold a needle1 but give her a hammer and nails and she could do anything4 ,i happened to see her later with a hammer and nails1 and she was clutching the hammer close to the head1 and pounding in nails with more disregard for the help of leverage1 than if she had been a cave-woman pounding a stake with a stone4 ,some people can hammer who cannot sew2 and some people can sew who cannot hammer2 some people can do neither1 and some people can do both4 ,but the fact remains that if we can use our hands and heads cleverly for one thing1 we have a better chance of using them cleverly for another2 and blacking shoes1 and binding skirts1 and mending stockings1 and putting in ruchings1 are steps in an apprenticeship to more interesting and clever work4 ,incidentally1 too1 we are giving ourselves that exquisite daintiness which is one of a girl's charms4 ,at least one means of learning something of housekeeping lies open to every creature4 ,that means is an observing interest4 ,we never remain entirely ignorant of the things in which we are interested4 ,we gather ideas about them everywhere1 and in the most unexpected and unintentional places4 ,if we sit at tables where the meals are carefully served and well cooked1 that privilege teaches many things about serving and cooking4 ,there is as much to learn in a cheap restaurant1 if we watch how things are done1 and think out the reason for the methods4 ,if we watch a servant or a housewife doing work well1 we need never again be entirely ignorant of how to do that work4 ,if we read a book or hear a lecture1 or overhear a scrap of talk in a street car which contains a thought to help us or an unusual method to be tried1 it ought to stick to our memories as if magnetized4 ,think in the morning that you want to know something about the cats in ,thibet1 and almost surely before night1 you will have heard or read something about them4 ,we know how often this is true of remote and unusual affairs2 it is infinitely more true of intimate daily ones4 ,it is a great blessing2 a means of getting knowledge without other struggle than remembering what we want to know4 ,if it is not a royal road1 it is at least a royal by-path1 to learning4 ,some day1 you will discover that you are grown up1 and if you have learned what you could and helped when you could1 you will discover1 too1 that you have the gift and power to make a home--that you are a woman1 who is not a stone but a hearth4 ,,part ,,iii ,,my ,,heritage ,i ,,my ,,heritage ,the lot has fallen unto me in a fair ground1 yea1 ,i have a goodly heritage4 ,,there is a deep surprise and joy in these words1 which grows to exultation4 ,they might have been spoken by one who had climbed a height to look for the first time on the place where henceforth his life and work were to be1 and saw in the curve of many-folded1 blue hills1 white roads with crops warming in the fields on either hand1 woods and streams1 laden orchards1 and vines in garlands4 ,it is a fair ground4 ,then--yea1 ,i have a goodly heritage4 ,there is joy in beauty1 and in possession--and more than that4 ,there is exultation in the vision of seed-time and harvest1 of growing beauty and usefulness1 of life renewed2 and in the strength and power to work for all this and to achieve it4 ,it is not fanciful to say that a woman may regard her heritage in some such way as this4 ,the childhood1 and the homes of the world are hers1 and her work is the making of men and women4 ,if she chooses to say that ,god has exalted ,his handmaiden1 who is able to deny it8 ,the particular work of women is not just like any other work2 indolence and failure in doing it1 however1 have been too often excused on account of this fact4 ,their work is yearly becoming more and more allied with other commercial1 intellectual and moral activities4 ,even their housekeeping is no longer a disagreeable thing kept out of sight as much as possible1 as the plumbing used to be4 ,its varied problems are being recognized and studied4 ,nobody denies that they are difficult1 but it is not reasonable to suppose that they are the most difficult in the world1 nor that they are unsolvable4 ,one reason why they are difficult is that they are an attempt to establish order and law1 without destroying individuality and freedom2 and another reason is that the housewife exercises her profession chiefly for the benefit of her own family4 ,if the physician had to doctor himself1 the preacher preach to his wife1 and the teacher teach his own children1 their professions might be in as much confusion as the housekeeping profession is4 ,the efforts to do away with these difficulties by having families live together1 eat together1 or do anything else in a wholesale way1 have not succeeded and have led in a wrong direction4 ,what is wanted is a way to preserve the separate family and the separate family home1 not a way to make them into something else4 ,difficulty is a characteristic of their work which should appeal to women4 ,they are seeking to do difficult things4 ,they are seeking to prove that there is no profession1 nor labour1 nor art in which they cannot succeed4 ,in many cases they have succeeded admirably2 it has not proved the point they set out to prove however1 but another4 ,what they have proved by their activities is that they are amply able to solve the problems and accomplish the organization of the work which is especially their own4 ,they cannot get it believed that they are equal to anything while their own work lies undone--while they wilfully leave the home or helplessly stay in it4 ,things which we are proud to do in other fields1 we neither see nor do in our own4 ,for the sake of a college degree1 or a paper to be read before a club1 we delve in difficult books2 yet we do not study1 nor even read about our own work4 ,we would be proud to invent a flying machine1 or a mud-digger1 yet most of the inventions to aid housework are made by men4 ,we aspire to be stockbrokers1 merchants1 accountants1 bankers--while housekeeping finance has become a stock joke4 ,we are eager to study social problems and take up settlement work1 but we do not think it worth while to study our own cooks4 ,we feel in ourselves a power to organize and betake us to the club1 and leave the cook and the nursemaid to organize our homes and our children's lives4 ,we have raised the woman's work of teaching and of nursing into excellent professions1 and yet we are ready to sit down and cry before the difficulties of housekeeping4 ,unpleasant and monotonous things1 which we claim make our own work unbearable1 we ignore in occupations which we covet or admire4 ,under ,mr4 ,kipling's influence we cultivate an enthusiasm for machinery and engineering1 but we neglect his constantly emphasized lesson that the digging of a canal or the building of a bridge involves humble toil and unsightly details far beyond any we may encounter in peeling potatoes or washing dishes4 ,we look at the wide1 slow waters which have been let into the land and they silence us2 we follow with our eyes the great span of the bridge and hold our breath as if it were music4 ,it is right that we wonder and admire4 ,they are great things4 ,but see that woman beside you who is looking at the bridge with such especial interest4 ,is the bridge any more wonderful than her son1 who built it8 ,he is what she has built4 ,it seems to me1 one might peel several tons of potatoes as a thank-offering for a son4 ,but ,i will not take such high ground as to suppose that we might be willing to do some hard and disagreeable things just because we feel very earnestly the privilege and glory of being women4 ,much more ordinary considerations urge us to get about our work4 ,if the engineer son of whom we were speaking said1 ,estimates make me nervous1 or1 ,i hate dealing with dirty1 foreign labourers1 or1 ,you can't expect me to concern myself with the nasty river-bottom when ,i have the arch of a bridge in my mind1 or1 ,this work is so monotonous1 ,i certainly have a right to one day a week when ,i can go to town and shop--if he said these things1 we should say he was--effeminate4 ,effeminate6 ,our times are so quick that1 if we went earnestly to work1 the next generation would see nothing in the remarks quoted above1 to suggest a woman4 ,and do you know that this work of ours is a profession in which we can be as clever1 and independent1 and advanced1 and emancipated as we please1 and no man will like us the less for it4 ,they like us to be inconsistent and unexpected1 and they do not like us to know more than they do4 ,but if we can keep house thriftily and comfortably and not bother them with it1 they like that4 ,in this we are not their rivals4 ,they like our charming unexpectedness better elsewhere than in the butcher's bills2 and they love the inconsistency of the woman who1 in the home which her cleverness and toil have made peaceful and adequate1 is yet full of pleasure and wonder at the things her husband or her son has accomplished4 ,this is my thought of our fair heritage of clever1 helpful and devoted work1 with its goodly promise of a harvest of people whom we have helped to be happier and better4 ,such is the country of my ,vision4 ,,ii ,,the ,,plan ,,if ,,we want something1 we plan to get it4 ,we say1 ,i will do this1 not that2 ,i will use my time1 as ,i have little strength2 ,i will give my strength1 as ,i have little money2 or1 ,i will give my money as ,i have little time to give4 ,a plan is merely a series of choices1 a record of things taken and things left for the sake of obtaining some end or of following some ideal4 ,if we wish the people for whom we keep house to be well and happy1 and good1 we shall plan to make them so1 as earnestly and definitely as if we were making a train schedule1 or drawing the plans of a house1 or writing the outline of a book4 ,the object of a housekeeping plan may be an ideal1 but the plan is based on a definite1 practical fact--the amount of income4 ,the plan itself is the record of the choices made in the outlay of that amount of income4 ,the first thing for a family to do when they wish to make a plan1 is to impress on their minds1 not what they think they will have or what they think they ought to have1 but the definite amount of money which they have4 ,some people gamble who do not go to races or play cards4 ,they bet on futurity by spending something they expect to make1 or risk a purchase on the security of ,aunt ,maria's usual ,christmas present4 ,the indications of this sort of gambling are the casual remarks one hears too often2 ,i just had to have it1 or ,we could not keep up our position without it1 or1 ,i can't have my children dressed like beggars1 or ,it was awfully expensive1 but ,i will save on something else4 ,they are silly words and not honest4 ,silly1 because they mean that some momentary self-indulgence has been thought worth the price of long unrest and anxiety2 not honest1 because if people have what they cannot pay for1 they have what some one else has paid for as truly as if they had carried off a parcel belonging to the person standing beside them at a counter4 ,in that matter of ,aunt ,maria1 there is an extra offense4 ,a gift should bring some special pleasure1 or meet some special emergency4 ,counted on1 or spent beforehand1 it gives no happy surprise1 no unexpected pleasure or relief2 and what is worse1 ,aunt ,maria gets no more happiness from making the gift than she would from paying the interest on a mortgage4 ,counting on gifts is a mean trick4 ,if a child's parents do this1 they cannot reasonably blame him for calculating the inheritance he will acquire at their death4 ,the income from some kinds of work is of necessity uncertain4 ,this makes the housekeeping plan especially difficult4 ,probably the wisest way to meet this is to pretend that one's income is an amount somewhat under one's brightest hopes1 and to live on that amount4 ,in case of a disappointment1 there is not then so large a deficit to struggle with2 or1 if the hopes come true1 the surplus can very easily be put into a needed garment or a needed pleasure1 or perhaps into the savings bank4 ,some people manage uncertain incomes by the month instead of the year4 ,the trouble with this is that there is likely to be always a feast or a famine1 and that is demoralizing4 ,as far as possible1 a family should have an established style of living1 to be changed only gradually1 as an assured income increases4 ,this thing called the style of living is the insidious1 untiring rival of that hard1 cold fact1 the amount of income4 ,the two are forever quarrelling4 ,logically1 the amount of income should settle the style of living1 but often people spend weary lives trying to stretch the hard fact to fit its ever-increasing rival4 ,this conflict is the source of most household troubles1 and quarrels1 and sorrows4 ,what is the matter8 ,why is one less ashamed to wear one's heart on one's sleeve than a patch8 ,why would you rather owe the grocer1 than say to your friend1 ,i can't afford it8 ,why1 when ,i say ,i am not ashamed to be poor1 does the blood rise in my cheeks to belie my words8 ,poverty is not a badge of failure and laziness4 ,it is often a decoration for high principle1 or for noble self-sacrifice1--it is the lady-love of saints4 ,very soon and very often in housekeeping1 whatever may be the income1 the conflict will arise between needs and wants and the financial ability to supply them4 ,for this struggle we must gather our common sense and courage4 ,they will help us to choose the things which really matter1 and to laugh at ourselves for pretending to have what we have not4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some husbands and wives make the financial plans of the family together4 ,in other cases1 the husband decides what amount of the income should be spent on the table1 and the wife plans only the expenditure of that4 ,the households in which the wife buys and the husband pays without consultation or agreement1 exist1 but let us hope they are few4 ,then1 there is the household in which the woman is financier1 and the man lives on an allowance4 ,and1 of course1 there are a great number of households which are not complete families1 but are groups of people1 related or unrelated1 who make their homes together1 and in which the division of income is made by one person1 or by the group1 as they wish or are compelled by circumstances4 ,plans for a whole income are considered here because they include the problems and details of less elaborate plans4 ,as has been said1 the first thing for a family to do is to find out their definite income1 irrespective of ,aunt ,maria4 ,incomes of all sizes are lived on in some way4 ,the way which their income will cover1 is the style of living suitable for a family4 ,if the family income pinches1 however1 and there is some way of increasing it which does not destroy the home life1 nor work some member of the family to death1 then it is well to take that way4 ,but only in cases verging on starvation1 should an increase in income be made by the homemaker leaving her housekeeping1 or the breadwinner working eighteen hours a day4 ,when the amount of the income is found out1 the next thing is to divide it among the family needs in a reasonable proportion4 ,this proportion is decided in the first place according to necessity1 and in the second1 according to taste4 ,let us take for illustration a family with an income of #b1jjj a year4 ,and then let us take1 from ,mrs4 ,ellen ,h4 ,richards's book called ,the ,cost of ,living1 the following proportions for an income of that amount4 #a_/d for food4 #a_/f rent4 #c_/bj running expenses4 #c_/bj clothes4 #a_/d miscellaneous expenses4 ,translated into dollars this is3 #ejj for food4 #djj rent4 #cjj running expenses4 #cjj clothes4 #ejj miscellaneous expenses4 ,the next thing is to find out whether this is a possible proportion for us1 if this income is our own4 ,food1 #ejj a year1 #i4fa a week1 #a4cg a day--we shall probably think this a possible allowance4 ,rent #djj a year1 #cc a month--here there may be a difficulty4 ,if we own a house in a country town or a suburb1 we can probably pay the taxes and make repairs1 and have something left from #djj4 ,if we rent a house in a country town or in a not too popular suburb we can perhaps get it for less than #djj1 but in the latter case1 the remainder may need to be used in carfares if some member of the family has to go to the city every day4 ,if we live in a flat in a large city1 it is an uninviting one that can be had for #cc a month1 and even so1 nothing is left for carfares4 ,regular carfares are usually reckoned in the department with the rent1 because the place where one's home is situated determines their amount4 ,here are two cases1 then1 in which the proportion for rent does not work4 ,the first1 in which there is more money than is necessary to provide a dwelling1 is easily arranged4 ,the surplus can be used for more clothes1 or more help1 or to satisfy more of the unfailing supply of miscellaneous needs1 or it can be put by for future needs4 ,the second case1 in which we feel we must have a #dj flat and have only #cc with which to pay for it1 is not as hopeless as it looks4 ,for the next thing in the table of proportions is #cjj a year for running expenses1 that is1 wages1 fuel1 light1 water1 etc4 ,here is at once a partial solution of the rent difficulty4 ,in that forty-dollar flat1 heat and water are supplied4 ,if we use gas for cooking1 #g a month will be an average gas bill for a careful family1 that is #hd a year4 ,this amount will likewise cover the expense if we use gas for light and coal for the range4 ,then if we pay three dollars a week to an inexperienced girl1 or #a4ej a day for two days a week to a combination washerwoman and scrubwoman1 that will be #aef a year4 ,our running expenses will then be #bdj a year4 ,the #fj saved will pay #e a month on the rent1 and we shall then need only #b a month more to secure the forty-dollar flat4 ,next1 #cjj for clothes4 ,in a year when things have lasted over1 we may be able to get the #b a month for the rent from this department4 ,if1 on the contrary1 there is a new overcoat1 or a new street dress to buy1 or a new member of the family to clothe1 then it cannot be spared4 ,the next division is #ejj for holidays1 recreations1 books1 charity1 savings1 doctors' bills and all unclassified expenses4 ,this is the division which is most difficult to manage4 ,if we think we cannot spare that #bd from the clothes department1 we shall need to consider very carefully whether we take it from this1 or from the food department4 ,we shall have to consider the price of food in the neighbourhood2 the health of the family2 how much they need a holiday2 whether there is any special purpose for which we must save2 whether there is some piece of furniture much needed2 whether there is a present which we greatly desire to give4 ,and these are only samples of the things which will need to be considered4 ,a choice must be made1 though1 however difficult1 for when one item of expenditure in the family life is exceptionally large1 there is but one thing to do1 that is1 to decide1 reasonably and carefully1 in what other department of living the expenditure can be lessened4 ,in this case of a high rent which has just been described1 see in the table below what has happened4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- ,food,rent,running ,clothes,miscellaneous ,expenses ,expenses ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- ,mrs4 ,richards's #ejj #djj #cjj #cjj #ejj ,division ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- ,division #ejj #dhj #bdj #cjj #dhj for high rent ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- #hj #fj #bj ,the high rent is balanced by a saving in running expenses and in some item of miscellaneous expense4 ,this is merely a suggestion of the way in which a housekeeping plan is worked out4 ,every family has its own needs and wants1 and its income must be proportioned to suit them as far as possible4 ,if your income is larger than the one used as an example1 you will find that the department of miscellaneous expenses will grow and need to be subdivided many times--you will have more concerts than cabbages--if1 on the contrary1 your income is less than the example1 you will find that the food and rent departments will begin to swallow up the other departments4 ,an example of the extreme of this is exhibited by a budget of housekeeping expenses given by ,mr4 ,arthur ,morrison in the ,fortnightly ,review a few years ago1 for a family with an income of #a #ajs4 a week--about #g4ej a week and #cij a year4 s4 d4 ,rent #g #j ,meat and fish #e #e ,bread and flour #b #a ,groceries #a #h ,cheese1 butter1 eggs1 bacon #a #aa ,green groceries #a #c ,fuel #b #j ,oil1 etc #a #g ,clothes #b #j ,club and insurance #a #j ,beer and tobacco #b #i ,balance #a #c -------- #a #ajs4 ,this table1 roughly calculated1 gives the following proportions3 ,a little more than #b_/e for food4 ,a little more than #a_/e for rent4 ,a little more than #b_/be for running expenses4 ,a little more than #a_/ae for clothes4 ,a little more than #b_/ae for other expenses4 ,nearly half the income was used for food2 the same proportion for rent as it is reckoned should be paid by a family with an income of #b1jjj2 and about a third 7#b4ej in our money7 was left for fuel1 clothes1 and every other need or want4 ,yet ,mr4 ,morrison says that if the wife is not lazy and the husband does not drink1 a family can live in ,london on this income and manage to be well and decent4 ,pretty hard6--yes4 ,pretty sordid6--no4 ,courage and perseverance and self-denial made that budget1 such as most of us save up for heroic occasions1 and would not think of expending upon marketing and meal getting4 ,one cannot be as definite about housekeeping plans as one would like to be in dealing with such a definite and practical subject4 ,in the nature of things1 each family must decide on the purposes for which its income is used1 and on the amount to be devoted to each4 ,i cannot1 however1 emphasize too strongly the necessity of definiteness on the part of those dealing with their own actual incomes4 ,a carefully thought out plan of expenditure1 written down and earnestly adhered to1 is a family backbone4 ,a first plan has to be made somewhat in the dark1 but every year brings enlightenment and confidence4 ,though the purposes for which their income is used are for each family to decide upon1 yet ,i venture to lay stress upon three purposes which are often subdivisions of that general and entirely voluntary department of miscellaneous expenses4 ,for convenience1 ,i shall call them1 ,allowances1 ,the ,tenth1 and ,savings4 ,there is an odd sort of innate privacy about money matters4 ,children are taught that it is ill-bred to open other peoples' pocketbooks or checkbooks1 or to ask them what their possessions cost4 ,as they grow up they find that business affairs are considered confidential1 and that no honourable person investigates another's money affairs without some authority4 ,it is desirable that these rules of honour should be preserved1 and one simple way to help in this is to arrange that each member of the family has an allowance1 if it is only five cents a week--an allowance for which he is responsible to himself alone4 ,these allowances should go down in the family accounts as ,allowances1 the details belong to the individual4 ,the members of families in which this arrangement is made should conscientiously keep their private expenses within the amount agreed upon1 for allowances not only teach the right of individual privacy1 they teach that old and difficult lesson that you can't eat your cake and have it too2--that one can't have marbles and candy the same week4 ,an allowance also supplies each person with something to give away1 which is really his to give4 ,he may not have earned it by work1 but he has earned it by going without something he would have liked to spend it for4 ,there is yet another purpose which allowances serve4 ,they help to prevent the failure of a plan of expenditure4 ,for they keep a strict and careful plan from becoming a galling chain4 ,they prevent the absorption of personal privacy and freedom by the regulations of the family as a group against which the individual1 sooner or later1 invariably rebels4 ,the ,tenth is that part of the family income1 more or less than an actual tenth1 which is given away4 ,it is not mine to offer advice as to the size or use of this division4 ,i merely emphasize its necessity4 ,it is the small thing1 which keeps meanness and bitterness out of the management of scanty means1 and selfishness and brutality out of the management of ample means4 ,establish a give-away division in your plan1 for the sake of your own disposition1 if you are not urged to it by any other consideration4 ,next to this division1 which is considered the generous division1 comes one which has a less agreeable reputation1 but undeservedly--,savings4 ,many people who will say giving is a good thing1 will deny that saving is4 ,and is it8 ,why8 ,what is it for8 ,it is to provide those who suffer adversity1 or who live to old age1 against becoming a public charge2 or against dependence upon relatives and friends4 ,there is a fine honour in not taking the risk of these things4 ,one ought to be willing to struggle hard and self-denyingly to save oneself and one's family from becoming burdens to other people4 ,perhaps you say1 ,but why pinch and save for something which may never happen8 ,if you speak as one solitary individual1 it is true1 you may die before old age2 it is the rare family1 however1 in which some member does not need a provision for a last period of helplessness4 ,then1 there are those things called adversities1 and those things called opportunities1 which turn to adversities if they cannot be used4 ,do you know many people1 who have not at some time been in a difficulty where they needed money1 or who have not had a chance that depended on an outfit or a pledge8 ,is it reasonable to expect to run to some one else for help at such times8 ,and1 by the way1 to whom would you run8 ,to the friend who is the open-handed1 good companion1 or to the careful1 farseeing friend8 ,of the two1 which is the more to be depended upon1 the more finely honourable1 the more worthy to be imitated8 ,there are two very usual ways of keeping savings4 ,life insurance is one of them4 ,it is more than a way of keeping savings1 for in most cases1 the amount finally received is more than the amount paid in4 ,it has this advantage1 and also the advantage that the savings thus laid by are only available at a time of great need--sickness1 accident or death--or sometimes1 after a long period of years4 ,it has the corresponding disadvantages that these savings are not available for small needs1 and also that they may be lost1 if for any reason the subsequent premiums cannot be paid4 ,a savings-bank account is another way of keeping savings4 ,savings banks will take money in very small sums and will pay a reasonable interest on it4 ,this method of keeping savings has the advantage that the money can be drawn whenever it is needed1 but the resulting disadvantage that the account may be small at the moment of sudden need4 ,if it is possible1 as it often is1 to have both a life insurance and a savings-bank account1 a household may feel well protected against calamity1 and well provided against sudden wants4 ,if some member of a family has a life insurance1 a definite premium will have to be paid at definite times4 ,a savings-bank account is not so insistent4 ,but to succeed in saving and to do it with as little discomfort as possible1 it is better to put ten dollars or ten cents into an account on the first day of the month1 and forget about it1 than to save five cents in carfare on ,monday1 one cent on a newspaper on ,tuesday1 ten cents on lunch on ,wednesday1 and so on4 ,you will say that it amounts to the same thing4 ,that if that money is put into the bank1 all these little pinching economies will have to be borne as a consequence4 ,that is logical1 but only to a certain extent true in practice4 ,in one case1 that of the definite amount put away monthly1 the money is saved because it is not there to spend2 in the other case1 it is there1 but is saved with the thought of saving4 ,the latter method means going without everything that possibly can be gone without4 ,it is the method by which one fills a ,lenten mitebox--it is disciplinary1 that is1 it is meant to hurt a little1 and it does4 ,people do not keep ,lent all the year1 however2 it is an especial season for an especial purpose4 ,at some time of serious difficulty in household affairs1 it may become necessary to save in this ,lenten way1 but the usual1 regular sort of saving1 which is a duty for life with most of us1 should be done as far as possible by a decision once carefully made1 and afterward automatically carried out4 ,i wish ,i could in some way show the pleasant side of the matter of savings4 ,there is much comfort and gladness in the possession of a small reserve fund4 ,the mere sight of the big1 ugly ,savings ,bank which contains it can give new courage4 ,we look up at the building in passing and know we have there the chance to start again if we are not succeeding2 a holiday if we very much need one2 weeks to recover in if we are ill2 protection from dependence upon other people2 the power to keep some one we love from suffering2 and the joy of sometimes giving a gift4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now1 a word more on the subject of choices4 ,in a little town ,i know1 there live two old women4 ,one will not go to prayer meeting because she cannot afford to put five cents into the collection basket2 the other goes every week and contributes one bright penny4 ,she devoutly brightens it on a piece of old carpet before she starts4 ,as it is such a little gift1 it must be made as fair as possible4 ,there is a stern business principle in the whole of life4 ,it is that law of choice of which we spoke at first4 ,if we have a thing1 we must in some way pay for it1 we cannot have the thing and its price too4 ,we pay in various commodities3 in work1 in money1 in time1 in ability1 in thoughtfulness1 in suffering2 but in some way we pay4 ,it is not a harsh and ungenerous law2 it is to be rejoiced in4 ,god meant us to be self-supporting1 not objects of charity4 ,the trouble with ,his law is made by us4 ,some of us try to get out of paying at all2 some of us are angry because we would rather pay in something we have not4 ,we would rather pay for food and clothes with money only1 instead of with a little money and much thought and labour4 ,we would like to buy our friend a birthday gift1 instead of writing that birthday letter which costs us thoughtfulness and an ache in our pride4 ,because we cannot afford a holiday1 we will not pay for comfort and pleasantness at home with the coin of gaiety1 or a favourite dessert1 or a new book from the ,library4 ,each of you1 and ,i1 whatever our incomes1 have our choices of this kind to make1 and the price of them to pay4 99 99 99 99 99 --,it is prayer-meeting night4 ,shall we stay at home8--,or rub up a penny8 ,,iii ,,the ,,accounts ,,when a family have made a plan of yearly expenditure1 they must have some way of testing at short intervals whether they are keeping to it or not1 and some record by which at the end of the year they can tell whether their plan is a good one4 ,these tests and records are furnished by accounts4 ,accounts are as old as the brick books of ,assyria4 ,they have been found necessary to business transactions for ages4 ,one of the reasons that housekeeping does not receive its proper recognition as a business and a profession is that it does not bear the stamp of either in the form of accurate accounts and statistics4 ,perhaps these are lacking because so many women are driven to tears or fury by accounts4 ,it is odd that they are1 too1 for they keep golf and tennis scores1 and devote themselves to whist1 and are madly fascinated with jig-saw puzzles1 and all these things are a good deal like accounts4 ,a favourite excuse for not keeping accounts is this3 ,i have just so much1 and ,i can't spend what ,i haven't1 so what's the use8 ,this ignores two things4 ,the first is1 that spending a little more than one's income1 and thus gradually running up a debt1 is an extremely easy thing to do4 ,the second is1 that people who do not plan their expenditures1 deprive themselves of the chance to choose what their expenditures shall be made for4 ,if you plan to have strawberries and cream on the first ,monday in ,february1 and bread and tea on the next ,saturday1 and you like that1 then there is nothing more to say--except to hope for improvement in the next generation4 ,if1 however1 in the exuberance of appetite or hospitality you have strawberries and cream on the first ,monday in ,february1 and are awfully surprised to find you can only afford bread and tea on ,saturday--then you need to realize that you have deprived yourself of the freedom of choice1 whether right or wrong1 and that you had better keep a few accounts4 ,the moment a family have one penny more than they need to buy the food which will keep them alive1 there comes to be an element of choice in the spending of that penny4 ,when the penny grows to an amount not easily calculated mentally1 that freedom of choice is only obtainable by accepting the bondage of some sort of accounts4 ,it is like the bondage of the truth1 it makes us free4 ,there are many methods and variations of methods of keeping accounts4 ,mr4 ,morrison's woman with thirty shillings a week undoubtedly kept her accounts in her head1 but she kept them4 ,many women keep accounts with a collection of small boxes or envelopes1 each marked with the name of the commodity for which the money within is to be used4 ,they find it easier to calculate with the actual money than with figures4 ,it is well enough if they cannot do better1 but it is primitive4 ,i suppose that some six or seven thousand years ago1 it was the latest thing in account keeping4 ,no woman wants to be as far behind the style as that4 ,accounts kept in figures have several obvious advantages4 ,the symbol of five thousand dollars--#e1jjj--takes less room than that amount in money1 and is no temptation to a thief4 ,another advantage is1 that these symbols of money do not have to be paid out1 but remain in a book1 and furnish a record of just what has been bought and what money remains4 ,they also make it clear to the owner of the money whether she has had what she most needed or not4 ,that is one of the reasons accounts are so disagreeable2 they often say1 ,you made a fool of yourself that time4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,the ,account ,book ,there are two sides in accounts1 which are usually represented by opposite pages in a book4 ,the right-hand page is the ,credit side2 the left hand page is the ,debit side4 ,on the right hand1 or ,credit1 page are written the sums of money we have or acquire4 ,credit is related to the word creed4 ,the reason for this relationship is1 that a credit page represents how much we may be believed in financially2 and to what amount people believed in us who paid us for work2 and to what amount people believed in us who gave us gifts in money4 ,on the left-hand1 or ,debit1 page are written the sums of money we have paid out4 ,the word debit is related to due and duty and devoir4 ,therefore1 on this page go the amounts which have been due to others for the things which we have had1 and which it has been our duty to pay because we have had these things4 ,if we are honourable people1 we will do our devoir in this matter4 ,at the end of a day1 or a week1 or a month1 as seems best1 the account is balanced4 ,this word balanced is a metaphor4 ,by its means the credit and the debit pages are changed into the pans of a pair of scales1 and the account is balanced when they hang even4 ,that is1 when the items on the debit page add up to the same amount that the items on the credit page add up to1 the account balances4 ,but suppose the pages do not add up to the same amount--they rarely do1 and they rarely should--,what then8 ,then the metaphor of the balance suggests what to do4 ,if one scalepan is lighter than the other1 put a weight into it4 ,if the debit side is lighter1 that is1 if it is less than the credit side1 add on the amount which will make it even with the credit side1 and write beside that amount1 ,balance4 ,in that case1 there is a little money yet unspent1 and when the next two pages of the accounts are begun this money yet unspent is put down at the head of the credit page like this3 ,balance on hand #b4ci ,if1 on the contrary1 the credit side is less than the debit side1 add the balance there4 ,this means that something has been bought which has not been paid for1 and the meaning of another word related to debit becomes intrusive--debt4 ,debt is sometimes a temporary necessity--like oxygen pumped into lungs which can no longer pump for themselves2 sometimes it is a calamity1 sometimes it is a disgrace2 and it is always dangerous4 ,two pages of an account such as a girl might keep of her personal expenses1 when balanced at the end of a week1 look like this3-- ---------------------------------------- --------------------- #aiji ,cash ,dr4 #aiji ,cash ,cr4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------- ,july #a ,veil #ej ,july #a ,bal4 on hand #be ,soda #bj ,allowance #aj #jj #c ,gloves #b #jj #c ,birthday #e #jj #d ,church #be #e ,carfare #aj ,shampoo #ge #f ,postage #bj ,carfare #aj #g ,balance #aa #ae --------------------------------------- #ae #be #ae #be ---------------------------------------- ------------------- ,the person to whom this account belongs has a balance on hand of #aa4ae to put at the head of the next credit page4 ,she is evidently an exemplary person for she has spent just about a fourth of her money in a fourth of the month4 ,one would think that simple household accounts might be kept like this personal cash-account4 ,they could1 except that it is desirable1 almost necessary1 that household accounts should be divided into departments4 ,the departments will be those which have been decided upon in the plan of expenditure1 such as food1 clothes1 fuel1 savings1 etc4 ,there are several ways in which accounts can be kept in departments4 ,two or three of the simplest are suggested here4 ,the rule for selecting a method is1 use the one which confuses you least4 ,one method is1 to begin in different parts of an account-book1 accounts for each department like the simple cash-account above4 ,it is convenient to have an indexed book1 or else to paste slips on the pages where each account begins1 which will stick out beyond the leaves and indicate by a word or an initial what department will be found there4 ,the book should be one made for accounts1 for then it will be ruled correctly4 ,in each place where a department begins1 write the name of the department at the head of opposite pages4 ,on the credit page put down the amount allotted to this department for a week or month4 ,this amount is copied from the plan of expenditure1 which should be written down in the beginning or end of the book4 ,on the debit page write the names of the items for which the money is spent and the dates4 ,it is safer to balance house-accounts once a week4 ,this prevents the use of more than the week's allowance1 or if it has been necessary to use more1 this serves as a warning to spend less than the allowance the next week4 ,below is a brief1 two-weeks' account for the ,clothes ,department4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- #aiji ,clothes ,dr4 #aiji ,clothes ,cr4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------- ,may #a ,hat #h #jj ,may #a ,month's allowance #be #jj #c ,buttons #bj #e ,shoes #e #jj #g ,balance #aa #hj -------- -------- #be #jj #be #jj ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- ,may #h ,thread #cj ,may #h ,bal4 on hand #aa #hj #ab ,silk #b #jj ,socks #c #jj #ad ,balance #f #ej -------- -------- #aa #hj #aa #hj ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- ,if it should happen that one department has to help another department1 put the amount down on the credit page as3 ,from ,x--,department--#aj4jj2 just as the birthday present is put down in the personal account4 ,here is another method1 which is easy to understand1 but tends to become clumsy if the details are many4 ,for this1 one should have a book with an unusually large page1 and wider than it is high4 ,rule it like this form below4 ,it saves confusion if the vertical rulings are done in red ink4 ,key99 ,gr4 ,groceries ,cl4 ,clothes ,car4,carfare ,ch4 ,church ---------------------------------------- ----------- #aiji ,fuel,gr4 ,meat,cl4 ,car4,ch4 ,wages ,aug4 #a #bj #ce #b #fjj #ajj #ih #aj #c #fj #aaj #cjj #bj #d #gb #aj #e #cj #fj #ae #aj #f #bj #ajj #aj #ajj #g #afh #aij #be #ejj ---------------------------------------- ---- ,week's ,total #fcj #dbj #deh #dae #aje #ace #ejj ---------------------------------------- ---- 99 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,key added by transcriber to make table less wide4 ,at the end of the week1 the amount at the foot of each of these columns should be compared with the weekly amount for that department allowed in the plan of expenditure4 ,if the week's total is more than the allowance1 the amount it has exceeded should be put down in red ink at the head of the column for the next week4 ,this will serve as a reminder that when that column is added up1 it should be possible to add in the red number without exceeding the week's allowance for that department4 ,this method has the disadvantage that it does not record the items for which the money was spent4 ,it is practicable1 however1 especially for a housekeeper who only manages the part of the income devoted to the food supply4 ,often1 in this case1 items can be obtained1 if desired1 from the little books of the butcher or the grocer in which purchases are charged for a week or a month4 ,this method does not show the credit side of the accounts4 ,the previous method has a credit side1 but it is theoretical4 ,that is1 the amounts on the credit pages were taken from the plan1 they are not a record of actual checks or amounts of money in which the income was received4 ,this defect in these methods must be remedied4 ,it can be done by devoting a page of the account book to the dates on which1 and the amounts in which1 the actual credits come in4 ,they will be salary1 wages1 interest on investments1 gifts1 etc42 or the sum of money from the business which supports the family1 which at stated times is deposited in a bank or given into the hands of the housekeeper for the living expenses4 ,it is necessary to see that these things come in regularly2 if they do the housekeeping plan may safely remain unchanged4 ,if they decrease1 a way must quickly be found to lessen the expenses2 if they increase1 one must decide slowly what is the wisest thing to do with the surplus4 ,if this way of recording actual credits does not seem convenient1 a general account can be kept to supplement the detailed accounts4 ,it will be well to have a small account book especially for this purpose4 ,two of its pages will look like the example below4 ,the items on the debit page are gathered from detailed accounts such as have been described4 ,completed for a month1 it should be balanced as any account is balanced4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- #aiji ,general ,acc4 ,dr4 #aiji ,general ,acc4 ,cr4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ,jan4 #a ,savings for ,jan4 #e #jj ,jan4 #a ,salary #abe #jj #c ,rent #ce #jj #ae ,interest on #ae #jj #ca ,clothes #bj #jj 7investment7 ,food #ch #jj #be ,extra work #aj #jj ,fuel #h #jj ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,many people keep no accounts except in their checkbooks4 ,that is1 they write down carefully therein the date and source of every check deposited2 and on the stub of each check drawn they write the purpose for which the money is to be used4 ,this method is much better than no account keeping1 but it is hardly detailed enough for a house account in which there are many items too small to be paid by check4 ,after every three or four checks there is apt to be one marked ,incidentals1 or ,general ,expenses4 ,into these indefinite checks often go the trip the family meant to take1 the table linen they meant to buy1 the savings they meant to put away1 and at the end of a year it is impossible to say what they had instead4 ,unless purchases are always paid for in cash1 charge-accounts will have to have a place in the house account book4 ,some people have passbooks kept by the baker and the butcher and the grocer1 and pay these accounts weekly4 ,others have charge-accounts with all their tradespeople and pay their bills monthly4 ,if one has a charge-account with a firm1 purchases made from them should invariably be charged4 ,paying for one purchase1 and charging the next makes a tangle which neither the purchaser nor the shopkeeper can hope to prevent4 ,when purchases are charged1 it is well to open a little account with the firm in the house account book4 ,write the name of the firm at the head of two opposite pages4 ,on the debit side write the purchases1 their dates and prices4 ,on the credit side1 write the dates and amounts of any payments made to the firm1 because on those amounts is based the firm's belief in their customer4 ,such accounts may often take the place of the separate accounts kept for the departments of expenditure4 ,the butcher's account will be the meat department2 the coal and wood dealer's account will be the fuel department2 etc4 ,when purchases are charged it is easier to buy more than one can pay for1 than it is when they are paid for in cash4 ,this is the cause of the objection which some people have to charging4 ,it is very needful to have a fixed time every day for attending to the housekeeping accounts4 ,the best time is immediately after the orders for the day have been given2 or immediately after the housekeeper returns from market4 ,it is well to have a little scratch-pad hung up in the kitchen1 and another on a desk in the living room1 and another upstairs1 on which expenditures made at irregular times can be jotted down4 ,the used slips can be torn off each day1 and the items put down in the book at the regular time for the accounts4 ,accounts balanced once a week are a little trouble once a week2 those kept by the month are a large trouble once a month4 ,accounts balanced weekly are less apt to have mistakes in them2 and they are a more frequent warning against living beyond one's means4 ,to a young housekeeper wishing to look into the matter of account keeping1 ,i would recommend an interesting little book by ,professor ,charles ,waldo ,haskins1 called ,how to ,keep ,household ,accounts4 ,it is agreeable as well as useful4 ,i wish1 also1 to say1 in this connection1 that the methods of keeping household accounts suggested in this book are neither professional nor authoritative2 they are merely simple ways in which accounts may be correctly kept4 ,not long ago1 ,i made bold to ask an interesting and successful business man if he kept detailed accounts4 ,he took out of an inside pocket a worn1 narrow-paged diary4 ,in it1 under each date1 was recorded every cent he spent--even to cigars and organ grinders4 ,he showed it as if he did not quite like to1 and yet as if he were determined to stand up for it--somewhat as a man acknowledges an unpopular conviction4 ,he said1 ,it seems awfully close--no1 ,i mean it seems awfully careful1 but ,i want to know4 ,you may guess what it was he wanted to know4 ,,iv ,,the ,,schedule ,,in ,,making and using a housework schedule the housekeeper has a narrow path to tread1 between chaos on the one hand and slavery on the other4 ,if the idea of a housework schedule appeals to her1 it would be wise for her to make as slight a schedule and be as little bound by it1 as possible4 ,if1 on the contrary1 she feels sympathy with the woman who thought it would be more interesting to do the washing on a different day each week1 she should by all means have a rather detailed schedule and faithfully keep to it4 ,a work schedule saves the time and strain which1 without it1 would be expended each day in deciding what was to be done2 it prevents those who do the work or help with it from waiting round to be told what to do2 and it keeps one day from being too hard and the next too easy4 ,but we must not have a schedule which makes the accomplishment of a certain amount of housework in a given time seem a more important duty than the little pleasant acts which make the comfort and pleasure of a home4 ,if the man of the house wants his wife or daughter to walk to the car with him after breakfast1 she should be able to go without feeling anxious or preoccupied4 ,the coming of an unexpected guest should not be thought a torment and a calamity because it disorders a schedule4 ,when a small head is thrust under one's elbow and a small voice says1 ',want to be loved now1 confusion to anything which inclines us to say1 ,run away1 you bother me4 ,a household run on a strict schedule becomes an institution1 not a home2 on the other hand1 a household in which the work is done at any time or no time is neither clean1 restful nor knit together with the bonds of mutual service and mutual compliance4 ,housework is some of it daily1 and some of it periodical4 ,bedmaking is daily2 sweeping is periodical4 ,there is also work which may be done by the workers in the house1 or by others coming from without4 ,in one family the laundry work1 bread making1 window cleaning1 floor polishing and the like will be done by those in the house2 in another1 these things will be done out of the house1 or by people who come in to do them4 7a7 ,,daily ,,work ,the following is a list of daily work in an average house4 ,besides these things some piece of periodical work is done each day4 ,fire made or made up4 ,shades rolled up2 windows opened a few minutes2 suggestions of yesterday removed4 7,in summer1 veranda arranged47 ,breakfast prepared1 served and cleared away4 ,pantry and kitchen put in order4 ,menu made and orders given4 ,downstairs rooms put in order4 ,bedrooms put in order4 ,bathroom put in order4 ,accounts4 ,preparations for second and third meals4 ,second meal served and cleared away4 ,rest4 ,third meal prepared1 served and cleared away4 ,outside affairs usually decide the time at which these activities are performed4 ,meal hours in most cases depend on the work hours of some of the family1 and on the meal hours depend the times when other things are done4 ,who shall do the work depends on the number of workers1 the occupations which they have beside housework1 and the periodical work of the day4 ,if there is one woman in the house1 she must go through this list of things1 doing each slightly or elaborately1 as she is able and as they require4 ,on the days when there is washing or sweeping or baking to do she will have to abbreviate other things4 ,upstairs and down she will merely put things in their places and remove visible dust2 she will leave the table set until after luncheon1 on washdays until after dinner2 she will have planned the meals for this day the day before1 and she will hurry all the work a little4 ,in a house where there is a mistress and a maid1 the mistress will pick out from the daily work the things she wishes to do4 ,she will perhaps set the table1 put the house in order1 plan the meals1 go to market and make her accounts before luncheon4 ,on washing and ironing days1 if no extra person comes in to help1 she will add to this the chamber-work and perhaps the washing of the breakfast dishes4 ,probably on those mornings she will not go to market4 ,when there are two maids in the house1 the second will do the work suggested in the former case for the mistress on a washday1 with the exception of the menu and the accounts1 and with the addition of waiting on the table1 washing the dishes1 and some preparations for the meals which are not actual cooking4 ,when there is a third maid the upstairs part of the house will be her domain1 and she will probably do some personal services for the mistress4 ,in a large family she will help to wait on the table1 and to wash the dinner dishes4 ,after breakfast she will be busy with upstairs work and some sweeping1 and after luncheon she will rest and dress and then answer the doorbell and the telephone during the time that the waitress is resting and dressing4 ,a fourth maid is usually a laundress1 a fifth would do the rougher and simpler part of the kitchen work1 and a sixth--but there1 a housekeeper with five or six maids will not need suggestions from this book4 ,in households where there are several servants1 their meals are added to the list of daily work4 ,these come before those served to the family with sometimes the exception of dinner4 ,when this exception is made1 tea keeps the time between luncheon and dinner from being too long4 ,it has always seemed to me that separate meals should be arranged for as soon as a family decide to keep a servant whose regular duty it is to wait on the table4 ,a particularly tangible shadow lies upon a meal which is served by some one who after a long morning's work may be faint and hungry for the food she brings to you4 7b7 ,,periodical ,,work ,the following is a list of periodical work for an average house4 ,washing4 ,ironing4 ,sorting and mending linen and clothes4 ,sweeping and dusting4 ,bread baking4 ,thorough cleaning of the kitchen4 ,cleaning garbage can1 and surroundings4 ,cleaning refrigerator and food receptacles4 ,arrangements for days out4 ,preparations for ,saturday and ,sunday4 99 99 99 99 99 ,polishing furniture and floors4 ,cleaning silver4 ,cleaning of linen closet and others4 ,care of cellar4 ,when can these things be done1 and who is to do them8 ,we will consider the laundry work first4 ,this should be the periodical work for two days of the week2 if it runs over it crowds other things1 and indicates that the wash is larger than we may have it with the present number and quality of workers4 ,on the days devoted to laundry work1 the daily work should be as brief and the meals as simple as possible4 ,of course1 when there is a woman in the house1 or who comes into the house especially to do washing and ironing1 the usual schedule can be adhered to4 ,the day on which the washing is done is a matter of choice4 ,it is traditional to wash on ,monday1 but some people say that ,tuesday is better4 ,if a woman comes in to do the washing it must be done when she can come4 ,the advocates of washing on ,monday say that as it is the longest and heaviest weekly job1 it is best got out of the way as early in the week as possible2 that the work of the week seems to wait round until the laundry work is finished2 they say1 too1 that it is easier to wash on ,monday because other people are washing4 ,the advocates of ,tuesday say that as more of the family are at home on ,sunday and as the regular clearing up is not done1 the house needs especial attention on ,monday2 also1 that they do not like putting clothes to soak the last thing ,sunday night4 ,if circumstances leave one free to choose the day1 it is as well to try each long enough to get used to it1 and then to decide on the one which proves easiest for every one concerned4 ,in the household with one maid1 the mistress should help on the days the laundry is done with the daily work and in some cases with the laundry itself4 ,in the two-maid household1 the cook washes1 the waitress assists1 and the mistress frequently does some of the daily work4 ,in the three-maid household it is possible for each to do her usual part of the daily work and give some assistance with the laundry4 ,the sorting and mending of the clean clothes is the work of the mistress or of an upstairs maid4 ,the sorting should be done when the wash is finished4 ,the mending1 if heavy1 often has to wait for odd times4 ,the next heaviest periodical work to the washing is the weekly cleaning4 ,in a household with two maids or less1 the cleaning should not be the periodical work on more than two days1 one for upstairs1 one for down4 ,the living room and the dining room will probably have to be thoroughly cleaned each week1 but the other rooms can usually be done in alternate weeks with the help of the daily setting in order and the careful use of a sweeper two or three times in the interval4 ,it is more immaculate and more agreeable to have all the rooms thoroughly cleaned each week1 but in a fairly large house with two women to do the work this ideal may become a grievous burden4 ,in houses in which there is an ample number of servants1 the cleaning of the downstairs rooms1 daily and periodical1 is often done before breakfast4 ,it is the ideal way of accomplishing this disturbing and uncomfortable job1 but it cannot be so done unless there are enough workers in the house to divide the work into distinct departments4 ,baking1 cleaning the refrigerator and food receptacles1 cleaning the kitchen and looking after the garbage can is the work of the cook4 ,if there is another maid in the house1 the cook has the four days of the week not used for the laundry work when she may do these things4 ,if she is the maid-of-all-work1 she will have the two days left from the laundry and sweeping in which to do them and many others4 ,bread baking is usually done twice or three times a week4 ,cake baking1 nowadays1 is an irregular performance4 ,as making bread is not a day's work1 it can be combined with other pieces of work1 preferably with those which are done in the kitchen4 ,it combines nicely with cleaning the refrigerator and food receptacles because one of these is for bread and should be perfectly fresh for the new batch4 ,a careful housewife sometimes makes the cleaning of the refrigerator her own work1 but even so1 she will appoint a time for doing it4 ,a good refrigerator need be cleaned only once or twice a week1 a poor one may have to be done oftener4 ,a garbage can should be cleaned as often as it is emptied1 and should with its surroundings be watched all the time1 lest the cover is left off or any scraps or splashes are left outside to draw flies and make disagreeable odours4 ,a kitchen in which much work is done needs a thorough weekly cleaning4 ,people are apt to do this on ,saturday1 but there will be many households in which it will be unwise to do so4 ,if the master of the house has a half holiday on ,saturday1 and the mistress of the house does the housework1 the work of ,saturday morning must be only the daily work and such preparations as will leave ,saturday afternoon and ,sunday as free from work as possible4 ,some extra cooking1 marketing and menu making1 some adornment of the house and laying out of fresh table linen will be desirable and necessary2 but kitchen cleaning1 the changing of bed linen1 or the making up of weekly accounts1 should be appointed for some other day in the week4 ,if the housewife has servants to help her1 she can have more work done on ,saturday1 but even then1 she will guard against having things done which make the house seem unrestful1 or which occupy her4 ,arrangements for days out are merely adjustments by which one person's work is done by others4 ,if there is one maid1 the mistress takes her place2 if two1 one does the necessary work of both1 the mistress helping a little4 ,for the day a maid goes out no periodical work belonging to her department must be appointed4 ,sundays out1 like the days1 are merely an adjustment of duties to allow for fewer workers4 ,some of the periodical work is much more occasional than that already mentioned4 ,this must be fitted in1 sometimes by leaving more frequent work undone for one day1 but usually by appointing it for a day when there happens to be a little less to do than usual4 ,the silver1 for instance1 usually need not be done more than once a fortnight or once a month1 and can be fitted into a morning when there is no sweeping1 or into a rainy ,monday4 ,other infrequent work can be managed in the same way4 ,in simple households a detailed written schedule is not necessary perhaps nor desirable1 unless it be for periodical work and the days out4 ,for these a schedule like the one herewith might be made4 ,this one is for two maids and includes some infrequent work4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,mond4 ,tues4 ,wed4 ,thurs4 ,fri4 ,sat4 ,sun4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,,cook ,washing ,ironing ,bake ,day ,put ,bake ,sunday ,clean out cellar ,clean out refrig41 in kitchen etc4 ,take order waitress's work ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,,waitress ,washing ,ironing ,day out ,sweep ,sweep ,clean ,take upstairsdownstairs silver cook's work ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,,mistress ,help ,help ,sort and ,help ,help ,get out ,help a a mend wash with a clean with little little ,help with work little linen work work and set closet in order ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- 99,transcriber's ,note3 ,days of the week were abbreviated by the transcriber to make the table more narrow4 7c7 ,,some ,,general ,,principles ,one or two general remarks about schedules are necessary before the subject can be closed4 ,as far as possible heavy1 dirty work should be done in the morning1 the workers are more able to do it then1 and besides1 the cook does not wish to do such things when getting the dinner1 nor the waitress when she should be dressed for the afternoon1 nor the mistress at the social time of the day4 ,in making a work schedule1 a savings fund is as necessary as in making a plan of expenditure4 ,if every one in the house is doing as much as is possible1 there is no allowance for accident1 or illness1 or unexpected demands4 ,a little strength which is not nerves should be left in you and in your handmaidens at the end of the day4 ,housework extends over an exceedingly long day4 ,at present1 the only way to remedy this seems to be to arrange that each worker get a little rest some time in the day4 ,i have put this as a necessary item in the table of daily work4 ,if no savings fund of strength is possible1 more workers are needed1 or better workers2 or1 if this is impossible1 the style of living should be modified until it is appropriate to the force of workers4 ,the schedule is not the important thing1 but the work2 and there are things more important even than the work4 ,for instance1 a reasonable degree of liberty for the whole household4 ,the family1 unless they take part in the work1 should not be conscious of the work schedule4 ,it is a framework to be carefully draped2 a new kind of family skeleton to be kept in the closet as carefully as the old kind4 ,it is necessary because it makes easy1 natural regularity possible1 and without it1 as we have said1 there is neither character1 nor peace1 nor mutual service in a home4 ,the housework must be done--well and regularly done--and to accomplish this1 days must be alike1 and weeks must be alike1 and months and years alike4 ,but they must be as the leaves on a tree are--alike to the casual glance1 yet really somewhat different because capable of infinite adaptability4 ,v ,,possessions ,,the time and strength necessary for housework1 and the comfort and happiness resulting from the work depend much upon something which housekeepers have to a great extent the power to control4 ,i mean the quantity and kind of things they have in their houses4 ,much time and money and weary labour would be saved1 much comfort and loveliness would be gained if we could persuade ourselves to follow ,william ,morris's rule3 ,have nothing in your rooms which you do not think to be beautiful and know to be useful4 ,were this rule suddenly put in practice1 what a bundling out of rubbish would ensue4 ,a ,bonfire of ,vanities would rise in no time1 built of little tables and pedestals1 cushions and bows1 curtains1 vases1 pictures that no future generations would call us vandals for destroying1 fringes and ruffles1 souvenirs of travel1 broken and mended objects from the top shelves of closets1 bronze and china statuettes1 and that whole miserable race of blotters which do not blot1 book-racks which faint under the weight of books1 pen-wipers which would be insulted if they were inked1 collapsible waste-baskets always in a state of collapse1 holders that hold nothing1 cases that fit nothing1 impervious pin cushions6 ,may the smoke of them ascend6 ,one would think that this rule of use and beauty were austere enough1 yet many people1 before they acquire even a useful or a beautiful object1 must consider whether there is room for it in their home1 whether the members of the household have time and strength to take care of it1 and whether it is appropriate to their possessions and to their way of living4 ,the amount of space we have about us seriously effects our health of body and mind4 ,the more furniture there is in a room1 the less air space there is4 ,the sense of oppression one feels in a room crowded with furniture is not imagination1 there is literally much less air to breathe4 ,it is also not merely an idea that a house full of ornaments and pictures is not restful to live in4 ,one knows what matchless weariness results from hours spent in a museum2 it is caused by continually readjusting one's eyes1 and thoughts1 and emotions to an endless succession of things4 ,a room crowded with ornaments and pictures is a miniature museum4 ,with familiarity one may cease to see the individual objects the room contains1 but this is indifference1 not peace4 ,those who have not done housework with their own brains and bodies cannot realize how many thousands of times every object in a house has to be touched and moved merely for the sake of cleanliness and order4 ,it seems a small matter whether there are six pictures in a room or eight1 whether flower vases are kept in the china closet or on the tops of book shelves and tables1 whether there are five little fal-lals on a mantelshelf or twenty-five2 but ,i hardly think it is a small matter whether a woman spend a half-hour with her children1 or out of doors1 or reading a book1 or spends it in dusting tormenting trifles4 ,these considerations are equally important when the work is done by maids2 there are always enough useful things to do in a house to fill reasonable work hours4 ,one must ask1 then1 even when a useful or beautiful object is in question1 ,have ,i room for it8 and1 ,is it worth the time and strength needed to care for it8 ,and then one more question3 ,is this thing ,i desire suitable8 ,that is1 will it make the rest of the furniture which cannot now be renewed look shabby8 ,shall ,i feel that it is too good for the sun to shine upon1 or the family to use8 ,will it set up a standard which ,i cannot keep up to without feverish effort8 ,in order to select or to weed out possessions in a reasonable way1 attachments have to be kept in check2 one must keep in mind that the family are more worthy of regard than the family chairs1 and one must have such respect for oneself as a spiritual and intellectual creature that one will not fall in love with a silver-service or a set of ancient plates4 ,i can think of few things more humiliating than the fact that families can be divided by old furniture2 that sisters can be estranged by silver sugar-tongs2 that lives can be spoiled1 hearts broken and fortunes spent in the service of possessions which should exist only for the temporary comfort and happiness of their owners4 ,all this does not mean that our homes should be bare as hospitals1 and ugly as barracks1 and that1 if the furniture is shabby1 we ought not to have the one beautiful picture1 or the good piano1 or the hoard of books1 which may be the treasure of the family4 ,nor does it mean that we ought not to love our household goods4 ,we want our homes as complete in comforts and appliances as we can reasonably afford4 ,we want them lovely to look at4 ,and we shall be all the better if we have an affection for every stick they contain4 ,scrooge hugged his own bed-curtains1 because the sight of them assured him that he was at home4 ,for the same reason we love the things we live with1 and the place where we live4 ,we like to come back after an absence and find the same things in the same places1 and get an extra welcome from every one of them4 ,this is incidentally an argument against frequently changing the arrangement of the furniture1 as some housewives think it economical and diverting to do4 ,such changes destroy that settled1 established look which is homelike1 and very comfortable to live with4 ,do you know about the man who was not afraid of burglars when he got up at night1 but was awfully afraid of bureaus and rocking-chairs which his wife found a new place for every week8 ,we naturally become attached to things which we like1 and which we have taken thought to get1 and which we have looked after year after year4 ,heirlooms are the result of such care and affection and companionship continuing year after year1 generation after generation until the objects on which this care has been expended seem to become a part of ourselves and our lives1 until they seem to have absorbed some of the personality and affection of those who no longer dwell with them1 nor with us4 ,but when possessions begin to seem something more than tables and tea-cups and silver spoons1 have a care--they're not4 ,,vi ,,care ,,of ,,fittings ,,and ,,furniture ,,every house contains a great variety of objects and substances4 ,if these are to be kept clean and in good condition1 one must know what they are and what to do for them4 ,the ,ceiling4--,in the first place each room has a ceiling4 ,ceilings are usually plain and light coloured1 because they are not easy to look at and because they are reflectors4 ,they are not ornamented on account of our necks2 they are not made dark coloured on account of the light bills4 ,ceilings for the most part need little care4 ,when the room is cleaned1 they should be wiped1 either with a long-handled mop with a wool head--dry--or with a broom in a bag4 ,the former is harder to get but is better1 because the combined length of the ordinary broom and the ordinary woman is not usually enough to reach the ceiling effectually and without strain4 ,besides1 many brooms are too heavy to use above one's head4 ,such wiping nicely done is all the regular care a ceiling needs1 whether it is whitewashed or frescoed4 ,the ,walls4--,walls are panelled1 or painted1 or calcimined1 or covered with fabric or paper4 ,wood1 paint and calcimine are considered cleaner than other coverings1 but all can be kept up to an ordinary standard of cleanliness4 ,panelling should be carefully wiped with the wool-headed mop used for the ceiling1 or with a cloth where it is within reach4 ,if the wood is dark and polished1 it may now and again be rubbed with a little good furniture polish2 if it is light or unpolished it is better to content oneself with wiping off the dust4 ,fabric-covered walls should be cleaned once or twice a year with a vacuum cleaner4 ,if this is not possible1 they may be as often brushed4 ,this must not be done violently1 but carefully1 and preferably with a hair broom--a white hair broom such as one uses for clothes1 if the wall covering is especially handsome or delicate in colour4 ,painted walls may be wiped with a dry or dampened mop1 or they may be washed with soap and water1 or even with disinfectant1 should this happen to be desirable4 ,calcimined walls may be wiped only with a soft mop1 or very gently with a broom in a bag4 ,mop or broom bag must often be shaken out of the window1 otherwise the walls will be smirched or clouded4 ,very little in the way of restoration or cleaning should be attempted with calcimine1 for it almost invariably makes a bad matter worse4 ,spots such as are made by hands or heads can sometimes be removed by rubbing them with a piece of dry bread1 or with some corn meal4 ,it is safe to experiment with any dry remedy2 but a wet remedy will always fail4 ,even calcimine itself1 put over a spot or a scar1 will leave a mark4 ,papered walls may be wiped with a dry mop1 or a broom in a bag4 ,they are not as easily smirched as calcimine1 but one must frequently shake out of doors1 or else change any brush or cloth used for wiping walls4 ,if you need a reason for wiping walls and ceilings1 look at the mop or the cover of the broom with which you have done the work4 ,dirt is the enemy of health and loveliness4 ,woodwork4--,when woodwork is cleaned1 all cracks1 ornaments and irregularities should first be gone over with a small1 soft brush4 ,a flat brush such as is used for varnishing is good4 ,if the woodwork is not polished1 it should next be carefully--that is1 every inch of it--wiped and rubbed with a soft1 dry cloth1 or if the room is exceedingly dusty1 with a cloth very slightly dampened4 ,any sort of oil1 or polish1 or even water is apt to darken or spot unpolished wood4 ,in the case of baseboards and window ledges1 however1 a little dressing of some kind should occasionally be rubbed into them1 for they have to be defended from dampness in the one case1 and hard usage in the second4 ,a little of the polish used for floors will do very well for this purpose4 ,if woodwork is polished1 the dust should be wiped off after the cracks have been cleaned with the little brush4 ,it should then be rubbed briskly with a flannel or soft cotton cloth dampened with good furniture polish4 ,kerosene1 which is usually at hand1 is inexpensive and excellent for this and other purposes of the kind4 ,but use this or polish sparingly4 ,painted woodwork should ordinarily be dusted with a little brush and then wiped just as if it were hard wood4 ,once in a while1 it should be wiped with slightly warm suds made with mild soap4 ,it should not be soaped nor made very wet1 and should be wiped dry as soon as it is washed4 ,spots which will not yield to this cleaning can be removed with alcohol or kerosene4 ,floors4--,some people will tell you that uncarpeted floors are a great deal of trouble1 and some will say that they are very little4 ,perhaps part of the trouble which they seem to give is due to the fact that people keep their floors cleaner than their carpets4 ,dust shows1 as we say1 on a bare floor2 it lies under furniture and blows about in fluffs4 ,if the floor is carpeted1 that very same dust1 also the dust of other days when no sweeping is done1 sinks into the carpet and assists in making colds and throat disorders and a stuffy smell4 ,if we really minded dust1 we would mind it just as much buried in the carpet as rolling round in fluffs4 ,but we don't mind dust1 we mind being thought dusty4 ,if we have the same standard of cleanliness for the carpet as for the floor1 the floor is the easier to care for4 ,uncarpeted floors are usually finished with oil1 shellac1 stain1 wax or some other smooth1 preservative substance4 ,floors thus finished require three kinds of care2 refinishing1 polishing and dusting4 ,dusting4--,dusting should be done1 if possible1 every day4 ,it does not require much time or strength4 ,with a good mop or a broom in a bag1 floors can be as quickly and lightly dusted as polished desks or tables4 ,polishing4--,the frequency with which floors require polishing depends on the finish1 the amount of wear1 and the standard of appearance required4 ,some people polish them once a week1 some once a fortnight1 some once a month2 others have their floors refinished twice a year and do nothing to them in the intervals except dust them4 ,waxed floors are polished differently from those finished with oil or shellac4 ,to polish a waxed floor1 first remove all dust with a hair broom1 a wool mop1 or a broom in a bag4 ,then rub carefully and energetically every inch of the floor with a heavy polisher until the polish is restored4 ,the best polishers are costly1 but others1 less expensive1 are made of strips of felt or chamois4 ,they can also be home-made from a block of heavy wood with a hole bored diagonally in the top large enough to hold an old broom handle or a mop-stick4 ,the bottom of the block must have several thicknesses of heavy material tacked over it4 ,old flannel1 old bath towels1 and old carpet are good for this purpose4 ,floors not finished with wax are polished with oil or some patent polish4 ,many patent mixtures for this purpose are exceedingly good4 ,besides these1 two parts linseed oil to one part kerosene is a good polish2 also one-half turpentine to one-half crude oil4 ,kerosene used by itself both cleans and polishes floors1 but its odour is an objection to its use4 ,as in the cases of the waxed floor1 all dust must be removed before the polishing begins4 ,when this is accomplished1 rub the floor with a soft thick cloth dampened with polish4 ,there should always be much rubbing and little oil4 ,a quart of floor polish should last months4 ,if by mistake too much oil is applied1 rub the floor again with a dry cloth4 ,when finished1 it should feel smooth to the hand1 not oily4 ,if oily cloths are kept from one time to another1 they should not be shut up closely in a box or closet for they are liable to spontaneous combustion4 ,refinishing4--,floors are refinished by receiving a new coat of finish4 ,before this is put on1 the floors should be thoroughly cleaned4 ,this cleaning is well done with sandpaper and turpentine4 ,every board must be rubbed in the direction of the grain until it is entirely smooth and clean4 ,after this the floor should be wiped with a dry cloth1 and the finish applied and polished4 ,when it is necessary or desirable to wash a hardwood floor1 it should be done just before refinishing and with tepid water1 soap that would not hurt hands nor lace and a cloth well wrung out before it is applied to the floor4 ,water is injurious to polished floors of any kind1 and to waxed floors especially4 ,if a floor receives hard wear in one or two places1 or if something hurtful is spilled upon it1 it may be necessary to refinish these places when the remainder of the floor does not need it4 ,in such cases a few square feet can be done just as a whole floor is done4 ,the final polishing will keep the place from looking like a patch4 ,rugs and ,carpets4--,carpets tacked down close to the walls are not as clean as loose floor covering1 and they are the chief cause of the fearful misery called house cleaning4 ,every other act necessary to the cleanliness of a house can be done without turning it upside down and driving the family to the club or the tavern except--taking up carpets4 ,rugs can be gathered up and taken to the lawn or the roof to be cleaned4 ,the walls and floor of a room can be wiped within an hour4 ,windows can be washed and furniture and brasses polished with people sitting undisturbed in the room where it is being done4 ,before the possibility of unobtrusive cleaning had dawned on me1 ,i was once making a visit in a large city house4 ,my surprise was almost painful when ,i saw a man cleaning the windows in the drawing room only an hour before an afternoon reception4 ,it did not mean that they had been forgotten1 or that the house was carelessly run--far from it--it was merely the day for window cleaning and the man whose business it was to do it went from room to room and cleaned them1 making no disturbance and leaving no trace4 ,i make my protest against carpets for the reason that it is impossible to clean them in an unobtrusive way1 and because they are the inspiring evil genius of cleaning done with emphasis--done1 not for the sake of health and happiness1 but for the sake of appearing to be a particular housekeeper4 ,nonetheless1 if we have carpets they must be cared for4 ,before the sweeping is begun1 something should be scattered over the carpet to keep the dust down4 ,some of the things used for this purpose are damp tea leaves1 sawdust1 bran1 corn meal1 and shreds of newspaper4 ,there are also patent substances for the purpose4 ,one must be careful that these things mentioned are damp1 not wet4 ,tea leaves should be wrung out hard before they are scattered1 and never used on any delicately coloured carpet4 ,newspaper also is not safe for very delicate colours4 ,any of these substances may be used in sweeping a tiled or painted floor2 and any for an unpainted wooden floor except tea leaves4 ,when preparing to sweep1 make the room as light as possible4 ,sweep the cracks along the walls and the edges of the carpet first1 then sweep as much of the room as possible in the same direction1 that direction being with the nap of the carpet1 not against it4 ,sweep with short1 light strokes--it is sweeping1 not digging4 ,when the dust is gathered into as small a pile as possible1 take it up in a dustpan4 ,after sweeping it is good to wipe the carpet with a cloth wrung out of warm1 soapy water in which is a little ammonia4 ,turpentine is even better than ammonia for carpets1 but not for hands4 ,do not wet the carpet1 wipe it lightly and quickly1 rinsing the cloth often1 but wringing it out hard4 ,one can to some extent combine this wiping process with sweeping by dipping one's broom now and then in water in which there is a little salt1 ammonia or turpentine4 ,shake the broom lightly before applying it to the carpet1 or the first stroke will leave a wet spot4 ,salt1 ammonia and turpentine brighten the colours of a carpet1 and the latter two are objectionable to moths4 ,it is better not to dampen carpets in any way on rainy or humid days4 ,rugs1 when they cannot be carried out of the room1 may be swept according to the directions for carpets and then rolled up1 or folded round some piece of furniture difficult to move1 until the floor has been cared for4 ,the pleasantest and best way to clean rugs1 however1 is to take them out of doors and beat them on the grass or on a clothes line4 ,beat them with a furniture beater1 or light cane1 or stick1 first on one side then on the other1 then lay flat and brush the surface with a broom4 ,beating is better than shaking1 both for the rug and for the shaker4 ,when they are shaken1 however1 it is advisable to hold them by the side instead of the end2 they are then less likely to tear or ravel4 ,matting should be swept with especial care for cracks and edges1 and crosswise of the breadths as far as possible4 ,it should be wiped occasionally with salt and water1 which cleans it and keeps it from becoming brittle4 ,many people prefer to use a hair broom for sweeping matting4 ,shades and ,curtains4--,all the cleaning that shades need can be given them by drawing them down to their full length and dusting them first on one side then on the other with a short-handled mop1 or a duster if you can reach the roller with it4 ,the side next the window is the more dusty as it is the outside of the roll4 ,when the shades have been dusted they should be rolled to the top of the window until the cleaning of the room is finished4 ,if they do not roll up tightly and at once1 take the shade from the socket1 roll it up evenly1 then hold the flat piece of metal which projects from one end of the roller between your thumb and fingers and turn the roller round and round with the other hand until it is very hard to turn4 ,see that the little ratchet has fitted into the notch for it in the piece you are holding1 to prevent it from flying back when you let go4 ,then the shade is ready to be replaced in the sockets4 ,shades which fly up unexpectedly are wound up too tight4 ,curtains should be shaken and brushed1 with a whisk if they are of heavy material1 with a softer brush if they are delicate4 ,they should then be put in bags made for the purpose1 or folded over the rod and covered with a dusting sheet until the room is clean4 ,furniture4--,upholstered furniture should if possible be put out on a veranda where it can be aired and brushed4 ,if this is not possible it should be beaten or brushed when we are preparing the room for cleaning4 ,all creases and tufting should be carefully explored with a whisk and the furniture afterward covered with a cloth until the other cleaning is finished4 ,furniture upholstered in leather should be wiped1 not brushed1 and occasionally rubbed with vinegar1 and sweet oil--proportions1 one tablespoonful vinegar to three of oil4 ,in time this slightly darkens the colour of the leather1 but it keeps it from cracking4 ,on regular cleaning days polished furniture should have its carvings and cracks brushed out with the paint brush used for the woodwork of the room1 and should then be rubbed with a very soft cloth4 ,about once a month--oftener if the wear is hard1 less often if it is easy--it should be rubbed with a good polish4 ,the old furniture in ,france has usually been rubbed for generations with sweet oil and vinegar1 in the proportions given above for leather furniture2 probably few things are better4 ,two of the polishes suggested for floors1 are equally good for furniture3 turpentine to crude oil4 #a part kerosene to #b parts linseed oil4 ,also1 equal parts turpentine1 linseed oil and vinegar4 ,i believe that the best care an amateur can give to a very highly polished piece of furniture like a piano1 is to wash it1 when it becomes clouded1 with luke-warm soapsuds4 ,the soap should be mild1 good soap4 ,wash a bit of the furniture at a time and dry it carefully1 using very soft cloths2 when it has all been dried1 polish it with chamois and as much energy as you can conscientiously spare4 ,if painted furniture looks dingy1 rub it with a little kerosene4 ,kerosene will usually remove spots from painted furniture--finger-marks from white enamelled beds1 for instance4 ,windows4--,the woodwork of windows should be brushed and wiped free from dust before the washing of the glass begins4 ,it is better not to use soap for washing windows or glass of any kind2 it sometimes clouds it1 sometimes gives it a blue tinge4 ,put ammonia or borax in the water used1 or else rub the glass with whiting1 or a scouring soap which is not gritty4 ,if one of these1 or whiting1 is used1 it should be allowed to dry and should then be rubbed off with a dry cloth or a newspaper until the glass shines4 ,newspaper is as good as anything you can get for polishing windows4 ,there is nothing especial to say about cleaning windows with water except wash the panes clean and dry them dry1 one at a time1 beginning with those nearest the top of the sash4 ,do not try to wash all the windows in a house with a pint of water and a wristband1 but the opposite extreme is as bad--worse for your dwelling4 ,any method of cleaning windows by dashing quantities of water on the panes1 breaks the putty1 loosens the glass1 spoils the paint on the woodwork and soaks the wood itself with water4 ,mirrors should not be wet4 ,fly-specks and finger-marks can be removed with a damp cloth or alcohol1 and the mirror polished with whiting and chamois4 ,pictures1 also1 should not be wet4 ,the frames and backs may be brushed and wiped1 and the glass cleaned with a damp cloth or with a little alcohol4 ,brass4--,brasses1 such as andirons1 lamps1 jardinires1 candlesticks1 sconces and the like must be divided into two classes for cleaning4 ,those things which are lacquered must only be washed and then polished with flannel or chamois4 ,any sort of cleaning other than this will soon remove the lacquer entirely4 ,unlacquered brass may be polished as energetically and severely as any substance in the house4 ,wood ashes are a good brass polish1 especially pine ashes4 ,the bath-brick with which people clean knives will also clean brass4 ,an old coloured woman1 who lived with me once1 polished the andirons with salt and vinegar4 ,these things are not as quick or as easy to use as many patent brass cleaners which one can buy nowadays4 ,it is just as well1 however1 to know what one could do if separated from modern conveniences4 ,tiles4--,glazed tiles may be wiped with a cloth wrung out of warm soapsuds1 but water should not be put directly upon them4 ,it tends to soften the cement in which they are laid4 ,unglazed tiles are restored to colour and cleanliness by a rubbing with linseed oil4 ,lamps4--,lamps used every night need care every day4 ,they should be kept full of oil for two reasons4 ,one is1 that if we then happen to use them for an unusually long time they will not burn out2 the other1 is1 that if a lamp is full of oil no space is left for vapours rising from the oil1 which otherwise may become compressed in the bowl and ignite when a match is applied to the wick4 ,if there is a little screw-topped opening in the lamp where it can be filled without unscrewing the burner1 use that opening for filling it4 ,the burner should not be unscrewed unless it must be4 ,great care should be taken not to fill lamps too full2 the level of the oil should be just below the lower side of the little opening1 otherwise the oil will ooze out on the lamp and catch dust and give off a disagreeable odour4 ,it is better to rub off the hard burned crust of a wick than to cut it off4 ,this leaves the wick more even and wastes it less4 ,when it has been rubbed smooth and soft1 see that it turns up and down easily and1 if a round wick1 that it is even4 ,a flat wick should be slightly rounded1 the middle being the highest point1 like this diacritic 1 not this one4 ,to be perfectly sure1 light the lamp for a moment1 put on the chimney1 and if the flame is not the right shape alter the wick4 ,when this is finished1 wipe the burner inside and out1 above and below1 as carefully as possible4 ,an old water-colour brush is good for cleaning intricate burners4 ,the time when a lamp needs a new wick is a good time to boil the burner4 ,remove the old wick and put the burner into some receptacle not used for food1 with water and washing-soda3 one teaspoonful soda to one quart water4 ,then boil it well4 ,this is a good thing to do whenever a lamp smells or gives a poor light4 ,if a new wick and a boiled burner do not help the matter1 either the oil is poor or a new burner is necessary4 ,if a new lampwick is a little too wide for a burner1 draw out two or three strands at one side4 ,a wick should fill the opening for it1 however1 quite closely1 especially if it has not yet been wet4 ,one should have a special place for cleaning lamps1 and for keeping the oil and everything else used in their care4 ,nothing used for lamp cleaning or for applying kerosene should be used for any other purpose4 ,newspaper is good for cleaning lamps because when the work is finished it can be burned4 ,it can be used to protect the table on which the cleaning is done1 wicks can be rubbed and lamps wiped with it1 and nothing cleans chimneys so well4 ,chimneys polished with newspapers rarely have to be washed4 ,washing is not good for them1 it clouds them and makes them break more easily4 ,the catches which hold the chimney must not press very tightly1 for this breaks the expanding glass2 they must1 though1 be tight enough to keep the chimney from falling if the lamp is moved4 ,when a lamp is put in its place ready for lighting1 the wick should be just visible above the socket in which it moves4 ,it should be lighted while still at this level1 then turned higher when the chimney has had time to heat4 ,when the light is to be put out1 turn the wick down until it disappears into the socket4 ,this keeps the wick from smoking and thereby smelling4 ,turning a wick down1 however1 does not always put out the flame2 be sure that it is out before leaving the lamp for the night4 ,plants4--,it seems not unreasonable to say that plants should not occupy the most agreeable windows of the living room1 nor prevent the proper airing of the house in winter4 ,this does not happen as often as it used to1 but it does occasionally even now4 ,in very few houses is there room for more than three or four plants1 if it is remembered that the family have the first right to the light1 and air1 and window space4 ,there is also the consideration that few plants can receive better care than many4 ,house plants ought to be immaculate4 ,they should be in neat pots standing in saucers or jardinires1 and should have all withered or unsightly leaves removed and the other leaves kept free from dust4 ,if this is not done1 they become that greatest eyesore1 a degenerated ornament4 ,they should be put in a bathtub or sink when the rooms are cleaned1 and sprayed and sponged and soaked4 ,this helps to offset their unnatural life in warm1 dry rooms4 ,plants thrive on attention4 ,they love to be stirred1 and watered1 and sponged1 and petted1 and made much of4 ,if we have only a few1 we can treat them in this way1 to their pleasure and our own4 ,the ,process4--,we have spoken of the substances which more usually require the care of the housekeeper outside the kitchen and pantry1 and of ways in which they can be cared for4 ,it will be well now to describe the order in which cleaning is done1 and to say a word about the appliances used4 ,the first thing when cleaning is to be done is to gather the appliances needed for the work4 ,if possible one should have a broom closet in which all the objects used in cleaning can be kept1 then no time is wasted in hunting them up4 ,two rows of hooks1 one high and one low1 in some secluded spot will do instead of a closet4 ,i do not say that one cannot clean a room with merely a broom and a duster4 ,one can sweep everything with the broom1 dust everything with the duster1 and take the dust up on a newspaper4 ,good appliances1 however1 make work more thorough1 more easy1 and more interesting4 ,those which ,i suggest here are merely such as ,i know to be useful4 ,as a woman learns her work and becomes more and more interested in it she will choose and invent appliances for herself4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,the ,broom ,closet ,the following are the things ,i like to have to clean with3 ,a short step-ladder1 not heavy4 ,a wool mop head with two handles1 one long1 one short4 ,a hair broom4 ,a mop handle with two heavy floor cloths4 ,a broom of medium weight1 with a slim handle4 ,a furniture beater4 ,a long-handled dust pan4 ,a flat paint brush4 ,a whisk4 ,a piece of chamois skin4 ,two cheese-cloth dusters1 one damp1 one dry4 ,two flannel dusters4 ,several dusting sheets4 ,dusters and dusting sheets can be made of very inexpensive or old material1 and they are things in which it is well not to stint oneself4 ,wool-headed mops are usually called1 in shops1 piano dusters1 but why should pianos have a monopoly of anything so comfortable and convenient8 ,they are rather expensive but they last a long time1 and can be washed perfectly clean4 ,one can get along with one head and two handles1 if necessary1 by dusting the high things first1 using the long handle1 then the lower things and the floor1 using the short handle4 ,after this the head must be washed1 for the floors will make it too dirty to use for walls4 ,wool gathers and holds dust more than any other substance ,i know4 ,other appliances which are used for wiping walls and floors are string mops1 broom bags1 and heavy cloths attached to a mop handle4 ,string mops scatter lint and it is impossible to wash them entirely clean4 ,broom bags are good because they can be washed easily1 and because they make a broom into a combination appliance useful either for sweeping or wiping4 ,they are said to be better made with a ruffle4 ,mop handles with attachments to hold the cloths are easily obtainable and much better for all purposes than string mops4 ,in choosing one1 see that the attachment is neither heavy nor intricate4 ,cloths can be easily attached to a mop stick if a deep groove is cut in the stick two or three inches from the end4 ,hold the stick with the grooved end up4 ,lay over it two or three heavy cloths--in the way one would put an unfolded handkerchief over the end of one's finger4 ,draw them down and tie a string tightly round them in the groove4 ,then reverse the handle and the mop is ready for use4 ,patent handles are better than this homely contrivance in all but one respect3 in using them one must guard against striking furniture or baseboards with the metal piece which holds the cloth4 ,here are a few important principles of cleaning4 #a4 ,prepare the place which is to be cleaned4 #b4 ,begin at the top4 ,a house is cleaned from garret to cellar1 a room from ceiling to floor1 a staircase from top to bottom4 #c4 ,do not flap round with a cloth or a feather duster4 ,the object of cleaning is to remove dust1 getting as little into the air as possible4 #d4 ,all necessary shaking and brushing must be done before the floor is cleaned2 afterward1 only wiping should be done4 ,we will now go over the process of cleaning a room as if we were prompting ourselves for the actual work4 ,remove the plants to the sink4 ,remove and carefully dust the ornaments1 putting them on a tray which can be carried into an adjoining room1 or put them on a stationary piece of furniture1 which has been dusted to receive them1 and cover with a dusting sheet4 ,shut the doors into adjoining rooms4 ,open the windows4 ,dust the shades and roll to the top of the windows4 ,shake1 brush and cover the curtains4 ,remove the upholstered furniture and rugs if possible4 ,if not1 brush the furniture and cover it1 sweep and roll the rugs4 ,if there is a fireplace in the room remove the ashes and lay the fire4 ,wipe the ceiling1 walls1 woodwork1 light fixtures and pictures4 ,wipe the floor1 not forgetting the baseboards1 or sweep the carpet4 ,whatever is done to the floor is the climax of the cleaning4 ,after that we restore the room to order4 ,this is the period when everything should be done by wiping4 ,clean rugs and furniture which have been put outdoors4 ,wipe furniture1 mirrors1 picture-glasses1 windows and tiles4 ,restore the rugs1 furniture and ornaments to their places4 ,bits of special cleaning like polishing brasses1 washing windows1 caring for lamps1 and the like are best done at some other time than that appointed for cleaning the room4 ,if these jobs are included1 they make the regular cleaning too heavy and too long4 ,this process has been written out as if the work were to be done by one person1 which frequently is not the case4 ,it is the logical order of the work1 however1 whatever the number of workers4 ,the outline of the process is this3 ,first all brushing and dusting--everything which gets dust off other things on to the floor4 ,then the cleaning of the floor4 ,then wiping away all dust made by the cleaning and restoring order4 ,one cannot effectually do this or any housework with one's mind on something else4 ,the processes are intricate and logical and require thoughtful organization beforehand1 and intense attention at the moment4 ,if we can think about our neighbours1 or brood over our grievances while we are cleaning1 we can be quite sure that we have not done the work as well nor as quickly as we could4 ,,vii ,,upstairs ,,work ,,upstairs work is1 ,i believe a colloquialism for making beds1 tidying bedrooms1 and caring for washstands and bathrooms4 ,the ,sequence4--,a reasonable order for this work is the following3 ,shut the door of the room unless the weather is warm4 ,roll the shades to the top of the windows4 ,open the windows top and bottom4 ,open the closet doors4 ,take the bedclothes from the bed and spread them across two chairs set far enough apart to keep the clothes from lying on the floor4 ,spread the lower sheet in a place by itself and remember which it is4 ,turn the mattress over the foot of the bed1 or turn it up on edge4 ,do these things in all the rooms which are to be cared for1 carefully shutting the doors of each4 ,if there are washstands in the rooms1 now remove the waste water and put the stands in order4 ,if there are not1 make the beds1 beginning with the one first opened4 ,dust and put the rooms in order4 ,put the bathroom in order4 ,if the bedrooms are on more than one floor1 it is well to do a floor at a time1 and the bathrooms after all the rooms are finished4 ,the upstairs work is then finished until the beds are opened and the rooms put in order for the night4 ,the ,description4--,the first five actions in this order of work are done for the sake of letting as much light and air as possible into the rooms and the beds4 ,the washstands are put in order next because this gives the beds a longer time to air1 and because it is desirable to get the waste water out of the rooms as soon as possible4 ,washstands4--,for this work one needs a pail for waste water and a newspaper or some such thing for it to stand on2 two cloths2 a stiff brush2 and some sort of soap or powder which has been found good for cleansing toilet china4 ,borax1 ammonia and yellow soap are old standbys for this purpose4 ,where there is not running water1 one must add to these a pail of water for rinsing4 ,many people think that the water for this purpose must be hot1 but ,i have found that hot water tends to roughen and crack the glaze of toilet china1 and to incline the articles used for waste water to give off an odour4 ,when water is left in the pitchers it is well to use it for rinsing as this lessens the amount of water to be carried1 and insures that the water in the pitchers is fresh each day4 ,empty all the waste water into the pail brought for it4 ,pour a little clean water into each thing emptied4 ,do not use all the clean water for this first rinsing4 ,with one of the cloths wipe the objects on the washstand which have not been wet2 rinse1 and with this same cloth dry the tooth mug1 soap dish1 pitchers and bowl4 ,if one of the pitchers contains water you need1 attend to it after the other china is finished4 ,wash the slop jar and chamber with the cleaning substance or soap and the stiff brush4 ,rinse them with the remaining clean water and dry them with the other cloth4 ,never use for these articles the cloth which in the next room will be needed for the cleaner china4 ,to have the two cloths of different materials helps the worker to remember this4 ,fill the pitchers with fresh water1 carry away soiled towels1 neatly spread or fold once used ones which are to be retained1 and leave everything in its place4 ,the daily care of a stationary basin consists merely in washing or dusting the objects on the edge of the basin or on shelves over it1 washing and drying the basin and the frame which holds it1 and wiping dust from the pipes and fixtures underneath4 ,whether the care of washstands is difficult or easy depends on the water used1 and on whether the work is done nicely every day4 ,in spite of daily care1 very hard water will encrust the china4 ,these encrustations can usually be removed after they have been soaked with vinegar for a few hours4 ,bed ,making4--,making a bed is an art worth knowing1 it gives such comfort4 ,if the spring or other parts of the bedstead need dusting1 that should be done first1 then the mattress replaced4 ,this should be turned each day1 sometimes from end to end1 sometimes from side to side1 and given as many thumps and punches as are needed to make it level and even with the springs4 ,if a pad or cover of any kind is needed over the mattress1 that is put on first and spread very smoothly1 or1 if wide enough1 it is drawn very tightly and tucked under the mattress4 ,then put on the under sheet1 right side up1 with the hems at the top and bottom1 the selvages at the sides and the middle crease in the middle of the bed4 ,turn the sheet smoothly under the mattress at the head and foot4 ,in the case of the under sheet1 this turn should be a few inches deeper at the head than at the foot2 in the upper sheet the deeper turn should be made at the foot4 ,the person who sleeps in the bed naturally pushes the under sheet down1 and pulls the upper sheet up4 ,to fold the corners1 stand at the foot or head of the bed4 ,keeping the fold even1 hold the sheet straight out from the side of the bed4 ,put your other hand under the corner of the mattress and run it round on the fold of the sheet until the thumb is even with the upper edge of the mattress4 ,hold it there4 ,then fold smoothly under the mattress the part of the sheet you have held out and withdraw your hand which you will find is in a sort of little pocket4 ,this is sometimes called a pie corner1 and it is rather like the fold for a mitred corner in a hem4 ,when finished1 the under sheet should be tight stretched and smooth4 ,spread the upper sheet on the bed wrong side up1 then when the hem is turned back at the head of the bed1 it will be right side out4 ,turn the sheet under at the foot twelve inches if possible4 ,turn the corners at the foot but do not turn the sides under nor the corners at the head4 ,see that the sheet lies straight1 and smooth out all wrinkles4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,straight and ,smooth ,put on the blankets1 their upper edges reaching to the place where you intend to make the backward fold in the sheet4 ,fold them under about twelve inches at the foot1 not at all at the sides2 smooth them carefully4 ,if two people sleep in a bed or if the blankets are narrow1 put a single blanket on crosswise1 placing one of the selvages even with the edge of the mattress at the foot of the bed1 then the ends will hang some distance over the sides4 ,some people fold double blankets evenly1 some prefer to fold them with one binding a good way below the other binding4 ,this preference depends on whether one likes the upper part of the bed covering thick or thin1 and also whether the blanket is long enough to turn under at the foot when folded evenly4 ,the fold1 not the bindings should be at the foot of the bed1 in order that1 if too warm1 one thickness of the blanket can be easily thrown back4 ,when all the bedclothes are on1 with the exception of the spread1 turn back the edge of the upper sheet over the blankets1 leaving about a foot of the under sheet exposed4 ,then fold all the coverings neatly under the mattress at the sides1 drawing them smooth and straight4 ,the spread is put over the whole bed4 ,it should hang over at the sides and foot1 far enough to hide the mattress1 springs and all under parts of the bed which are not of the same material or finish as the upper parts4 ,bolsters are laid flat either under or over the spread at the head of the bed4 ,they are not so invariably used as in times past4 ,if there is no bolster1 two pillows are sometimes laid flat in its place1 and two pillows set on edge upon them4 ,if there is a bolster1 the pillows are set edgewise upon it4 ,they must be well beaten1 smoothed and set up securely4 ,if shams are used they should be spread over the pillows and bolster as smoothly as possible4 ,they are usually supported by tapes fastened across the upper corners of the shams on the wrong side1 and slipped over the corners of the pillows4 ,in places where dust and smuts must be constantly guarded against1 one must either use shams or else cover the pillows with the spread4 ,this last is often not an agreeable arrangement to the eye1 but it is better than smirched and dingy pillows4 ,bed linen is changed according to the quantity of linen the housewife possesses1 the amount of laundry she can have done1 and her own taste in the matter4 ,the common tradition is a sheet a week for each bed1 and a pillowcase a week for each pillow regularly used4 ,in this case1 the upper sheet becomes the lower sheet during the second week of its wear4 ,this change is made because it is more agreeable to have the cleaner linen nearest one's face1 and turned out to view when the bed is opened for the night4 ,if you do not sleep long and soundly after reading this description of bed making1 ,i am sure it isn't my fault4 ,when the bed has been made1 the room should be put in order2 clothes put in the closet and the closet door shut1 the sweeper run over the rugs if needful1 all visible dust removed1 articles on bureaus and tables put in their accustomed places1 all drawers tightly closed1 faded flowers and burnt matches removed1 and everything straightened4 ,then partly close the windows1 draw the shades to the same level at each window1 and go on to the next room4 ,in extremely damp or extremely cold weather1 one may have to get along with less airing1 but it should not be lessened except for grave cause4 ,in some houses1 it will be more convenient to make all the beds before doing any dusting4 ,if there are people in the house who do not leave their rooms until after breakfast1 or who wish to occupy them very soon after breakfast1 such rooms will have to be done separately and later or earlier than the others4 ,in the evening1 bedrooms should be prepared for the night4 ,waste water should be carried away1 pitchers filled1 washstands tidied and beds opened4 ,shams and spread are removed from each bed and neatly folded4 ,leaving the sheet folded over the other bedclothes as it is already1 turn them all back until they make a straight wide fold across the bed a little above the middle4 ,then straighten the coverings at the sides and tuck them under the mattress again1 making everything very neat and straight4 ,put the pillows on the bed as the person who occupies it likes to have them4 ,this can sometimes be discovered by noticing in the morning how the pillows are placed1 unless the person is so exemplary as to open his own bed for airing4 ,if you are preparing the bed for a stranger put the bolster and pillows back on the bed and allow the guest to arrange them later4 ,the night clothes and wrapper belonging to the occupant of the room should be laid across the foot of the bed or over a chair1 and bedroom slippers put beside them on the floor4 ,this part of the upstairs work adds exceedingly to the comfort of a family1 but ,i think it is one of the things to be left undone in households where the work is heavy and the workers few4 ,bathroom4--,the bathroom1 like other rooms1 needs some daily care and some periodical care4 ,daily the stationary basin must be cared for as previously described4 ,the tub and its fixtures must be washed1 and wiped entirely dry4 ,for this it is good to have a stiff brush with a handle and a soft cloth4 ,both these conveniences should always be kept hanging on a hook near the tub4 ,it is only common decency after one has used a bathtub to rinse and wipe it for the sake of the next person4 ,if a brush and neat cloth are kept near the tub1 the good-intentioned will find it easier to cleanse the tub1 and the lazy will have less excuse for not doing it4 ,the wood and metal parts of the closet should be wiped1 first with a damp cloth1 then with a dry one4 ,the china parts should be scrubbed thoroughly with soap and one of the long-handled brushes made for this purpose4 ,when the scrubbing is finished1 flush the closet and rinse it with the brush1 then flush again4 ,leave the cover open4 ,the bathroom should be thoroughly aired and as much sun as possible let in while the upstairs work is being done4 ,once a week1 or twice a week1 the bathroom will need a more thorough cleaning4 ,wipe the ceiling and walls with water if the finish permits4 ,if not1 with a dry cloth or mop4 ,wash all the fixtures1 the woodwork and the floor with soap and water1 and carefully dry them4 ,do not forget the outsides of the tub and basin4 ,if the fixtures are nickel1 they should be polished when they really need it1 not oftener1 with some patent nickel polish or with whiting4 ,the woodwork of the closet should be rubbed with oil1 especially if the finish begins to be worn4 ,this prevents the wood from absorbing impurities4 ,if there are rugs in the bathroom1 they should be washed as soon as they show need4 ,no rug which cannot be washed should be allowed in an ordinary bathroom4 ,many people recommend flushing waste-pipes now and then with a strong hot solution of washing soda4 ,the overflow pipes should be included in this performance4 ,good1 new plumbing1 however can probably be spared treatment of this sort4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,air1 ,sun1 and ,water ,bedrooms are cleaned every week or every fortnight in the same way that other rooms are4 ,they are apt1 however1 to contain closets and these require some special care4 ,closets4--,when a room is being prepared for cleaning1 the floor and baseboards of the closet should be wiped with a dry mop or cloth--anything which will not make a dust--and the door tightly closed4 ,once in a while1 before the cleaning of the room if there is time1 if not1 on some other day1 the clothing should be removed from the closet1 the walls wiped1 and everything washed which can be1--hooks1 wire hangers1 the rods on which these hang1 shelves and floor should be washed with water in which has been put a generous quantity of ammonia1 borax or boracic acid4 ,these things are not liked by the various small insects which annoy housewives4 ,they also help to prevent mustiness and close odours4 ,after the washing1 everything should be carefully wiped dry1 and as much light and air let into the closet as possible4 ,the contents should not be put in again until this drying and airing is finished4 ,do not wash closets on a rainy or humid day4 ,if they have a musty or unpleasant odour1 a few drops of oil of lavender put on a shelf or on the floor will help to remove it4 ,a little chloride of lime1 poured into a saucer and set on the floor of the closet1 will also remove odours4 ,little bags of lavender or rose-geranium leaves laid on closet shelves add much to the daintiness and freshness of the clothes kept there4 ,the shelves should be covered with white paper cut1 not folded1 to fit the shelf4 ,folds afford harbourage for insects4 ,floors should be left without covering of any sort4 ,ideally1 they are of hard wood like the floor of the room4 ,clothes get more air1 and are less creased and rumpled if they are hung on hangers suspended on a pole or wire1 than when they are hung one piece on top of another on hooks fastened into the wall4 ,even in a wall closet1 not more than ten inches deep1 one gains space by stretching a strong wire from opposite hooks1 and putting hangers on this4 ,four or five waists or dresses will hang without crushing on such a ten-inch wire4 ,a closet with a shelf in it offers better hanging-space if hooks are put at intervals into the under side of the shelf4 ,a hook like two ,j's1 back to back1 is made especially for this purpose4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is well to give bedrooms a look of peacefulness4 ,some things which help in this are3 perfect cleanliness1 few decorations1 few colours1 a bed which looks like a bed1 a regard for the occupant's wishes to have personal possessions one way rather than another1 and something else--,i have no name for it1 but it is there because the housewife has wished1 as she made the bed and arranged the room1 that the person who sleeps there may have rest and quiet of heart4 ,she has folded into the sheets perhaps this prayer3 ,and four great ,angels guard this bed1 ,two at the foot and two at the head4 ,,viii ,,dining-,,room ,,and ,,pantry ,,work ,,the dining room is put in order daily and cleaned periodically in the same way that the other rooms in the house are cared for4 ,the daily care of this room1 however1 has to be a little more thoroughly and thoughtfully given4 ,it should be noticeably neat1 carefully aired1 and a trifle cooler than a living room4 ,pure air and the restfulness of order are favourable and refining to appetite4 ,to allow fruit or any kind of food to stand in the dining room is a poor custom4 ,such things attract flies1 create an odour of food in the room1 and encourage the indulgent habit of eating bits now and then between meals4 ,the plant or flowers used on the table need a little care each day4 ,water in which flowers stand1 quickly becomes discoloured enough to show dark against a white cloth1 and soon gives off an unpleasant odour4 ,even when there is little time for looking after such things1 one can take the flowers out1 holding them in position1 quickly clip off the ends of the stems and the leaves that are wet1 and put them back into fresh water4 ,a plant should be watered each day and have dust and withered leaves removed from it4 ,the hours for meals should be times of rest and social pleasure1 they cannot be if disagreeable sights1 sounds1 or smells accompany them4 ,keep the dining room neat1 aired and cool4 ,in a clean1 well-kept room there will be less fault-finding1 scolding and gloom than in a neglected one4 ,such a room will also help people to be agreeable1 attentive and interesting1 in harmony with their surroundings4 ,the ,table4--,if the dining table has a polished top it will need special and frequent care4 ,some people prefer a table of which the top is a plain white wood because it does not need special care4 ,such a table must of course be kept covered with a linen cloth at meals and a table cover at other times4 ,a polished table must be constantly guarded from heat and scratches1 and must be polished at regular intervals4 ,where very hot dishes are to be placed the table should have added to the usual protection of an undercloth the further protection of asbestos or basketwork mats4 ,these can be hidden1 if you wish1 with linen carving cloths or doilies4 ,rub the table briskly for a few moments every day with a soft cloth or a piece of chamois skin4 ,about once a week polish it more carefully4 ,before either of these performances remove any stickiness or greasiness with a damp cloth4 ,the mixture of sweet oil and vinegar recommended for furniture is excellent for a table4 7#a tablespoonful of vinegar to #c of sweet oil47 ,a mixture of equal parts sweet oil and turpentine is also good4 ,rub the table thoroughly with a soft cloth dampened with the mixture1 then rub it with a clean cloth4 ,dull spots occasionally appear even on the most carefully guarded tables4 ,long and frequent polishing will sometimes remove these4 ,if the finish is seriously injured1 however1 amateur efforts to restore it are more likely to make it worse than better4 ,on account of frequent rubbing and unavoidable wear1 the table-leaves in use should often be changed for those not in use1 the whole table will then be of the same colour and in the same condition4 ,table ,setting4--,before beginning to set the table1 see that it is the right size4 ,neither people nor dishes should be crowded if this can possibly be avoided2 it is also undesirable to have the table too large for the number at the meal4 ,for dinner the table is first spread with a cotton-flannel or felt undercloth4 ,this is not only to save a polished table from injuries2 it improves the appearance of any table and prevents noise4 ,over it is laid the linen cloth1 the middle crease running the length of the table exactly in the middle4 ,in some households a smaller1 lighter tablecloth is used for breakfast and luncheon4 ,in others1 a luncheon cloth of embroidered linen1 lace or drawn work is used for these less formal meals4 ,in others1 the table is left bare and doilies spread where plates and dishes are to be set4 ,many people who use doilies or a luncheon cloth for luncheon prefer a covered table at breakfast4 ,these are all matters of taste or economy with one exception4 ,it is the custom to spread the table for dinner with a cloth which entirely covers it4 ,when the tablecloth has been laid1 a centrepiece of linen or lace is sometimes placed upon it in the centre of the table4 ,if carving is to be done1 a carving cloth is placed at the foot of the table in such a position that the platter will stand in the middle of it4 ,all the table linen1 when removed1 should be refolded in the creases made by the iron4 ,centrepieces and doilies should be laid flat in a drawer or the former rolled on a roller4 ,a little care in this matter keeps the cloths fresh longer and protects delicate linen from too frequent washing4 ,a napkin is laid at each place1 on the right or in the centre4 ,napkins should match the tablecloth but this is not always possible because they have to be changed more frequently than the cloth4 ,fresh napkins every day at dinner is the agreeable and not extreme method of changing them2 to have fresh ones at every meal is rarely possible or necessary except in hotels2 a change twice a week is the minimum at which any degree of comfort can be maintained4 ,when all the linen necessary is on the table1 place exactly in the middle of the linen centrepiece the vase of flowers1 plant or dish of fruit which is to be the centre decoration of the table4 ,it makes variety and daintiness if this decoration is flowers or a plant or even a silver or glass vase rather than food in any form4 ,a pretty thing helps to remind us that eating is not the only thing for which we come together4 ,it may also afford a topic for pleasant conversation4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,order and ,daintiness ,after the centre decoration is placed put on candlesticks or lamps1 carafes1 decanters1 salts and peppers and any large objects which are to be used1 leaving places for bread plates1 relish dishes and the like4 ,these things should be arranged symmetrically1 not as if they were men on a checker-board1 but with the sort of symmetry which the leaves on a vine have4 ,if there is not some evidence of design in the arrangement of a table1 it will look littered4 ,add now to the napkin at each place1 everything which will be needed during the meal1 or until the serving of the sweet at luncheon or at dinner1 or until the serving of fruit as a last course at any meal4 ,the finger bowl1 doily and silver needed for these courses are frequently arranged on the plate to be used and brought to each place at the beginning of the course4 ,at the left of the place lay the forks in the order in which they are to be used2 at the right lay the knives in the same order with their edges toward the plates2 at the right of the knives lay the soup spoon4 ,if the dessert spoon is put on the table it is placed at the right of the knives and the soup spoon4 ,spoons are laid on the table with the hollow of the bowl up1 and forks with the ends of the tines up4 ,besides the silver each place needs a glass for water--glasses are turned up1 not down--and others suitable for any beverages which are to be served4 ,a salt cellar will be needed if individual salts are used4 ,these are not regarded favourably at present but are tolerated if each has a spoon4 ,and either a small butter plate or a bread and butter plate and butter knife are put at each place except sometimes at dinner when butter is not served4 ,when meals are formally served a plate is put at each place which is removed when the first course is brought4 ,one cannot lay places correctly without knowing the menu for the meal4 ,the food to be eaten determines the objects needed for eating it4 ,when the table is set with the exception of the food1 the sideboard or serving table1 or both should be arranged4 ,on these are put dessert or fruit plates arranged with finger bowls and silver1 all the china not to be heated which will be needed for the courses of the meal1 any seasonings or bottled sauces which the family are in the habit of asking for1 a crumb tray and napkin or scraper1 a small napkin or doily with which a spot of gravy or fruit juice could be quickly removed from the tablecloth1 a water pitcher and a serving tray4 ,if after-dinner coffee is made on the table1 it is convenient to set out all the articles needed for this on a tray on the sideboard4 ,room must be kept on the serving table for the vegetable dishes which are usually left there during the course to which they belong4 ,a few minutes before a meal is served is the time to place food such as pickles1 jelly1 bread1 butter and milk on the table or the serving table and to fill the glasses with water4 ,if ice is put into each glass it should be done carefully with a spoon4 ,it adds to the appearance of butter balls and helps to keep them cool if a lettuce leaf is laid in the dish under them4 ,they keep their shape and firmness better if kept in a bowl of water when in the refrigerator4 ,at luncheon or breakfast bread is served on a plate or tray1 or the loaf1 board and knife are put on the table4 ,at dinner a piece of bread is laid by each place or tucked into each napkin4 ,hot biscuits keep hot longer if a napkin is spread over the plate and folded over them4 ,cold bread or crackers1 also cheese1 are often served on a folded napkin1 they look better so than on a plate4 ,in laying the table1 time1 steps and thought can be saved by taking as many things as possible from one place at one time4 ,that is1 after the linen is on the table4 ,first put on everything needed from the sideboard1 then everything needed from the china closet1 then everything needed from the pantry4 ,all the articles from each place can sometimes be brought in one trip with the help of a tray4 ,if the flat silver is kept in a basket1 it is better to carry the basket from place to place and take out what is needed4 ,this saves steps and some handling of the silver4 ,when the places where the dishes and silver are to be kept are first decided upon1 and when the order in which the table is set is first learned1 both should be done with the thought of saving steps and of opening drawers and doors as seldom as possible4 ,tables should be set without noise4 ,not only because it is disagreeable to hear the rattling of dishes but because thumps1 and clatter1 and jingle mean scars on the table1 nicks in the china1 scratches on the silver and a lack of that dainty carefulness without which a table is never perfectly set4 ,waiting4--,waiting requires more head than other household employments4 ,one can keep accounts slowly and laboriously1 one can sweep without possessing much tact1 one can even cook without possessing a great degree of administrative ability1 or do laundry work without a good memory4 ,to wait cleverly requires all these qualities4 ,the object of waiting is that the needs and wants of those seated at table shall be supplied without effort1 often without consciousness on their part4 ,it also preserves the orderliness of the table1 and makes inquiries about people's wishes unnecessary4 ,one occasionally hears the objection made to careful waiting that it makes people thoughtless for the comfort of others4 ,i would suggest that conversation made agreeable and amusing to others requires greater and more continued thoughtfulness than passing the beans and the butter4 ,the waitress should have in her mind a plan of the meal including not only the food but also the china1 silver and linen needed for serving it4 ,if a meal is more than two courses long1 it is often better to have the plan written out4 ,this is a little trouble1 but saves mistakes1 and the necessity of stopping to think when one has not time to think4 ,the waitress is expected to be in the dining room when the family enter for the meal4 ,she should be ready to serve the first course as soon as they are seated4 ,if this course is oysters or grape-fruit or some such thing1 plates containing it are set before each guest4 ,two plates can be brought at once if there are no plates already on the table2 if there are1 the waitress can only bring one plate for she must remove the empty plate before she can set the other down4 ,when the plates are all on the table she will then pass anything which accompanies the course4 ,sometimes various small relishes and biscuits such as are required with raw oysters can be put on the tray and all passed at the same time4 ,when the course is finished the soiled plates are removed two at a time and after that anything from the table belonging to the course4 ,the soup plates are then brought and set before the hostess if the soup is to be served on the table4 ,the tureen is placed before her1 uncovered1 and the cover deposited on the serving table4 ,the waitress stands at the left of the person serving1 takes each plate as it is ready and places it before a guest4 ,if the soup is served from the pantry or the serving table1 the plates are brought two at a time1 as for the former course4 ,with a few changes in detail to be noted below1 courses are served as one or other of the two described4 ,this is an outline for serving a course4 ,remove the food of the preceding course4 ,remove the plates4 ,remove relishes1 biscuits1 etc41 belonging especially to that course4 ,remove unused plates and silver belonging especially to that course4 ,bring the plates for or containing the next course4 ,bring the chief dish of the course4 ,serve each person4 ,pass anything which completes the course1 like sauce or gravy4 ,pass anything which accompanies the course1 like vegetables1 or sometimes1 a salad4 ,see that glasses are filled1 and guests supplied with butter4 ,listen for the answer when any one is asked to accept a second helping or consulted about his wishes4 ,after an interval1 pass a second time anything of which a second helping may be taken1 provided there is none of it on the plate4 ,detail 7a74--,it is the custom for the host to serve the fish and do the carving4 ,perhaps it is a survival from the days when these things were the trophies of his hunting and fishing4 ,the hostess serves the soup1 salad and dessert4 ,detail 7b74--,if the family is large the plates for the meat should be put on the serving table and one placed before the carver at a time4 ,the waitress stands beside the carver with the next plate in her hand and puts it before him when she removes the one which is ready to pass4 ,or if the waitress is too much occupied to do this1 three or four plates can be put before the carver1 then three or four more4 ,detail 7c74--,a vegetable requiring a separate plate1 such as asparagus or corn on the cob1 is served after the other vegetables4 ,a plate for it is first put at the left of each place and then the vegetable is passed4 ,salad1 when served with the meat course1 is arranged for and passed in the same way4 ,detail 7d74--,everything to which a guest is to help himself is passed to him from the left side that he may comfortably use his right hand4 ,things which he has already accepted1 like a serving of meat or a cup of coffee1 are placed before him by the waitress4 ,detail 7e74--,some authorities say that the people on one side of the table should be served in the order in which they sit1 then the people on the other side in the same order1 without regard to sex or precedence4 ,this is well enough for a table full of people of about equal age and importance1 but in an ordinary family there are apt to be guests or a grandmother to whom all slight deferences are due4 ,i took a meal with a family not a great while ago at which the two small children were served before the guests and their mother4 ,extraordinary spectacle6 ,the question whether the hostess shall be served first or not is much discussed4 ,i can only say that ,i have never yet seen a guest of honour who would not have been glad if the hostess had been served before her4 ,the outline for serving a course1 with the addition of the suggestions above1 holds good until dessert4 ,at the end of the course before dessert1 the table is cleared of everything except the decorations and glasses4 ,the carving cloth is lightly folded together and carried away4 ,crumbs are removed and any disarrangement restored to order4 ,then the dessert plates1 arranged with finger bowl1 doily and silver are brought from the sideboard4 ,as soon as one is placed before each guest the dessert is served4 ,if it is served by the hostess the waitress takes the first plate from before the hostess as soon as it is ready and replaces it with an extra one which she has in her hand4 ,she brings back the one she removes from before the guest whom she served and places it before the hostess when she removes the one filled in her absence4 ,the conventional dress for a waitress is a plain black frock with white collar and cuffs1 a large white apron with a bib and shoulder straps1 and a small cap4 ,at breakfast she usually wears a light-coloured cotton frock instead of the black one as this is more suitable for the work she does in the morning4 ,her shoes should be comfortable for her own sake1 and noiseless for the sake of others4 ,the same cleanliness and daintiness which are necessary in her work should also be hers personally4 ,i cannot believe that it is ever very difficult to persuade a girl to this4 ,probably a mistress need only express an interest in her waitress's hair1 and teeth1 and hands1 and pretty looks and they will soon be well cared for4 ,such interest on the part of the mistress is not merely requited with an improvement in the appearance of her waitress4 ,a girl who can put a dainty collar on herself has taken a long step toward being able to put a dainty collar on a chop-bone2 if her hands are clean and soft1 she will not like disgusting dishwater or soppy glass-towels any better than her mistress does4 ,waiting and elaborate methods of serving meals may easily become a nuisance and a burden instead of a help and a pleasure4 ,to try for appearances to which the skill and strength of a waitress or a maid-of-all-work are unequal is to produce a worried hostess and nervous1 wearied guests4 ,a certain degree of order1 daintiness and formality should characterize every meal1 but these things do not depend upon the number of courses1 nor upon the presence of a waitress4 ,in a household where there is no maid1 thoughtfulness beforehand can prevent any getting up from table except between courses4 ,all the food and accessories for a course must be placed on the table and served by some member of the family1 and the plates must be passed from hand to hand4 ,sometimes two or even three courses can be agreeably put together1 as when a salad is served with the meat course1 or fruit and coffee are brought with the dessert4 ,often in this way a dinner can be acceptably served with only one or two clearings of the table1 which under other circumstances would have been five or six courses long4 ,a large tray on the serving table upon which the plates and dishes can be put and all removed together is a great assistance4 ,upon such a tray1 also1 everything necessary for a whole course can often be brought from the kitchen at one trip4 ,the article known as a dinner wagon is even better as an assistant than a tray4 ,in a small family it makes less confusion if only one person does the necessary waiting4 ,a daughter rather than a mother should do this1 or the person who has not done the cooking rather than the person who has4 ,in a large family two people should do the waiting1 partly for speed1 partly because it is hard work4 ,there is the further advantage that work done by two people is much more cheerful than work done by one4 ,i have little patience with families in which one sister does all the housework for a week or a month1 and then another takes it for the same length of time4 ,it is well enough to divide the work into departments and sometimes exchange those1 but no sister should rock on the veranda while the other washes the dishes alone4 ,in the first place it is not economic--two could do the work more quickly and then both could rest4 ,and besides1 what a loss of companionship6 ,the most helpful and intimate talks ,i have ever had with one of my sisters have been while we were washing dishes together4 ,in households where there is but one maid1 it is wise to make her duties as waitress few and simple4 ,she is probably not trained for the work1 and besides1 if she has cooked the meal1 she is hot and tired just at the moment when she should be fresh and alert4 ,under such conditions the waiting is not likely to be well and quickly done4 ,if the maid does those things which prevent any getting up from table1 that is really enough for her to do4 ,if1 however1 you wish her to pass plates and vegetables1 at least serve the sauce on the platter with the fish1 have the gravy for the meat and the sauce for the pudding placed where the server can help them1 and depend upon those seated at the table to pass the bread1 butter1 pickles and jelly which are before them4 ,in clearing the table1 the large tray mentioned before is an aid which should be allowed to one maid4 ,any piling of dishes as they are removed1 however carefully done1 looks unpleasant2 taking two plates to the pantry at a time costs many steps4 ,the large tray on the serving table is a compromise between these alternatives which ,i have found good4 ,waiting1 like table setting cannot become excellent unless it is characterized by an almost exaggerated carefulness4 ,whether the meal is elaborate or extremely simple1 evidences should never be lacking of minute thoughtfulness and of the use of careful hands4 ,the ,pantry4--,a pantry is like a tea basket1 or a handy box1 or a ship's cabin4 ,it is a small space containing a great variety of useful things4 ,the one virtue necessary above all others in such a space is orderliness4 ,without it convenient compactness becomes crowded confusion4 ,things not connected with pantry work should have a place found for them elsewhere4 ,things most frequently used should be on the shelves and in the drawers which require least reaching and stooping4 ,things of the same kind should be grouped together except when this violates the previous rule4 ,that is1 for the sake of keeping all the platters together1 it is not necessary to use precious space on the most practicable pantry shelf for a platter only used at ,thanksgiving and ,christmas4 ,dish ,washing4--,dish washing is such a frequent and important part of pantry work that it deserves a few words of description1 perhaps of praise4 ,dish-washing accessories should be within arms' reach as one stands at the sink4 ,they are3 a dishpan1 soap1 borax or ammonia1 towels--soft ones for the fine dishes1 coarser ones for the heavier dishes--a dish drainer1 a sink strainer for scraps4 ,to these may be added a mop and a dishcloth if you feel you must have these articles1 but ,i wish ,i could convert you to the use instead of a small-sized whisk1 or a little fibre broom such as is sold for cleaning sinks4 ,broom straws softened by warm water will not scratch cut glass and yet are stiff enough to use for washing pots4 ,the little broom can be scalded and dried through and through on the back of the stove4 ,it does not smell1 and dish washing done with it is as different from dish washing done with a cloth1 as eating with a fork is different from eating with your fingers4 ,in a pantry where many dishes are washed a folding table is a serviceable accessory to dish washing4 ,it can be set up to receive the dried dishes1 and folded again when no longer needed4 ,the list of accessories for dish washing done where there is no running water is slightly different4 ,one must then have one or two kettles of hot water on the fire4 ,the dish drainer must have a tray to stand on or be replaced with pans4 ,the sink strainer will not be needed4 ,a bowl can be used instead1 but not a tin receptacle1 for scraps of food sometimes combine to form acids which eat or discolour tin4 ,the ,preparation4--,for the work of dish washing1 first get yourself ready4 ,put on an apron1 preferably one with a bib4 ,if your sleeves are long1 either turn them back or cover them with half-sleeves which button tightly round the wrist4 ,next put away all food4 ,then prepare the dishes4 ,gather the glass together4 ,empty the tumblers which have contained water1 but fill with water those which have contained milk4 ,collect the cups and saucers1 emptying the cups and rinsing out dregs or tea leaves4 ,scrape the plates thoroughly with a spoon1 not with a knife1 and pile each kind together4 ,if there is much gravy or sauce upon them1 rub them off quickly with a discarded crust or a celery stalk4 ,put the silver into a bowl or pitcher and pour water upon it4 ,platters should be scraped like the plates4 ,fill cream pitchers1 gravy boats and vegetable dishes with water4 ,all this preparation is not old-maidishness and a waste of time4 ,it saves time1 and dishes1 and disgust4 ,the ,process4--,when the dishes have been made ready for washing1 pour a generous supply of hot water into the dishpan4 ,put into it a little borax1 or a larger supply if the water is hard4 ,lay in two or three glasses4 ,they should be put in edge first1 wet inside and out at the same moment1 and not laid close enough to touch each other4 ,take them out one at a time and immediately wipe them dry and bright4 ,they become streaked if allowed to drain4 ,replace those taken out with others to be washed4 ,set the wiped glasses in a space prepared for them on a shelf or table1 or if there is little room in the pantry put them on a tray which can be carried at once to the cupboard4 ,after the glasses1 wash and wipe any other glass which is not greasy1 but leave anything which is until after soap has been put into the water4 ,neither the glass nor any of the dishes should be touched with one's bare hand after it is lifted from the water1 but should be held always with the cloth1 wiped and polished with the cloth and set down at last with a hand still covered4 ,when the glass is finished1 put soap into the water with the aid of a soap shaker or any other contrivance which prevents the soap from lying in the water or from being stuck on a fork4 ,make good suds1 but not strong suds1 for this injures colour and gilding4 ,dishes are usually washed in the order of greasiness1 therefore the cups and saucers come next after the glass and after these any plates which are but slightly soiled4 ,these cleaner dishes often need no rubbing with cloth or brush1 but can be lifted out of the water and placed in a drainer or pan1 the cups on their sides1 the plates on edge4 ,rubbing1 however gentle1 at last wears off decoration4 ,dishes must never lie soaking in the dish-water because this also injures their decorations4 ,a few of the same kind should be put in the water at a time1 washed and immediately removed4 ,this is the chief preventive of chipping and breaking1 and it also allows room enough in the water for thorough washing4 ,the silver is the next thing to wash4 ,if the water has cooled by this time it should be changed1 or if one has to be economical1 it can be partially changed and more soap added4 ,usually the flat silver can all be put into the water at once1 then washed a few pieces at a time and laid carefully in a drainer or pan4 ,some housewives prefer to wipe the silver1 like the glasses1 immediately from the dish-water1 but as it has to be washed with soap1 there is a good reason for rinsing it4 ,larger pieces of silver must be put in like the dishes1 a piece or two at a time1 to prevent dents and scratches4 ,next wash plates1 never allowing small ones and large ones in the water together1 then platters1 vegetable dishes1 milk pitchers1 salad bowl and gravy boat1 putting not more than one or two in the water at a time4 ,as often as dishwater becomes cool or greasy1 change it4 ,this is a fixed rule for those who have an ample water supply4 ,if however1 it is necessary to be extremely economical with water1 it is better to stint the dishwater than the rinsing water4 ,there are two extreme ways of rinsing dishes and a middle way4 ,one of the extremes is to immerse the dishes in a pan of hot water and wipe them therefrom4 ,this is indeed cleanly but it takes much water and many towels4 ,the other extreme is to arrange them in a drainer and either pour scalding water over them or immerse them for a moment in scalding water and then leave them to dry by their own heat which they do almost instantly4 ,a zealous housewife finds it hard to believe that this is as good as wiping1 but the smooth1 shining dishes which result from it convince her4 ,the middle way is to set the dishes in a drainer and pour scalding water over them as in the other case1 but this time to complete the work by wiping each piece4 ,they are so nearly dry that the wiping is but a small act1 often little more than a keen inspection and a rub for good measure4 ,delicate china must not be rinsed with extremely hot water as a sudden change of temperature sometimes breaks it as it does glass4 ,the rinsing method first described is best for silver for it should be thoroughly rinsed in very hot water and dried with a cloth and vigorous rubbing4 ,any evaporating process leaves it dull and spotted4 ,as one wipes it1 any piece discoloured or dull should be laid aside for special attention4 ,egg stains can be removed with a little salt1 or often just with rubbing them with a cloth which has been used to apply silver polish4 ,if one has no covered shelf or table on which the silver can be laid as it is wiped1 it is well to spread a towel to receive it4 ,this saves noise and scratching4 ,carafes1 decanters1 vinegar cruets or any narrow necked articles can be cleaned with chopped white potato1 or with crushed egg shells4 ,a combination of crushed egg shells1 cup of salt and cup of vinegar is also good for this purpose4 ,a slim paint brush--the kind used to paint window casings1 not pictures--is excellent for washing bottles4 ,the brush end will do the washing and the handle end with a towel over it will do the wiping4 ,there are regular bottle brushes but ,i have found a paint brush better than any one ,i have yet tried4 ,steel knives1 whether plated or not1 need special care4 ,they should never1 never be laid in water but held in the dish washer's hands while they are washed1 then wiped perfectly dry4 ,if they are silver plated they are polished like the rest of the silver except that they are wet as little as possible4 ,if not plated they must be scoured as often as used4 ,this helps to keep them sharp as well as bright4 ,rest the blades flat on a board when cleaning them1 otherwise they may be bent or even broken4 ,after they have been scoured1 they must be washed with the same care as before and dried thoroughly4 ,avoid anything1 whether hot water or excessive friction1 which greatly heats the blades1 for this breaks the handles by expanding the steel pieces which run up into them4 ,discoloured knife handles will sometimes whiten if scoured with a piece of lemon dipped in salt and washed off quickly with hot soapsuds4 ,powdered pumice also whitens them4 ,after the dishes are washed and wiped1 all the cloths and brushes used should be thoroughly washed in hot suds1 then carefully rinsed4 ,if they can be hung out in the sun1 that is best1 but if not1 they should be hung where they will dry before they are needed again4 ,one may not be able to spare time to wash or even rinse the towels after every dish washing1 but they must positively be washed once a day4 ,sticky and unpleasant-smelling table appointments quickly result from neglected towels and dishcloths4 ,and what can be said in praise of dish washing8 ,well1 it is making things clean and there is always satisfaction in that2 it is a sign that one more thing is finished and there is satisfaction in that1 even though another begins at once2 and1 personally ,i like dish washing because it is work that after a little practice can be done almost entirely with hands and eyes1 and so the time it takes may be a rest time1 or a thought time1 or a prayer time as one wills it4 ,silver ,cleaning4--,some people say silver must be cleaned once a week1 others once a fortnight1 others contend that once a month is enough4 ,a general rule cannot be made1 however1 for a thing which depends entirely on particular climate1 particular light and heating apparatus and particular standards of care and orderliness4 ,one can only say polish it as often as it needs polishing and not oftener4 ,those silver polishes which are intended to be rubbed on the articles and then removed with very hot water are the more desirable4 ,a silver polish which is hard on hands is to be avoided1 not merely for the hands' sake but for the silver's4 ,to clean silver1 one requires a soft cloth and a soft hair brush for applying the polish2 also several other soft cloths1 a piece of chamois skin and a clean1 soft brush for polishing4 ,rub the polish on smooth surfaces with a soft cloth1 on filigree or engraving with a soft brush4 ,wash in very hot water1 wipe with soft cloths1 polish with chamois skin and a soft brush4 ,never touch the silver with bare hands after it comes out of the hot water4 ,to wear a pair of chamois gloves while doing this work is an excellent help and protection4 ,if silver not constantly in use is kept in canton-flannel bags in a box where there is a piece of gum camphor1 it will be as bright when it is taken out as it was when it was put in4 ,the bags are better than tissue paper1 for this sometimes contains chemicals which discolour the silver4 ,new silver usually comes in such bags1 but the time and money necessary for making bags for older pieces1 are saved again and again by the unaided care they take of the silver committed to them4 ,white canton flannel is not good for this purpose1 it soils easily and the chemicals used for bleaching it discolour silver4 ,there remains but to say that ideal dining room and pantry work combine military order with a daintiness which puts pansies into finger bowls4 ,that simple loveliness and devoted thoughtfulness are more necessary in table service than heavy damask and beautiful china4 ,and that1 above all1 one must not think that care and work expended upon meals are put to a poor use4 ,family meals are deeply hallowed by long custom and by sacred associations4 ,we shall not be wrong to try earnestly and gladly to make the meal hours times of loveliness and thankfulness and laughter4 ,,ix ,,the ,,kitchen 7a47 ,,furnishings ,,kitchens have shrunk in size since the days of our grandmothers1 not so much because we know more than our grandmothers as because conditions of living have changed4 ,kitchens are no longer used to store winter supplies which must be kept from the cold1 nor are they now used for laundry and dairy work1 spinning and sociability4 ,a house in which there are many workers1 in which there is bountiful providing and constant hospitality1 still needs a large kitchen2 on the contrary1 an apartment in which the dining room will barely permit six at table may well have a kitchen in which everything is within hand's reach4 ,many of us have no opportunity to choose whether our kitchens shall be large or small4 ,in building a new house1 however1 the opportunity sometimes presents itself1 and some of the things to consider in making the choice are the number of people who are to work in the kitchen1 the size and elaborateness of the meals to be prepared there1 whether there is to be also a pantry and a store room1 whether the laundry work is done in the kitchen and whether the servant or servants have any other place to sit4 ,in regard to these two latter considerations1 it may be safely said that a small kitchen and a small laundry are almost invariably better than a large room for both purposes2 and that a tiny kitchen and a tiny servants' sitting room are better both for health and comfort than a combination4 ,if it is possible1 the kitchen should be used only for cooking1 and should contain only such things as are needed for that work4 ,as a kitchen is a place where especial cleanliness is necessary1 soap and water should be no enemy to its contents4 ,probably a room lined with glazed tiles is the best kitchen1 but as yet these are rare4 ,walls and ,woodwork4--,hard-finish plaster painted some light colour and given a final coating of enamel paint is a satisfactory but somewhat expensive finish for kitchen walls4 ,there are several kinds of wall covering of the nature of oilcloth which look rather like tiles and may be wiped with water4 ,they are not so good as a finish which becomes part of the substance of the wall4 ,oil and varnish rubbed into plaster walls make them light yellow in colour1 protect them from being discoloured with steam1 and produce a surface which may be frequently washed4 ,a coating of oil followed by a coating of shellac has much the same result4 ,old1 rough walls are better covered with a light-coloured1 very inexpensive paper4 ,if this is coated with shellac the walls may be wiped with a damp mop4 ,otherwise the paper should be changed frequently4 ,this is the reason it should be inexpensive4 ,it is well always to get a little more kitchen paper than is needed1 that when necessity arises badly soiled pieces may be stripped from the walls and new ones fitted into their places4 ,i once had a whitewashed kitchen and liked it1 but it might have looked odd had it opened on a fire-escape instead of the wood-pile4 ,two things are chiefly desirable in the finish of kitchen walls and woodwork2 it ought not to be hurt by soap and water and it ought to be light coloured4 ,the room is frequently filled with smoke or steam which contains some greasiness2 this can only be removed from the walls and ceiling by washing them4 ,people have been known to paint kitchens a dark colour with the idea that they showed dirt less4 ,dirt should show4 ,then there is a better chance that it will be removed4 ,light colours are needed in the kitchen also to prevent dark corners1 and to increase the light from the windows4 ,much sun is a disadvantage to a kitchen2 much light is a great advantage4 ,a yellow kitchen cheers my soul1 but many housewives like blue or green better4 ,if you do your own work1 by all means have the kitchen the light colour most becoming to you1 and get your frocks to match2 it's a great help4 ,floors4--,the kitchen floor is a greater problem than kitchen walls4 ,even tiles have one disadvantage1 they are cold to stand on4 ,there are a variety of substances resembling mosaic or tiling in appearance which are put down somewhat like cement or concrete4 ,they are without cracks and easily mopped1 but have the same disadvantage of being hard and cold4 ,a hardwood floor such as one might have in other rooms is easily spotted and injured with the things which are rather likely to be spilled or set upon it4 ,this is true also of a painted floor1 with the added objection that heels and chair-legs quickly mar painted wood4 ,linoleum is easily cared for and with reasonable usage lasts well4 ,oilcloth is less expensive than linoleum but is in no way so good4 ,neither of these floor coverings1 nor paint1 should be washed with very hot water or with any strong or gritty cleaning substance1 nor should they be scrubbed with a stiff brush4 ,such treatment breaks and spoils glossy surfaces4 ,wash them with a cloth wrung out of mild luke-warm suds4 ,wipe them dry1 otherwise they will be streaked4 ,when linoleum begins to show wear a coat of spar-varnish or carriage varnish will restore it satisfactorily4 ,these varnishes are not injured by water1 and they dry quickly4 ,a floor varnished at night in dry weather may be walked on as much as necessity requires the next day4 ,it is better in such a case to lay down papers to walk on1 and move them often to prevent sticking4 ,sheets of newspaper or brown paper should be laid all over a floor before linoleum is put down1 otherwise it is almost impossible to get it off the floor when it is worn out4 ,i wish to copy here a suggestion for finishing a kitchen floor1 for which ,i would gladly acknowledge my indebtedness1 but ,i have merely the paragraph signed ,g4 ,d4 which has been cut from some paper4 ,plain1 boiled linseed oil is a good finish for the kitchen floor4 ,it should be put on when the floor is new or clean of other finish1 and applied as needed afterward4 ,such a floor will have a pleasing1 light-brown colour1 will not show marks or scratches1 and1 kept well oiled1 will not spot with grease4 ,heat the oil and apply at night1 rubbing it in well4 ,in the morning wipe with cold water1 and the floor is ready for use4 ,wash it with warm water dashed with a little kerosene4 ,g4 ,d4 ,just a plain floor is a convenient kitchen floor on all days except on those when it must be scrubbed4 ,such scrubbing is hard1 dirty work and takes a good deal of time4 ,and ,i know of no alleviation2 one must down on one's knees and go at it with a scrubbing brush or it will look all the time as if it needed scrubbing4 ,rugs4--,rugs are needed in the kitchen wherever much continued standing is done1 as in front of the sink and the range or beside the table4 ,they prevent linoleum or oilcloth from becoming worn in one or two spots1 they are sometimes needed for warmth1 and they are always needed to spare the feet and back of the person who does the kitchen work4 ,it makes as much difference whether one stands for hours on a soft thing or a hard one1 as it does whether one sleeps for hours on a board or a mattress4 ,it is as well if kitchen rugs are of so little value that they may frequently be thrown away without regret4 ,a good doormat too shabby to put before the front door is a treasure to lay before the washtubs4 ,the sink4--,if the kitchen sink is under or beside a window1 the pots and pans will more surely be clean1 and the dish washer will not have the irritation of working in her own light4 ,sinks are apt to be set too low4 ,for comfort and for health the rim should be about even with the dish washer's waist4 ,it is convenient to have draining boards on both sides of the sink1 but by no means always possible4 ,whatever material the sink is made of it will need careful cleaning once every day with scouring soap or soap-powder and a scrubbing brush4 ,this is not only good for the sink but for the waste pipes1 especially if a pan of hot soapy water is prepared for the scouring and emptied down the pipes when the sink is finished4 ,this will do much toward keeping the pipes from becoming grease clogged4 ,porcelain or enamelled sinks are1 of course1 more easily kept clean than iron or tin ones4 ,tables4--,in a kitchen where there is no sink1 the substitute should be a steady table placed as far from the stove as possible4 ,if a definite place is appointed for dish washing even to the choice between two ends of a table1 the appliances needed can be hung within reach1 and one will naturally pile soiled dishes in that place and go there to wash them without taking thought about it4 ,besides this table another will be needed on which cake and bread can be made1 or food can be set without fear of contact with soiled dishes or dishwater4 ,this table is equally necessary in kitchens where there is a sink4 ,sometimes in small kitchens its place is taken by the shelf of a dresser1 the tops of the tubs or a board which1 when not in use1 folds down beside the wall or the dresser4 ,the point is to have some place other than the draining boards where food can be prepared4 ,you will read in magazines that it is lovely to have kitchen tables covered with white oilcloth4 ,unfortunately the statement is not always followed by its complement1 namely1 that such a covering must be protected from being scorched and cut by means of pot boards1 asbestos mats or folded newspapers4 ,several practical cooks and housekeepers have told me that there is nothing so good in the kitchen as a zinc-covered table4 ,it is not pretty but one need never spare it any usage1 and at rest times its ugliness may be covered with a cloth4 ,spots on zinc which will not yield to soap and water can sometimes be removed with vinegar4 ,plain wooden tables are hard to keep in satisfactory order4 ,they are easily scorched1 easily stained1 and they require daily scrubbing4 ,a pretty kitchen is a pride and delight1 but the serviceableness and practicability of its furnishings must be the first consideration in selecting them4 ,things which have to be constantly remembered and guarded take too much thought and strength to be in place in a workshop4 ,a kitchen should be bright1 orderly and noticeably clean1 but ,i think the less it looks like a sitting room the better4 ,wherever it is possible1 maids should have some other place to sit4 ,chairs4--,for much of the kitchen work a woman needs the reach1 muscular leverage and alertness which she gets from standing4 ,there are1 however1 some things such as preparing fruit and vegetables1 stoning raisins and beating eggs which she can do as well sitting down4 ,if the kitchen is as it should be1 a workshop1 stools are the best seats with which to furnish it4 ,they may be scrubbed1 they take up little room1 and they afford an opportunity to rest1 without an accompanying temptation to loiter4 ,sittin' back is in some places an equivalent phrase for inactive4 ,it picturesquely explains why people work more alertly sitting on stools than in chairs4 ,if the kitchen is also the maids' sitting room1 it must have comfortable chairs in it4 ,but they should be made of scrubable materials1 and cushions should be covered with wash fabrics4 ,rocking chairs are the worst possible kind for a kitchen1 they are especially irritating to the ankles and temper of the cook4 ,shelves4--,shelves are necessary for kitchen comfort4 ,they are for dishes1 crockery1 utensils which can not be hung up and for stores if one has no store closet4 ,as it is easier to have things stand one deep on shelves1 more narrow shelves will be needed than wide ones4 ,some people get along with a few shelves for the sake of having them shut in with glass doors2 others have many shelves like open book-cases and keep the pans1 dishes1 cups and bowls turned upside down4 ,stores have to be kept in tightly closed receptacles in either case4 ,most utensils are the better for being kept on open shelves or hung on hooks in the light and air4 ,that is a rare pot closet which is quite agreeable either to eye or nose4 ,shelves painted white1 or covered with white oilcloth or white paper1 are neat and pleasant to look at4 ,painted ones are probably the least care1 they have only to be occasionally washed and few things injure them4 ,plain wooden shelves ought always to be covered1 as they are easily stained and become darkened with dust4 ,a special shelf or a special place on some shelf is needed for receipt books4 ,hooks4--,each utensil which is to be hung up should have its own hook4 ,if two or three are hung on the same hook1 it is difficult to take down the undermost article4 ,rows of hooks should be so arranged that the hooks alternate instead of coming directly under each other4 ,pots and kettles which are hung up should be turned bottom outward as this protects the insides from dust4 ,the lids of pots and kettles may be easily hung up on a string stretched tightly across the inside of a closet door1 or against the wall between two hooks4 ,the handles rest on the string and hold the lids up4 ,either a roller for a hand towel or a hook on which one can be hung is a necessary fixture in the kitchen1 for a cook needs to wash her hands many times a day4 ,curtains4--,shades are necessary to modify the light and to draw at night1 but the case seems to be against curtains in the kitchen1 even against sash curtains4 ,there should be nothing at the windows to intercept light and free currents of air1 and nothing in the room anywhere which catches dust and smoke as curtains do4 ,light ,fixtures4--,light fixtures are better overhead4 ,an additional side light by the sink1 or near both sink and range when possible is a valuable convenience4 ,clock4--,a good clock should be part of the kitchen furniture for the sake of punctuality4 ,an alarm attachment which can be turned off before it has run completely down is a help to a cook's over-burdened memory4 ,if it is set for the time when the eggs will be boiled1 or the bread or a cake must be looked at1 or the meat will be roasted1 there will then be one less thing to remember and absence from the kitchen will not so invariably cause disaster4 ,an ,ornament4--,if you or the cook would like an ornament in the kitchen1 the delightful thing to have is a copy of a ,delia ,robbia terra-cotta4 ,bright coloured and washable1 like the rest of the kitchen6 ,you will laugh perhaps at the idea of carrying the matter of brightness and cleanliness so far1 but do you not know how dingy and depressing the kitchens of otherwise clean and lovely houses often are8 ,it is because things which might be cheerful coloured are dull coloured1 and because many things are half soiled for the reason that they cannot be easily washed4 ,sometimes too1 it is because nobody cares whether the kitchen is pleasant or not4 7b47 ,,utensils ,the number and size of kitchen utensils depend upon the space in which they must be kept and the number of persons in the household4 ,their quality and1 to some extent1 their number depend on what we are able to pay for them4 ,if the space for keeping utensils is small1 their number must be kept down to the minimum4 ,even with ample space1 it is well now and then to weed out superfluous or inadequate utensils1 for each adds a straw's weight to the work of the kitchen4 ,it is only a straw1 but you know what happened to the camel4 ,one woman who entertains a large family at ,thanksgiving and ,christmas1 and at other times has a household of two with an intermittent maid1 buys each year at the five and ten cent store the large utensils and serving dishes needed for the ,thanksgiving dinner4 ,she keeps them until after the ,christmas dinner1 then gives them away and returns to her usual outfit of small things4 ,perhaps you ask1 why not use the big ones all the time instead of having two sizes8 ,because they take more time1 more food1 and in the case of the serving dishes1 make a poor appearance4 ,a household which constantly changes in number needs two sizes1 one small and one large1 of each thing in frequent use4 ,of certain things there should be two or three in any kitchen2 such are1 bowls1 mixing spoons1 platters1 paring knives1 saucepans and double boilers4 ,it is well to get such things of different kinds and of graduated sizes because they are for various uses4 ,materials4--,the kitchen is prettier if all the utensils are of the same colour and in general of the same material4 ,expense and practical usefulness1 however1 must be considered before good looks4 ,if the kitchen is blue1 do not buy a bowl with a pink band round it1 a cake turner with a red handle and a brown agate pot1 when you can perfectly well get them in suitable colours4 ,on the contrary1 if the brown pot is a more convenient shape and size than a blue or white one1 get the brown one2 if a thick iron frying pan cooks food better than a white agate one1 take the iron one4 ,enamelled utensils are neat1 pretty1 seldom acted upon by chemicals in the food and are cared for more easily than those of any other material4 ,they are expensive1 but last well if they are not abused4 ,tin articles are light to handle and cheap1 but soon become discoloured and require a good deal of scouring to keep them in fair condition4 ,iron utensils are heavy1 hard to keep clean and rarely necessary4 ,pots and pans are now frequently made of aluminum4 ,it is a luxury to lift them and they are pretty1 but they are also costly and easily injured4 ,copper utensils have become rare2 their chief recommendation is beauty4 ,a ,college kitchen in ,oxford glowing with rows and rows of copper platters and dish covers and pots and kettles remains in my memory as a glory and a splendour4 ,but1 my stars6 what generations of scourers have toiled to see their crooked images appear in those red-gold surfaces6 ,copper articles have a disadvantage beyond requiring much care4 ,if used for food they should be tin lined and the lining kept in good condition1 for sometimes chemicals in food form a poisonous combination with the copper4 ,our ancestors did not have to worry about copper pots4 ,when they were poisoned1 they drowned a witch or went on a pilgrimage1 and recovered or not according to their constitutions4 ,wooden conveniences for the kitchen1 such as rolling pins and pastry boards are also gradually giving place to those made of other materials1 for the reason that they are less cleanly and less cool than articles made of glass or metal4 ,selection4--,the cook's personal preferences should be considered whenever kitchen utensils are bought4 ,many housewives consult their cooks before purchasing new articles4 ,i know one who sends the cook to the shop to do the purchasing4 ,that such thoughtfulness and care are not always exercised is evidenced by the fact that some excellent cooks own a number of cooking utensils themselves because they do not find them in the kitchens in which they work1 and can seldom persuade their mistresses to buy them4 ,the most satisfactory way to get a kitchen outfit is to buy a few things at a time4 ,they will in this way be more carefully selected1 the expense will not fall heavily on one week or on one month or even on one year1 and there will be things new and old4 ,to have all new things is only a little less inconvenient than to have all old things4 ,to give a list of appliances most necessary for the kitchen is to make every one who reads it wish to improve it4 ,that may be a good reason for giving it4 ,be that as it may1 here is such a list3 ,a teakettle ,a dishpan ,a frying pan ,a coffee pot ,a tea pot ,a broiler ,a colander ,a meat chopper ,a pail ,a pastry board ,a rolling pin #c mixing bowls ,a meat pan ,a pudding dish ,a bread board ,a bread knife #b and #c qt4 saucepans #b and #c qt4 double boilers ,a cake tin #c tins for layer cake #c bread tins ,a cake turner ,a can opener ,a lemon squeezer ,a corkscrew ,a fine-wire strainer ,a potato masher ,an egg beater ,a nutmeg grater ,a graduated quart measure ,a graduated pint measure ,a few spoons of different sizes ,a few plates1 cups and saucers ,a cake box ,a bread box ,tin boxes or ,glass jars for flour1 meal1 sugar1 coffee1 etc4 ,a scrubbing brush ,a sink strainer ,a soap shaker ,a holder for scouring soap ,a whisk for dish washing ,a pin cushion which can be hung up ,a memorandum pad which can be hung up #c pie plates #b jelly moulds ,an apple corer ,a few knives and forks ,a large wooden spoon ,a large agate spoon ,a knife for potatoes ,a large tray ,a salt box ,a pepper box ,a flour dredger #a doz4 dish towels #f scrub cloths #b pudding cloths #f cloths for pots and pans ,scissors ,does it seem a very long list8 ,you would not cook one day in a kitchen fitted with these things without thinking of something else you would like to have4 ,this is an austere list4 ,it contains none of the luxuries which one's heart desires1 such as tongs for hulling strawberries4 ,care4--,pots and pans require thorough washing and wiping4 ,wash them with a brush1 good hot soapsuds1 and occasional applications of a scouring soap4 ,wipe them with squares of cheese cloth or old flour and sugar bags washed and hemmed for the purpose4 ,these cloths are better than finer or heavier ones for they take up water quickly and are no great loss if they are darkened by tin or iron utensils4 ,the dishcloth is the poorest thing with which to wipe pots and pans1 for it cannot possibly be free from soap and grease4 ,scouring soap is not intended for direct application4 ,a brush or cloth should first be rubbed on the soap1 then on the article to be scoured4 ,only utensils made of iron may be scraped4 ,such treatment quickly defaces and wears out other substances4 ,scraping may be entirely avoided if every utensil is filled with water as soon as it is no longer needed in cooking4 ,very greasy things should be filled with warm water and kept warm4 ,if a pot has been burned put a tablespoonful of washing-soda into it and fill it with water4 ,set it away for a day or a night1 or for both1 and at the end of the time no scraping will be necessary to get it clean4 ,this must not be done if the pot is made of aluminum1 in that case1 soak the pot without soda4 ,stains may usually be removed from aluminum pots with silver-soap4 ,whitening such pots with acids is not a very wise thing to do4 ,the better way is to reserve them for delicate uses1 they will then not become seriously discoloured4 ,do not wash articles made of wood in water in which other things have been washed1 for wood absorbs grease4 ,nor is it well to scour them with a brush or a soap coarse enough to roughen their surfaces4 ,iron pots and pans cannot be scrubbed too vigorously4 ,scrub the frying pan until the inside feels like wet1 black satin2 it is then truly clean4 ,both powdered pumice-stone and salt are good for scouring iron or tin articles which are smoked or stained4 ,unless precautions are taken1 food fried or baked in new pans will stick to them1 and will not brown4 ,a new iron frying pan should be scrubbed hard with soap and sand or ashes1 and should then have water boiled in it4 ,new cake and bread tins should be scoured1 greased and baked4 ,if you find that the kettle is becoming encrusted with lime from the water1 boil vinegar in it4 ,this quickly removes the encrustation if it has not been allowed to grow thick before the attempt is made4 ,a careful housewife does not wash coffee pots and tea pots in dish water4 ,she empties them1 rinses them1 scours them a little if they need it1 rinses them again1 scalds them and finally wipes them dry4 ,the care of some kitchen contrivances begins before they are bought4 ,that is1 when buying such articles as potato mashers1 egg beaters and their like1 notice whether they have intricacies which will be hard to keep clean4 ,do not be dazzled by the marvellous mashing or beating performed by a demonstrator1 but take the thing in your own hand and see whether it is smooth and simple1 and whether there is a way in which it can be easily washed4 ,it can be said of kitchen dish washing even more emphatically than of pantry dish washing1 that going into it up to one's neck is no virtue2 better keep out of it as much as possible4 ,to make the work easy1 to divest it of disgust1 and even to find satisfaction in doing it1 are evidences of skill and cleverness4 ,if one does not take the satisfaction in making things clean previously referred to1 or if one has not pleasant thoughts to think while washing pots1 then one may pass the time like a rhythmic black mammie and croon and croon a tune which has no end4 ,x ,,the ,,cellar1 ,,fires1 ,,plumbing1 ,,etc4 ,,it ,,is more healthful to have a cellar--a clean cellar--under a house than not to have one4 ,and why8 ,soil has air in it4 ,sometimes it is good air1 sometimes bad air4 ,the soil newly turned up in the fields gives off a fragrance of its own4 ,the earth thrown out on the city pavement by a man looking for a leak in a drain gives off an odour which makes one hurry one's steps4 ,the soil under a house gives off vapours and gases in the same way1 good or bad according to location4 ,inasmuch as we cannot watch the air under the house as we can that in a room and would not always know its quality if we could1 it has been found better to dig out a chamber under the house and line it with stones or cement1 or even leave it just a hole in the earth into which air can be admitted4 ,for this allows a circulation of upper air under the house which is safer to have there than air from the soil4 ,the more we can shut out the breath of the soil in towns and cities the better1 for such soil is full of drains and gas pipes1 and the dirt of streets and crowded houses1 and sometimes has buried in it cess-pools and leaking sewers4 ,unpleasant to think of8 ,yes1 but the thought does very well as a spur to make one keep the cellar clean and dry4 ,a cellar sealed with cement is the best kind1 because the soil-air is shut out unless there comes a crack in the cement4 ,walls of stone laid in cement are good but not so good1 and brick walls are not nearly so good4 ,stones are a little porous and bricks very porous4 ,sooner or later moisture comes through either4 ,in the country one often sees cellars with hard earth floors and they are fairly sanitary as long as the soil surrounding the house is used only for cleanly purposes4 ,but before plumbing is put into the house or a sewer into the neighbourhood the cellar should be cemented4 ,i have seen cellar windows which would not open4 ,they ought to open easily and one at least should be opened for a while every day that it is not snowing or raining4 ,they ought also1 to be kept as clean as other windows are1 for light is necessary to the healthfulness of the cellar4 ,have the window openings covered with wire netting1 strong enough on the one hand and fine enough on the other to exclude cats and flies4 ,every cellar without any exception whatever should be white4 ,white6 ,they may be painted white or whitewashed white4 ,there are also substances of the nature of calcimine which are somewhat crystalline1 and are therefore especially good for whitening dark cellars4 ,whitewash is often decried because it rubs off upon things which touch it and also because flakes of it fall upon the floor and into uncovered receptacles4 ,if a little size or thin glue is put into whitewash its objectionableness in these ways is much lessened1 and comes to weigh little against its excellent recommendations2 it is purifying1 it destroys the eggs of insects1 it is inexpensive and it requires no special skill to apply it4 ,there are a few words on this last point in the chapter on housecleaning4 ,whatever is done to the cellar walls should be done over again once or twice a year4 ,there is much dust1 much dampness and much need for more cleanliness even in the cleanest cellars4 ,it is more convenient if the cellar is divided into rooms1 that food and stores of various kinds may be kept separate from the furnace and the fuel4 ,if this is not possible1 the next best thing is to have the coalbin enclosed1 for the coal makes the worst of the cellar dirt4 ,there should be a window in the coalbin through which the coal can be put in4 ,one needs shelves in the cellar and receptacles for vegetables4 ,the shelves are better fastened to supports attached to the ceiling than put against the walls4 ,there are then no cracks and corners1 for dust1 and the shelves are removed from the possible dampness of the wall4 ,some people advocate the building of bins for vegetables4 ,this is probably advisable if one must store many4 ,for keeping only a few1 neat boxes or baskets which may be moved about1 are better4 ,if one keeps food in the cellar1 a cupboard or safe made of wire netting is a convenience4 ,it should stand on legs which raise it two or three feet off the floor4 ,if preserves and jellies are kept in the cellar1 it is desirable to have a cupboard more completely enclosed than the safe1 to protect them from dust1 quick changes of temperature and dampness4 ,shelves1 cupboards1 bins and partitions should be as white as the walls4 ,the housewife pays a visit to the cellar now and then with no errand except to look at it4 ,the survey may give her housewifely satisfaction1 and it may give her something to do or to have done4 ,she should go with nose alert and eye keen4 ,is there any odour noticeable beyond that slight unavoidable cellar smell8 ,if there is1 is it a spoiled sweet potato1 or clam1 or a working jar of canned fruit1 or--what8 ,find it2 never rest while there is an objectionable smell in the cellar4 ,is there a damp spot on walls or floor8 ,if there is the cause must be found and put an end to4 ,if there is one near the place where the waste pipes leave the house which cannot be accounted for1 send for a plumber4 ,is there any article out of its place8 ,is there any pile of things which might be looked over and in part thrown away8 ,is there any rubbish8 ,is the wood piled evenly8 ,is the coalbin swept up8 ,are the vegetables in boxes or bins and not on the floor or in corners8 ,are there cobwebs8 ,does the floor need sweeping8 ,are the windows clean and some of them open8 ,if1 in spite of everything one can do1 the cellar smells a little musty1 some unslacked lime put in a box on the floor will help it4 ,in a cellar with an earth floor it is well sometimes to sprinkle lime in the corners and in out-of-the-way places where it will not be walked upon4 ,things which must stand permanently in the cellar are the better for having racks to stand upon4 ,barrels1 ashcans1 kerosene cans and cases containing bottles sometimes ooze moisture1 sometimes absorb moisture from the floor2 their bottoms thus become sodden and mouldy4 ,slats nailed on cross-pieces and laid on the floor for such things to stand upon1 make the cellar and its contents more cleanly and more dry4 ,they are a contrivance of great use and simply obtained4 ,it is1 of course1 pleasant to have them made by a carpenter1 but three discarded bedslats nailed on the flat sides of some short pieces of floor joist make a rack that will hold two barrels1 and small racks can be made in a few minutes from the boards of a box cover nailed on the cleats that have held the box together4 ,when the cellar floor is swept be sure to use something1 preferably not water1 to lay the dust4 ,this is especially necessary when the furnace is in use4 ,dampened sawdust is good for this purpose4 ,,the ,,plumbing ,before settling down to live in a place1 one should know where the water supply comes from1 and where waste water goes4 ,if the water supply in a city or town comes from a far away stream or an artesian well1 and the health of the community is fairly good1 one may rest content4 ,if1 however1 the water is notably or probably polluted1 one should boil or at least filter water for drinking and cooking and in every way possible safeguard the family health from this source of danger4 ,a sewerage system which does not carry the waste a long distance away from any dwelling is not a very good system4 ,if one must depend upon such a system it is well to do and say everything possible to have it improved4 ,if you live in a country place and must depend on a surface well for water1 you must guard it4 ,have it cleaned at regular intervals2 have the cover or platform over the mouth such that no creatures can get in1 nor water or dust fall through2 allow no rubbish nor waste water to be thrown near it2 keep it well pumped off and see that pigpens1 barnyards1 poultryyards and closets are as far off as possible4 ,the custom of keeping butter or other food cool by hanging it down the well is picturesque1 but ,i can think of no other recommendation of the practice4 ,keep everything out of the well from frogs to custard pies4 ,certain very simple natural laws have been taken advantage of in getting water in and out of houses4 ,it is an old axiom that water will not run up hill1 and one would not expect it to run up a house1 but another old axiom saves us from carrying rivers upstairs in pails--namely1 water seeks its level4 ,illustration ,if water is poured into a ,u-shaped tube1 it will stand just as high in one side of the ,u as in the other1 will it not8 ,when a house is supplied with water from a spring on the side of a hill1 we have a big irregular ,u-tube like this dotted line4 ,as even the garret of this house is lower than the spring1 the water will have force when it comes from the pipes1 that is1 it could yet go higher because it has not run as far up in the ,u on the house side1 as it is on the spring side4 ,sometimes1 as we approach a town1 we see a water tower on a hill1 or a tall iron stand-pipe4 ,they are one side of a ,u in a water system4 ,water is pumped into the tower or the stand-pipe1 then it runs into the houses of the town through many pipes which are the other side of the ,u4 ,there is a library of books one may read about this ,u performance--its relation to other laws1 its limitations and the thousand uses to which it has been put4 ,but all there is to the simple1 extraordinary fact1 can be seen in a bent glass tube which you can hold in your hand4 ,the side of the ,u which comes into a town is no longer one pipe but many water mains in streets and multitudes of little pipes in each house4 ,these last are part of the house plumbing4 ,a plan of the house with the position of all the pipes indicated should be one of the housekeeper's possessions4 ,she may not be able to do much about disordered plumbing--in fact1 she had better not try to do much2 it is not a safe direction for amateur effort--but such a plan is of use to workmen who come to do jobs in the house1 and it may keep some zealous husband or brother from driving a nail into a gas pipe in an effort to hang a picture4 ,water is frequently got out of the house by giving it a good start and then letting it run down according to its nature4 ,waste pipes are as far as possible perpendicular1 and the start is given the water by the weight of a basin or a tubful1 or by the sudden emptying of the tank of the closet4 ,that principle of the ,u1 however1 is used also in the disposal of waste water4 ,it is the principle on which many traps are constructed4 ,traps are contrivances for closing the connection between a house and the public sewer4 ,if you have an imagination1 or if you will read ,victor ,hugo's description of the ,paris sewers in ,les ,misrables as a help to imagination1 it will not be necessary to explain why this connection should be closed4 ,illustration ,to make a trap with what is known as a water-seal1 the ,u pipe is turned into an ,s fallen forward1 symbol s fallen forward4 ,under the basin in the bathroom one can see the waste pipe and can imagine where the water is inside4 ,it flows out of the basin into the first loop of the ,s1 rises into and flows over the other loop until the basin and pipe are emptied as far as a4 ,the water has then no power to force itself beyond the loop b1 and stays in the first loop1 forming a water seal between the sewer and the outlet of the basin4 ,through that loop water gases and odours cannot come1 and across the loop at b1 impure substances and water cannot force their way back from a lower level4 ,it is well to rinse a basin1 sink or tub after it is used1 and one must be particular that the closet flushes generously1 for the water left in the loop should be clean water4 ,if one merely allows the water from tub or basin to sink through the outlet some of that water remains in the loop1 and it is water which contains impurities washed from clothes or bodies4 ,you see the practice of rinsing bathtubs and basins has more in it even than courtesy4 ,occasionally1 clean1 hot1 strong suds should be emptied down basins1 tubs1 sinks and closets and allowed to stand in the loop1 as this cleanses the pipe from impurities or grease which may have adhered to its sides4 ,disinfectant may be used in the same way when it is thought to be needed4 ,strong disinfectant should not be left long in a trap as it may eat the joints or even the substance of the pipes4 ,on the other hand1 in judging the quantity to use1 allowance must be made for the fact that disinfectant poured down pipes goes into water1 into a good deal of water in the case of the closet4 ,illustration ,two things sometimes make traps ineffectual4 ,one is that the loop may not be deep enough4 ,an ,s like this1 for instance1 is useless4 ,so much water can flow out that an air passage is left at a1 and the pipe is not sealed4 ,the other thing is that sometimes the suction of water rushing down from an upper story will draw the water out of the traps it passes on the way4 ,either of these difficulties can only be remedied by an alteration in the plumbing arrangements4 ,the concern of the housekeeper in the matter is not to rest if the waste pipes give off the least odour1 and to get as reliable a person as possible to inspect them4 ,to have good plumbing is worth going without much4 ,in truth1 it is the last thing in which to exercise economy4 ,in building a new house1 it is better to have no rugs1 no table-linen1 and to leave two rooms unfurnished or unbuilt than to put in cheap plumbing4 ,besides the traps under basins1 sinks1 etc41 there is usually a trap wherever a drain-pipe runs out of the house to the street sewer4 ,this doubles the protection4 ,these traps are sometimes outside the foundation wall1 sometimes in the wall and occasionally inside the cellar4 ,one should know where they are in case anything is the matter with them1 and also in order that one may not put up a shelf for milk1 or a bin for potatoes directly over the spot where a trap is4 ,drainage systems always have to be ventilated4 ,a pipe which extends out of the roof of the house1 or runs up the side beyond the eaves1 or comes up from the foundation or the lawn with a hood over it1 is a ventilator for the drainage4 ,they help to make the air pressure right in the pipes and they prevent the gathering of foul explosive gases4 ,as they are vents for such things1 one does not want them close to a roof window1 nor under a veranda1 nor anywhere except in the open upper air4 ,ashes and ,garbage4--,to say that only liquid substances should be poured down waste-pipes seems a needless repetition of what everybody knows1 yet it is knowledge constantly disregarded and sometimes forgotten even by careful people4 ,waste substances not suitable for the pipes have to be somewhat classified4 ,cities and towns have different regulations for the disposal of waste and sometimes one is required to do a good deal of sorting in compliance4 ,there are1 however1 three general classes of waste2 ashes1 garbage and trash4 ,nothing should be put into ashcans except ashes4 ,garbage is the waste from food1 or any substances which are wet or subject to decomposition4 ,trash is papers1 cans1 bottles1 egg shells1 glass1 hair1 dust1 broken objects of all sorts and kindred things4 ,this class may have to be subdivided several times for the convenience of people who remove it1 but the three main divisions in house waste are made not on account of requirement but for the sake of neatness and decency4 ,for all these things it is preferable to have covered cans2 for garbage it is necessary4 ,in a house1 ashcans will usually be kept in the cellar convenient to the furnace4 ,trash receptacles can be kept there also4 ,they should be covered1 and large enough to hold the trash without spilling4 ,garbage cans should be kept outside the house if possible4 ,often a little place can be built for them close to the back door1 enclosed in an area or on a back porch4 ,such an enclosure needs some means of ventilation and should be periodically scrubbed1 then disinfected with chloride of lime or some such thing4 ,in flats or apartments1 where the garbage can must be kept in the kitchen1 it is a good plan to wrap the garbage in many thicknesses of newspaper and put these bundles into the can4 ,when this method is employed the can is less unpleasant and less difficult to clean4 ,this cleaning is disagreeable work but it must be done or the can will become exceedingly offensive4 ,one is fortunate if such work may be done out of doors4 ,first rinse the can with cold water and1 if necessary1 assist the process with a wad of newspaper tied on a stick4 ,pour the rinse-water on the ground or through a sink strainer4 ,then pour into the can a liberal allowance of hot water and put some strong washing powder into it4 ,rub the sides and bottom of the can with an old brush or broom kept for the purpose4 ,pour out the water1 rinse the can with clean water and ammonia and begin its usefulness again by putting into it the contents of the sink-strainer or the scraps that you gather off the ground where the first rinse-water was poured4 ,the disposal of various forms of house waste in country places usually requires more care and attention than the same matter in cities and town4 ,one gets little outside help1 and the customary methods are often untidy and unsanitary4 ,water may be poured on grass or flower beds or on the ground1 if one is careful not to put it in the same place with any frequency4 ,soapy water thrown on garden paths will help to keep the weeds from growing4 ,water from an ice-cream freezer is good for the same purpose4 ,wash water1 or water carried down from bedrooms should never be thrown on a vegetable garden4 ,one cannot be sure that the earth1 and the air1 and the rain will take up the impurities soon enough to keep the vegetables from being contaminated4 ,some garbage can be buried2 some can be burned4 ,a weekly bonfire is an excellent thing in places where there is no regular means for disposing of waste4 ,into it can go most of the trash and some of the garbage in the shape of vegetable husks and parings1 and other things not very moist4 ,a little care on the part of the housewife will make an outdoor closet an entirely sanitary convenience4 ,it should be made as cleanly as possible inside and out by means of paint or calcimine1 and frequent scrubbing of all its wooden fittings4 ,one of these fittings should be a good-sized box with a scoop or fire shovel to go with it4 ,this box should be kept filled with earth--not ashes--of which a liberal quantity should be put down the closet whenever it has been used4 ,an earth closet1 as it is called1 if carefully looked after1 is never offensive4 ,no waste water should ever be emptied down such a closet1 and depth should not be obtained by digging out the ground under the building1 because rain water will gather in the depression thus made4 ,the interior of the closet should be shallow and earth-covered4 ,these two characteristics make frequent removals of the contents necessary2 this is troublesome but sanitary4 ,,fires ,to make and manage fires one must understand them4 ,they are simple and easy to understand1 but they are also capable of giving a person who is unacquainted with their ways great trouble and anxiety4 ,a ,wood ,fire4--,a wood fire on the hearth is the simplest one in a house4 ,can you make it8 ,one must have in the first place1 a hearth1 a flue and a draught4 ,the hearth is merely a place in the floor laid with stone or brick to put the fire on4 ,a flue is a chimney or a part of a chimney over the hearth to carry off the smoke and to increase the draught4 ,the desperate aborigine who sprang up weeping and choking with smoke and chopped a hole in his new bark roof1 discovered that it not only let out the smoke but made the fire burn better4 ,it made a draught4 ,the draught is the air that draws up the chimney4 ,it is caused chiefly by the fact that warm air rises4 ,the air in a room draws up the chimney if it is warmer than outside air1 and when a fire is lighted and the air at the bottom of the chimney becomes very hot1 it draws up hard and quickly4 ,sometimes when a fire smokes people say1 ,the chimney is cold1 that is1 the chimney is so cold that the hot air ascending becomes chilled and heavy before it reaches the top of the chimney1 and does not draw out hard and quickly enough to make a strong draught4 ,so the smoke stays down instead of going up1 and the fire does not burn well4 ,the remedy is to burn as much paper and light1 dry wood on the hearth as you can until the chimney is warmed a little4 ,if there are a hearth1 a flue and a draught1 the next thing to observe is whether there are ashes on the hearth from a former fire4 ,if there are a few1 brush them together into a neat1 flat pile under the flue and against the back of the chimney4 ,if there are many1 remove some1 but never all unless you do not expect to have a fire again for a long time4 ,ashes hold heat4 ,they are soon warmed by the new fire1 and help to keep the coals hot4 ,just as a cozy keeps heat in a tea pot and a fur coat keeps heat in you4 ,place the andirons straight and close enough together to support the average length of the wood4 ,if one can get a big heavy piece of wood1 that should first be put in at the back of the hearth4 ,on the bed of ashes between the andirons or on the bare hearth put paper crushed into soft balls4 ,if the kindling is little sticks1 lay the fire by the pig-sty method4 ,that is1 on the soft paper balls lay two little sticks parallel with the andirons1 then two more little sticks with their ends crossing the ends of the first pair1 keep on doing this1 laying the sticks first in one direction then in the other until the sty is two or three rails high4 ,then lay two larger sticks in an ,x on the top and the fire is ready for lighting4 ,if the kindling is blocks and shavings scatter them loosely over the paper balls1 keeping it all in a small space but not packing or crushing it together in the very least4 ,when we light a fire or blow a fire1 we do so from the bottom because it is the draught sweeping up through the fuel which makes it ignite and burn4 ,the fuel should therefore be laid loosely with many cracks and holes for air4 ,the advantage of making paper into balls is that one cannot pack balls closely4 ,light the fire from a light or from another fire or with a match4 ,this is the shortest and simplest act in fire making1 but the most extraordinary4 ,it would take some one wiser than three philosophers1 four scientists and twelve owls to tell you what the flame is which springs up on the hearth4 ,a springing flame has remained through all time such a mystery and wonder1 that the poet1 the musician and the devotee have woven it into rhythm1 and music1 and worship--and what is more1 a boy and a fox terrier will keep still before it for half an hour4 ,when the fire is lighted1 first the paper burns easily and quickly1 then the small pieces of kindling light more slowly and burn more slowly1 and from them the small pieces of wood light yet more slowly and burn yet longer1 and when they are really burning one may put on the ordinary sticks1 leaving always cracks between for the air and flames to draw through4 ,three sticks are needed to keep a good fire2 a heavy one at the back1 in front of it a stick almost burned through and a fresh one4 ,the person who lays the fire1 unless she is expert1 should light it4 ,there is no way of learning how to lay it1 nor of finding out the peculiarities of the fireplace and the fuel1 except by seeing how the fire acts when it is lighted4 ,a ,coal ,fire4--,the coal fire in the kitchen in no way differs in principle from the wood fire on the hearth4 ,the arrangements for it1 though1 are different4 ,a range or a stove holds the fire instead of the hearthstone4 ,the smoke and draught1 instead of going directly up the flue1 are led to it by a stove pipe4 ,the draught must get into the stove in order to go up through the fire into the chimney4 ,the reason that a fire in a stove is more difficult to understand is that we have several contrivances for regulating and utilizing the heat4 ,most of these are called draughts or dampers4 ,one knows from the words what they are for2 the draughts let in draught at the bottom of the fire1 the dampers in some way damp the ardour of the fire4 ,stoves or ranges even of the same make are rarely exactly alike1 but one can learn to manage the draughts and dampers in a few minutes' examination by keeping in mind the fixed principle that a stream of air enters under the fire1 flows through the fire and passes out through the chimney4 ,that to make the fire hot1 we do our utmost to remove obstructions from the stream2 that to deaden the fire1 we obstruct the stream as much as we can4 ,if we want the range hotter1 we open a door or slide open some slits which will let in air underneath the fire1 and we open the damper in the stove pipe1 that is we make as much passage-way for draught through the pipe as we can4 ,if we want the range less hot1 we let in air on top of the fire1 and shut the pipe damper1 that is1 the space for the draught to go up the pipe is made smaller and air coming in on top of the fire meets and checks air coming from underneath4 ,the terms used in regard to regulating fires are confusing4 ,when people say open the draughts1 they mean let the stream of air flow unobstructed1 but it is often accomplished by shutting something1 such as the slits at the top of the fire1 and any opening in the stove pipe4 ,the reverse is also true4 ,shutting the draughts means obstructing the stream of air1 and often requires opening places which let in air going in a contrary direction to the regular draught1 such as1 openings in the pipe and at the top of the fire4 ,this is the reason that it is better to get the principle of the draught thoroughly in mind and then work the dampers and draughts in accord with it1 rather than to follow blindly directions which may utterly mislead4 ,pipe dampers are sometimes inside the pipe with only a little handle outside4 ,such a damper is a circle of iron with a small hole in the middle4 ,when the handle is vertical1 the circle is vertical and the pipe is open4 ,when the handle is horizontal1 the circle is horizontal1 and the pipe closed except for the small hole in the circle4 ,besides dampers which regulate the amount of heat1 there are oven dampers which regulate its direction4 ,an oven damper is a contrivance by which heat is directed over or under or around the oven4 ,when the oven is to be used1 the heat is directed there2 when it is not1 the heat is allowed to concentrate elsewhere4 ,these oven contrivances are not usually visible1 and are worked by a handle on the outside of the stove4 ,sometimes directions for moving the handle are on it2 if not1 one must experiment to find out what happens4 ,no one can cook with any certainty until she thoroughly understands the stove or range used4 ,this is best done by making it work2 opening everything which will open1 turning everything which will turn1 finding out what everything is for1 taking things apart and putting them together again with 'satiable curiosity4 ,if one does this before the fire is lighted1 and then lights the fire1 there will be few mysteries left unsolved4 ,though the principles to be remembered in lighting a coal fire in a stove are the same as those which govern the lighting of the wood fire on the hearth1 there are some variations in the process and some additional acts to perform4 ,if there are ashes in the stove they must be dumped and removed4 ,they cannot warm the coals as in the hearth fire1 and if left under the grate they obstruct the draught4 ,the fire maker is fortunate if the grate of the stove is so constructed that the ashes may be dumped4 ,if this is not the case the grate must be shaken until it is empty4 ,that as little dust as possible may come out into the room1 close all the openings in the stove before beginning to shake the grate and do not open them again until a few minutes after the shaking is over4 ,lay in the grate of the stove a wood fire like the one on the hearth3 balls of paper1 loose kindling1 larger sticks crossed1 and all with many cracks between4 ,but in addition sprinkle over the top a fire-shovelful of coal4 ,be generous with kindling and wood3 it takes strong heat to ignite coal4 ,just before lighting the fire see that the stream of air is unobstructed2 all the openings at the bottom of the fire open1 all the openings at the top shut1 the pipe unobstructed1 and the heat directed away from the oven4 ,light the fire from below2 this is often most easily accomplished by crushing up a sheet of newspaper1 putting it under the grate and lighting it4 ,when the sticks are really burning1 put on another shovelful of coal and as soon as this begins to ignite1 put on two more4 ,much coal put on at a time smothers the fire4 ,in spite of frequent and terrible accidents people persist in lighting fires with kerosene4 ,it is more sensible never to do it1 but if you sometimes do1 at least do it in a sensible way1 that is1 soak wood or paper in the oil and put it into the grate1 then lay the fire as usual4 ,never1 never bring the oil can near the range at any time or for any purpose4 ,almost invariably the use of oil to light the fire is an indication of laziness or ignorance4 ,it is more economical of time and fuel to keep the kitchen fire over than to let it out every night4 ,in a good stove1 fire which is properly raked and cared for can be kept week after week1 month after month1 just as it can be kept in a furnace4 ,the daily care required by a coal fire is outlined below3 ,at night1 the fire should be thoroughly raked and coal enough put on to last until after breakfast4 ,leave the draughts open a few minutes until the gas has burned off1 then shut them for the night4 ,the first thing in the morning1 open all the draughts and get the fire well up4 ,it ought not be necessary to put on coal4 ,after breakfast1 rake the fire thoroughly1 put on coal and empty the ashes4 ,after luncheon put on as much coal as will be necessary to produce a good fire at dinner time4 ,when a hot fire is needed for many hours feed it with a few coals at a time2 this will not deaden the fire and yet will keep it from burning out4 ,a fire which shows red underneath and has a few black coals on top is in a healthy condition4 ,as soon as all the coals are red the heat begins to wane4 ,the ,furnace ,fire4--,the ability to run the kitchen fire will enable the housewife to tend the furnace occasionally4 ,if1 however1 she wishes to care for it regularly1 she will need to seek instruction from some competent person who can show her the use of the particular draughts1 gauges1 thermometers and other indicators by which the fire and the steam or water are regulated4 ,a skilled person's aim in managing a furnace is perfect regularity4 ,necessary care should be given it every day at the same hours1 and the fire should be kept as far as possible in the same condition4 ,it is injurious to the fire and to the furnace to attend to it too often or not often enough2 and the house will never be evenly heated if the fire is first allowed to get very low and is then urged to an unusual height4 ,stoves1 furnaces and chimneys need occasional cleaning4 ,furnaces should be cleaned when the fire is let out in the spring1 and carefully looked over in the fall by a competent man4 ,ranges which are not used in the summer should be treated in the same way4 ,other ranges should be cleaned and looked over once a year4 ,at some time when the kitchen fire is out the inside of the stove should be swept1 and the dust removed through an opening for the purpose in the back or side of the stove4 ,about once a year all the flues in the house ought to be cleaned4 ,this is for two reasons1 one1 because the soot with which they become coated is a non-conductor of heat and keeps the chimneys from warming quickly2 the other1 because soot is inflamable4 ,when we say a chimney is on fire1 we mean that the soot on the inside is burning4 ,it makes a terrifying roar1 but don't stop to listen to it4 ,shut all the openings in the stove4 ,throw salt on the fire4 ,if there is a fireplace instead of a stove at the bottom of the chimney close the opening in some way4 ,this may sometimes be done with a rug or a thick newspaper held tightly stretched over the opening of the chimney4 ,it must cover the whole opening and must not be allowed to draw in on the fire4 ,the point is to keep the air from rushing up the chimney to feed the fire4 ,this is done by shutting out the air and by sending up gas from the burning salt which is inimical to fire4 ,gas ,range4--,a gas range is a much simpler matter from a mechanical point of view than one in which coal is burned4 ,there is little to do except keep it clean4 ,it is lighted as any gas burner is lighted1 though preferably with a taper instead of a match1 for in that case your hand is not near enough to be burned by the first leap of the flame4 ,fix firmly in mind which one of the little cocks supplies each burner1 and also that the cocks turn to the left to supply the gas1 to the right to turn it off4 ,if when a burner is lighted1 it burns back with a roaring noise1 turn the gas off and wait a moment or two before lighting it again4 ,it will then light in the usual way4 ,the iron sheet under the top burners needs washing about once in two days1 oftener if anything is spilled or boils over into it4 ,more occasionally the burners should be washed and the holes all made clear with a wire or a broom straw4 ,it does not hurt any part of a gas range to wash it2 it does it good4 ,some people prefer not to black their ranges4 ,the loss in appearance is made up for in the comfort of not having the range rub off black on hands or cloths4 ,the rack and drip pans for broiling must be washed every time they are used2 otherwise1 the grease left on them will smell and smoke and sometimes catch fire if the oven burners are lighted4 ,it is well to rub the grease off the grate and the drip pan with a paper while they are still hot1 it makes them easier to wash4 ,sometimes the fat in this drip-pan catches fire while the broiling is yet going on4 ,usually people draw out the pan and blow out the blaze1 but this is dangerous4 ,milk poured directly on the flame with a big spoon will quench it4 ,,light ,,and ,,water ,watch the bills which come in for light and water4 ,if they vary considerably and for no discoverable cause1 or if they seem unreasonably large1 have some one come and see if there are leaks1 if the metres register correctly1 and if they have been correctly read and the bills made in accordance with the readings4 ,light bills naturally increase from ,june to ,december and decrease from ,december to ,june4 ,they will be larger in a stormy month than in a bright one1 and in an apartment with dark rooms than in one without4 ,water bills will be larger if the washing is done in the house than if it is not4 ,both light and water bills will be somewhat larger if the number of people in the household is increased4 ,these things and any other household changes must be considered in accounting for variations in light and water bills4 ,the cost of both these commodities can usually be kept within bounds by avoiding waste1 such as burning a reading light by which no one is reading1 or five lights in the ceiling1 two of which would not be missed1 or neglecting to turn off range burners until five or ten minutes after the cooking is finished1 or leaving faucets half turned on1 or running the tub and basin over every time they are used4 ,sometimes a reasonable carefulness in such things saves the necessity of stricter economy4 ,the man who comes to read your gas1 water or electric metres will usually be willing to teach you how to read them1 if you ask as if you wanted information and not as if you wanted to catch him in a mistake4 ,i might say here that plumbers1 carpenters and furnace men if approached in the same way often prove very instructive4 ,they are human1 and can rarely resist the treat of giving information when the chance is offered to them4 ,one can learn a great quantity of useful mechanics from them1 besides things about their wives and children1 both amusing and edifying4 ,these are pictures of a gas-metre at the beginning and end of a month4 ,illustration ,the hands on the dials move in the directions the arrows indicate4 ,read the number last passed by the hand on each dial1 beginning with the one farthest to the left and add two ciphers4 x reads #egfjj2 y reads #fchjj4 ,the difference is the amount of gas used in the month4 ,if you cannot take the two ciphers on faith1 there is another way of reading the metre4 ,observe the words over each dial4 ,dial c is in the hundreds moving toward #a thousand1 it therefore reads #fjj4 ,dial b is in the thousands moving toward #aj thousand1 and therefore reads #gjjj4 ,dial a is in the ten thousands moving toward #ajj thousand1 and therefore reads #ej1jjj4 ,together they amount to #eg1fjj1 the number obtained by the other method4 ,this is the picture of an electric metre3 ,illustration ,to read the metre3 ,each hand moves in the direction indicated by the arrows4 ,read the figure that the hand has actually passed1 beginning with the dial to the left4 #gee ,k4 ,w4's ,subtract last month's reading from this reading and the difference will be the amount consumed4 ,viz3 #gee #gbf ---- #bi ,k4 ,w4's4 ,the dials here are a simpler arrangement1 as they merely represent the usual numeration--units1 tens1 hundreds1 thousands4 ,this metre is in an especially instructive condition1 because the #a1jjj's dial gives no reading4 ,the hand has not yet reached #a4 ,,the ,,refrigerator ,a refrigerator serves its purpose better if it is placed in a pantry or on an enclosed porch4 ,if it must be put in the kitchen1 it should have the place farthest from the fire4 ,the drain pipe of the refrigerator1 which carries off the water from the melting ice1 sometimes empties into a pan1 sometimes connects with other pipes which carry the water out of the house4 ,it should never connect with the other drainage of the house1 nor lead to any well or sewer which receives other drainage4 ,no traps or plumbing contrivances are perfect enough to protect food which is shut up closely with the opening of a pipe connecting even remotely with the drainage system4 ,properly the drain pipe of the refrigerator should empty into an open basin or sink in the cellar1 which in turn drains off into the ground4 ,the next point of importance after the disposal of its drainage1 is to keep the refrigerator clean4 ,guard against spilling things on its shelves1 wash the ice before it is put in1 if it is not clean1 and do not keep in it things with a strong or penetrating smell--,an innocent dish of cold-slaw unthinkingly put into the refrigerator produces an odour which will startle the person who next opens the door4 ,a refrigerator needs cleaning once or twice a week4 ,it should not be cleaned oftener than is necessary because cleaning wastes the cold4 ,for this same reason wash it with cold water unless something greasy has been spilled in it1 and never leave the doors open one second longer than is necessary4 ,collect beforehand everything required for the cleaning1 that1 when the work is once begun1 it may be finished quickly4 ,one needs cold water in which there is baking soda1 borax or boracic acid 7#b oz4 to the qt471 a brush for scrubbing1 cloths for wiping1 something long and slim with which to clean the drain pipe and a tray or pan to hold the ice while the ice compartment is being cleaned4 ,take the food out of the refrigerator1 then the ice4 ,quickly but thoroughly scrub and wipe dry the compartment for the ice1 not forgetting the drain pipe4 ,in many refrigerators the drain pipe can be removed for cleaning4 ,replace the ice and shut it in4 ,then scrub and wipe the other compartments or shelves1 and include the pan and the floor under the refrigerator in this cleaning4 ,it is hardly necessary to say that rubbish and unsightly objects ought not to be tucked away behind or under the refrigerator4 ,its surroundings should be as clean and well-aired as possible4 ,a refrigerator is at its best when it is full of ice4 ,to keep it full is usually found economical as well as sanitary4 ,if the ice is gone and it will be some hours before a new supply will be brought1 keep the doors of the refrigerator open until it can be refilled4 ,without ice the refrigerator becomes the very worst sort of crowded1 unaired food closet4 ,if one has difficulty in keeping an old or poor refrigerator sweet1 one or two pieces of charcoal wrapped in gauze and laid in the corners will help4 ,they will need renewing frequently4 ,no disinfectant1 however odourless and harmless1 should be put into the refrigerator or into the water with which it is washed4 ,soda1 borax or boracic acid answer the same purpose and hurt nothing4 ,this chapter has concerned itself with what might be called the household genii4 ,they have always1 as old tales will tell you1 been powerful and troublesome servants1 yet withal valuable and fascinating4 ,and1 nowadays1 we have many inventions for keeping them in order which would have made life easier for old-time sorcerers and magicians who sought to govern them by rubbing lamps and saying rhymes4 ,,xi ,,menus ,,and ,,marketing #a4 ,,menus ,,human beings must eat4 ,under ordinary circumstances this is neither a disagreeable nor a despicable duty4 ,just now1 however1 it is a duty which is being made unduly conspicuous4 ,even those of us with good digestions and excellent appetites can hardly sit down to a meal without taking some thought concerning nutritive values and the use of beverages1 things which should not be thought of except by housewives1 doctors and nurses1 whose business they are4 ,people watching their own symptoms and doctoring themselves1 people constantly observing their own thoughts and feelings1 and people studying their own diet and digestions are all in the same class--they are all made ill by too much personal attention4 ,mr4 ,g4 ,k4 ,chesterton has said a wise word on the subject of keeping good health4 ,it is3 ,the one supreme way of making all those processes go right1 the processes of health and strength and grace and beauty1 the one and only way of making certain of their accuracy1 is to think about something else4 ,he supports this idea with the command3 ,take no thought what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink4 ,the only person in a household who should busy herself with matters of diet is the housekeeper4 ,the other people ought to be too busy and too interested to think of diet and digestion between meals1 and too courteously occupied in being agreeable at table to think of them then4 ,knowledge concerning diet and digestion1 both valuable and useless1 can be had without asking4 ,the grocer sends you with your purchases a pamphlet on nourishment2 a restaurant menu furnishes a few thoughts on mastication2 warnings against coffee drinking glare at you in the street cars2 library shelves are crowded with books on health1 food1 and so on4 ,when we go out to luncheon or have guests to dinner1 matters of diet and digestion are talked of so freely that we seem to eat with a chart of the digestive tract before our mind's eye1 and we suspiciously watch while innocent food1 which unobserved might have given vitality and cheer1 becomes a cause of weariness and depression4 ,to know enough to feed a family wisely1 agreeably and economically without becoming over-careful1 or perhaps a faddist in regard to food is indeed very difficult4 ,for one thing1 avoid fixed rules and arbitrary ideas in catering4 ,digestions are as different as noses and thumb signatures2 one can1 therefore1 neither invariably forbid one thing nor insist upon another4 ,on the contrary1 digestions are as alike in general as noses and thumb signatures1 and it is1 therefore1 unnecessary and harmful that any member of a family should be especially provided for and cooked for unless that person is an invalid living upon a prescribed diet4 ,i believe a simple and successful rule for those who have nothing to do with the meals except to eat them is3 ,eat what is set before you and find something amusing to say or to think about4 ,it is a little difficult at first1 both to eat things one does not especially care for1 and to think up something amusing1 but it soon becomes a habit4 ,meals are not times for stoking an engine1 even with the most thoughtfully selected fuel1 but times for the renewal of life4 ,there is a meditative by-path which leads off from this thought concerning the reasons that meals are in some cases the most sacred and spiritual rites of religion4 ,we must not wander there1 however1 but may note in passing the reason for saying ,grace at meals which is suggested by this thought4 ,a ,grace blesses a gift of new life and is a thanksgiving for it4 ,but that meals shall fulfil their office of renewing life and gladness1 it is necessary that the woman who selects and arranges them shall have some knowledge and shall expend some care4 ,it need not be elaborate knowledge1 nor burdensome care1 just a usual quantity of each4 ,it has been discovered that human bodies are composed of chemical elements just as are cabbages and doctors' prescriptions4 ,some of the elements of which we are composed are oxygen1 hydrogen1 carbon1 nitrogen1 phosphorus1 sulphur1 iron1 potassium1 calcium1 and there are others yet4 ,it would seem a simple matter to find out just how much of each of these things we contained and then to keep up the supply by eating or inhaling them in the required quantities1 but you can be sure there is nothing as dull and matter-of-fact as that in this interesting creation4 ,we are not doctors' prescriptions1 we are even a bit more remarkable than cabbages1 and it is not just correctly measured proportions of oxygen1 nitrogen and potassium that we need1 but energy1 and heat1 and flesh1 and blood4 ,therefore1 it is that when we consult some wise table of statistics in which the nourishing value of food is given1 we do not find it given in terms of oxygen and hydrogen and the rest1 but in terms which indicate heat1 energy and building material4 ,tables of the composition of foods are usually made in the following terms3 ,refuse1 ,water1 ,protein1 ,fat1 ,carbohydrates1 ,ash4 ,added to these there will often be a division headed ,calories4 ,the calorie nevertheless is not a food substance1 it is the unit by which energy-giving heat is measured4 ,just as a ribbon is measured in yards and molasses in cupfuls1 so heat is measured in calories4 ,refuse means that part of food which cannot be eaten or which could not be used by the body if it were eaten1 as bones1 fibres1 seeds1 parings1 pods and shells4 ,protein is an inclusive word for the chief substances in food which the body can use in rebuilding itself as use wears it out4 ,carbohydrates are the fuel of the body4 ,they are converted at once into heat and energy1 or if there is a surplus they are often stored in the body in the form of fat to be used when nourishment is less abundant4 ,fat is also fuel1 a more concentrated form of fuel than the carbohydrates4 ,a certain quantity is stored in the body as a reserve heat supply4 ,the word ,ash in food tables stands for the mineral matters which are used in our bodies for building bones and teeth1 and for a few other purposes2 these minerals are for the most part building materials1 but are not so important as protein and are needed in smaller quantities4 ,human bodies are constituted to withstand adversities and to bear the experiments and mistakes which we make2 therefore it is that though these food substances usually serve the purposes attributed to them above1 yet when need arises the body is able1 for a time at least1 to use one for the other4 ,this is a provision1 however1 for special and adverse occasions4 ,ordinarily food should be supplied in the variety and proportion which will enable the body to use each class of nourishment for its own purpose4 ,roughly estimated1 an average person's diet should be about one-fifth protein1 one-fifth fat and three-fifths carbohydrates4 ,that the carbohydrates exceed the others in quantity is easily accounted for4 ,they are not such concentrated fuel as fat1 therefore a greater quantity is needed2 they are consumed to make heat instead of being built into the body as protein is2 therefore1 we need more carbohydrates1 just as we need to renew the coal supply in a house more frequently than to renew the carpets4 ,the foods from which we derive protein are chiefly meat1 fish1 milk1 beans1 peas1 bread and other articles made of wheat1 corn1 oats1 and like grains4 ,vegetables1 with the exception of beans and peas1 furnish chiefly carbohydrates4 ,fats are derived for the most part from the animal food which we eat4 ,butter1 for instance1 is chiefly fat1 and the proportion of fat in bacon is more than half4 ,but because nearly every kind of food contains other constituents besides the one which is chief1 the housekeeper who wishes to make wise menus will need more and more detailed statements of food values as she is able to get and understand them4 ,if she has hitherto thought little about such matters1 she will probably not know that the ,united ,states ,government has very kindly employed people to make years of experiments and to write books and pamphlets for her help1 nor will she know that she may have these last merely by asking the ,department of ,agriculture for them4 ,they are not made into attractive booklets1 but they are by no means dull reading4 ,farmers' ,bulletin ,no4 #adb1 for instance1 called ,principles of ,nutrition and ,nutritive ,value of ,food1 and written by ,dr4 ,w4 ,o4 ,atwater1 is brief1 helpful and most interesting4 ,the figures in the table given below were taken from this ,bulletin4 ,but there are things which may be derived from this and the many other food pamphlets issued by the ,government which are quite as important as definite statistics4 ,they are things which give the housewife a feeling of comradeship with many people who are working earnestly with and for her2 things which increase her interest in her own small part of the work and which give her a helpful sense of its dignity4 ,for many reasons it is impossible for a housewife to make an exact calculation of the amount of nourishment which she gives her family4 ,the figures in even the most carefully made tables are1 of necessity1 averages or approximates1 for food varies in quality in different localities and at different seasons4 ,moreover1 the figures in the various government reports upon food values and in books giving such statistics differ somewhat1 nevertheless1 there is sufficient general agreement upon which to base an intelligent effort to make wise as well as agreeable menus4 ,on this account1 a housewife who is neither very learned nor very experienced can yet wisely regulate her menus by keeping in mind the general character of a day's nourishment and helping out her lack of chemical knowledge with a table of food values such as the one below4 ,the general aim in providing food1 as has already been said1 is to furnish all the varieties of nourishment which the body requires and the chief ones in about the proportion of a fifth protein to a fifth fat to three-fifths carbohydrates4 ,that is1 either the per cent4 of protein or the per cent4 of fat multiplied by three should about equal the carbohydrates4 ,this is1 of course1 a very rough and general way of estimating1 but ,i believe it to be a practical way to begin the study and application of a branch of difficult and as yet slightly established knowledge4 ,refuse4 ,water4 ,protein4 ,fat4 ,carbohydrates4 ,food ,materials4 ,ash4 ,per ,per ,per ,per ,per ,per cent4 cent4 cent4 cent4 cent4 cent4 ,,beef3 ,chuck ribs #af4c #eb4f #ae4e #ae4j 4444 #j4h ,ribs #bj4h #dc4h #ac4i #ba4b 4444 4#g ,rib rolls 4444 #fc4i #ai4c #af4g 4444 4#i ,round #g4b #fj4g #ai4j #ab4h 4444 #a4j ,rump #bj4g #de4j #ac4h #bj4b 4444 4#g ,shank1 fore #cf4i #db4i #ab4h #g4c 4444 4#f ,porterhouse steak #ab4g #eb4d #ai4a #ag4i 4444 4#h ,sirloin steak #ab4h #ed4j #af4e #af4a 4444 4#i ,corned beef #h4d #di4b #ad4c #bc4h 4444 #d4f ,canned corned beef 4444 #ea4h #bf4c #ah4g 4444 #d4j ,dried and smoked beef #d4g #ec4g #bf4d #f4i 4444 #h4i ,,veal3 ,breast #ba4c #eb4j #ae4d #aa4j 4#h ,leg #ad4b #fj4a #ae4e #g4i 4#i ,leg cutlets #c4d #fh4c #bj4a #g4e #a4j ,,mutton3 ,flank #i4i #ci4j #ac4h #cf4i 4#f ,leg1 hind #ah4d #ea4b #ae4a #ad4g 4#h ,loin chops #af4j #db4j #ac4e #bh4c 4#g ,,lamb3 ,breast #ai4a #de4e #ae4d #ai4a 4#h ,leg1 hind #ag4d #eb4i #ae4i #ac4f 4#i ,,pork3 ,ham #aj4g #dh4j #ac4e #be4i 4#h ,ham1 smoked #ac4f #cd4h #ad4b #cc4d #d4b ,shoulder #ab4d #dd4i #ab4j #bi4h 4#g ,shoulder1 smoked #ah4b #cf4h #ac4j #bf4f #e4e ,loin chops #ai4g #da4h #ac4d #bd4b 4#h ,bacon1 smoked #g4g #ag4d #i4a #fb4b #d4a ,salt pork #g4i #a4i #hf4b #c4i ,,sausage3 ,bologna #c4c #ee4b #ah4b #ai4g #c4h ,pork #ci4h #ac4j #dd4b #a4a #b4b ,frankfort #eg4b #ai4f #ah4f #a4a #c4d ,,poultry3 ,chicken1 broilers #da4f #dc4g #ab4h #a4d 4#g ,fowls #be4i #dg4a #ac4g #ab4c 4#g ,goose #ag4f #ch4e #ac4d #bi4h 4#g ,turkey #bb4g #db4d #af4a #ah4d 4#h ,,fish3 ,cod1 dressed #bi4i #eh4e #aa4a 4#b 4#h ,cod1 salt #bd4i #dj4b #af4j 4#d #ah4e ,halibut1 steaks #ag4g #fa4i #ae4c #d4d 4#i ,mackerel1 whole #dd4g #dj4d #aj4b #d4b 4#g ,shad1 whole #ej4a #ce4b #i4d #d4h 4#g ,herring1 smoked #dd4d #ai4b #bj4e #h4h #g4d ,salmon1 canned #fc4e #ba4h #ab4a #b4f ,sardines #e4j #ec4f #bc4g #ab4a #e4c ,,shell ,,fish3 ,oysters #hh4c #f4j #a4c #c4c #a4a ,clams #hj4h #aj4f #a4a #e4b #b4c ,crabs #eb4d #cf4g #g 4#i 4#f #a4e ,lobsters #fa4 #cj4g #e4i 4#g 4#b 4#h ,,eggs3 #aa4b #fe4e #ac4a #i4c 4#i ,,dairy ,,products3 ,butter #aa4j #a4j #he4j #c4j ,whole milk #hg4j #c4c #d4j #e4j 4#g ,skim milk #ij4e #c4d 4#c #e4a 4#g ,buttermilk #ia4j #c4j 4#e #d4h 4#g ,condensed milk #bf4i #h4h #h4c #ed4a #a4i ,cream #gd4j #b4e #ah4e #d4e 4#e ,cheese1 full cream #cd4b #be4i #cc4g #b4d #c4h ,,flour1 ,,meal1 ,,etc43 ,entire wheat flour #aa4d #ac4h #a4i #ga4i #a4j ,graham flour #aa4c #ac4c #b4b #ga4d #a4h ,wheat flour1 roller process1 high and medium grades #ab4j #aa4d #a4j #ge4a 4#e ,low grade #ab4j #ad4j #a4i #ga4b 4#i ,macaroni1 vermicelli1 etc4 #aj4c #ac4d 4#i #gd4a #a4c ,wheat breakfast food #i4f #ab4a #a4h #ge4b #a4c ,buckwheat flour #ac4f #f4d #a4b #gg4i 4#i ,rye flour #ab4i #f4h 4#i #gh4g 4#g ,corn meal #ab4e #i4b #a4i #ge4d #a4j ,oat breakfast food #g4g #af4g #g4c #ff4b #b4a ,rice #ab4c #h4j 4#c #gi4j 4#d ,tapioca #aa4d 4#d 4#a #hh4j 4#a ,,bread3 ,white #ce4c #i4b #a4c #ec4a #a4a ,brown #dc4f #e4d #a4h #dg4a #b4a ,graham #ce4g #h4i #a4h #eb4a #a4e ,whole wheat #ch4d #i4g 4#i #di4g #a4c ,rye #ce4g #i4j 4#f #ec4b #a4e ,,sugars1 ,,etc4 ,molasses #gj4j ,honey4 #ha4j ,sugar1 granulated #ajj4j ,maple syrup #ga4d ,,vegetables3 ,beans1 dried #ab4f #bb4ea 4#h #ei4f #c4e ,beans1 lima1 shelled #fh4e #g4a 4#g #bb4j #a4g ,beans1 string #g4j #hc4j #b4a 4#c #f4i 4#g ,baked beans1 canned #fh4i #f4i #b4e #ai4f #b4a ,beets #bj4j #gj4j #a4c 4#a #g4g 4#i ,cabbage #ae4j #gg4g #a4d 4#b #d4h 4#i ,celery #bj4j #ge4f 4#i 4#a #b4f 4#h ,corn1 green1 edible portion #ge4d #c4a #a4a #ai4g 4#g ,cucumbers #ae4j #ha4a 4#g 4#b #b4f 4#d ,lettuce #ae4j #hj4e #a4j 4#b #b4e 4#h ,mushrooms #hh4a #c4e 4#d #f4h #a4b ,onions #aj4j #gh4i #a4d 4#c #h4i 4#e ,parsnips #bj4j #ff4d #a4c 4#d #aj4h #a4a ,peas1 shelled #gd4f #g4j 4#e #af4i #a4j ,peas1 canned #he4c #c4f 4#b #i4h #a4a ,potatoes #bj4j #fb4f #a4h 4#a #ad4g 4#h ,rhubarb #dj4j #ef4f 4#d 4#d #b4b 4#d ,sweet potatoes #bj4j #ee4b #a4d 4#f #ba4i 4#i ,spinach #ib4c #b4a 4#c #c4b #b4a ,squash #ej4j #dd4b 4#g 4#b #d4e 4#d ,tomatoes #id4c 4#i 4#d #c4i 4#e ,tomatoes1 canned #id4j #a4b 4#b #d4j 4#f ,turnips #cj4j #fb4g 4#i 4#a #e4g 4#f ,,fruits1 ,,berries1 ,,etc43 ,apples #be4j #fc4c 4#c 4#c #aj4h 4#c ,apples1 dried #bh4a #a4f #b4b #ff4a #b4j ,bananas #ce4j #dh4i 4#h 4#d #ad4c 4#f ,grapes #be4j #eh4j #a4j #a4b #ad4d 4#d ,lemons #cj4j #fb4e 4#g 4#e #e4i 4#d ,muskmelons #ej4j #dd4h 4#c #d4f 4#c ,oranges #bg4j #fc4d 4#f 4#a #h4e 4#d ,pears #aj4j #gf4j 4#e 4#d #ab4g 4#d ,raspberries #he4h #a4j #ab4f 4#f ,strawberries #e4j #he4i 4#i 4#f #g4j 4#f ,watermelons #ei4d #cg4e 4#b 4#a #b4g 4#a ,apricots1 dried #bi4d #d4g #a4j #fb4e #b4d ,dates #aj4j #ac4h #a4i #b4e #gj4f #a4b ,figs #ah4h #d4c 4#c #gd4b #b4d ,raisins #aj4j #ac4a #b4c #c4j #fh4e #c4a ,,nuts3 ,almonds #de4j #b4g #aa4e #cj4b #i4e #a4a ,chestnuts #af4j #cg4h #e4b #d4e #ce4d #a4a ,cocoanuts #dh4h #g4b #b4i #be4i #ad4c 4#i ,cocoanut1 prepared #c4e #f4c #eg4d #ca4e #a4c ,hickory nuts #fb4b #a4d #e4h #be4e #d4c 4#h ,peanuts #bd4e #f4i #ai4e #bi4a #ah4e #a4e ,walnuts1 black #gd4a 4#f #g4b #ad4f #c4j 4#e ,walnuts1 ,english #eh4a #a4j #f4i #bf4f #f4h 4#f ,chocolate #e4i #ab4i #dh4g #cj4c #b4b ,cocoa1 powdered #d4f #ba4f #bh4i #cg4g #g4b ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ ,a table given as this one1 in percentages instead of quantities1 may seem at first sight too indefinite to be of much service to a housekeeper who naturally wishes to know the quantity of food to give her household as well as the proportions of its composition4 ,i have purposely avoided giving a food table which deals with quantities because ,i believe this one to be more useful to a beginner4 ,one's first calculations in food values can hardly be other than approximate and inexact4 ,not many girls1 when they begin their housekeeping1 have either the time or the ability to make the calculations which even the simplest schemes for computing a dietary require4 ,besides1 an effort to provide scientifically correct meals on the part of a housewife to whom the effort is unfamiliar and difficult is apt to produce monotony in the meals1 worry in her1 and disregard and forgetfulness of the family's particular tastes4 ,a first and simple step for her to take is to make herself familiar with the chief value of different articles of food and of the more usual combinations4 ,when she takes this last matter into consideration she will find that many combinations which are traditional1 which were probably made merely by instinct1 are1 when tested1 palatable wisdom4 ,for instance1 bread is a very complete food in itself except that it is a little lacking in fat1 but people have been spreading butter on it for centuries1 and thereby completing it4 ,consider the traditional combination of baked beans and brown bread4 ,referring to the table we find beans a fairly well-balanced food1 but a little lacking in fat4 ,in brown bread neither the protein nor the fat come anywhere near being a third of the carbohydrates4 ,therefore1 when we combine these two articles we shall be a little lacking in protein and a good deal lacking in fat4 ,butter on the bread will help this last difficulty and the wisdom of our ancestors will help out the rest4 ,what did they combine with these two8 ,codfish cakes1 to be sure4 ,and in these there is codfish which has a good deal of protein in it2 egg which has protein and fat2 butter which is chiefly fat and potato which is chiefly carbohydrates4 ,we might make a diagram of it1 like this3 ,cod fish ,protein ,egg ,protein ,fat ,butter ,fat ,potato ,carbohydrates ,as a dish to combine with two articles somewhat lacking in protein and fat1 we may feel ourselves content with this4 ,in many people's minds the word sausage is just naturally followed by the words buckwheat cakes4 ,is there sanction for this8 ,from the food table we learn that sausage has a fair percentage of protein1 almost no carbohydrates1 and is almost half fat4 ,buckwheat cakes have in them1 beside buckwheat flour1 a little milk and often some wheat flour or corn meal4 ,this table will1 perhaps1 represent the matter better than an explanation4 ,protein4 ,fat4 ,carbohydrates4 ,sausage #ac4j #dd4b #a4a ,buckwheat flour #f4d #a4b #gg4i ,milk #c4c #d4j #e4j ,the table says to the eye1 too much fat4 ,one cannot remedy the defect by increasing the protein and carbohydrates to match the fat1 for we should then have as much food at one meal as we should need for three4 ,the real remedy is to balance this meal with others during the day in which the percentage of fat is very low4 ,another remedy is to serve meals with a large percentage of fat on very cold days2 in that case the weather will help to balance the excess of heat production4 ,pursuing this matter of tradition1 why are peas served with lamb1 and why is pork so often accompanied with greens of some sort8 ,the percentage of protein in lamb is low enough to allow1 perhaps require1 some supplement from the vegetables4 ,the excess of fat in pork is offset by the excess of water in greens1 and also by certain medicinal qualities they possess which are represented in the percentage of ,ash4 ,one might almost say that the combination known as hog's jowl and turnip greens is providential4 ,i am sure it has saved bodily suffering and even lives in certain pig-raising localities4 ,one can see from looking thoughtfully at this food table that the dinner at which we have lamb1 veal1 poultry1 or fish is the occasion upon which to have a substantial vegetable1 such as macaroni1 lima beans1 parsnips or sweet potatoes1 or an especially substantial dessert such as a boiled pudding or a pie4 ,it is also evident that when we have beef1 mutton or pork it is healthful to combine them with vegetables like spinach1 cabbage1 lettuce1 tomatoes and turnips1 which contain a large percentage of water4 ,the dessert for such occasions may well be a jelly or fruit in some form--something light and cool4 ,the day on which we have roast pork is not the occasion to have apple dumpling or any dessert with a percentage of fat2 the meal at which we serve beef steak and mushrooms is not the one to complete with mince pie1 for we should then have more protein than we should know what to do with4 ,on the contrary1 the day on which the main dish at dinner is made from yesterday's meat1 or is fish1 is not the time for a watery or a fluffy dessert1 unless we are purposely planning a day of abstinence4 ,if it happens that the family diet includes little meat1 care must be taken that protein is supplied from other sources1 otherwise we shall be running an engine at full speed in a building which is never decently repaired and which will one day fall round our ears4 ,there are several questions which frequently arise in the mind of a person who begins to study food values4 ,one is1 why are articles included in the menu of almost every meal which have almost no value as nourishment8 ,in many cases such articles are appetizing and refreshing2 such are lettuce1 celery1 muskmelons1 cucumbers and many soups and desserts4 ,they also contain much water1 of which the body has great and constant need4 ,they also give bulk to our food1 which is a necessity because some of the processes of digestion do not begin until the organs to which they belong are expanded4 ,a housewife who is bewildered or disheartened will sometimes ask why we cannot take our food in capsules1 or why an ideal dietary cannot be made and used over and over again4 ,she will not be the first person who has thought of these expedients1 but it has been fairly well proved that highly condensed food1 as also predigested foods1 not only lack this element of bulk of which we have been speaking1 but have an even worse defect4 ,they give us something for nothing1 which is always bad for us4 ,that is1 they furnish us with nourishment without requiring any effort to speak of from the digestive organs4 ,as a result the digestive organs grow flabby and useless from having nothing to do4 ,a child in school who is never given anything difficult to do grows flabby in mind and character and soon can't do anything difficult2 so it is with a digestion4 ,the objection to the use of an ideal dietary is1 in the first place1 that such a dietary has not been discovered4 ,people claim to have discovered it1 but that is different from really doing so4 ,but the chief objection to the use of such a thing is that the body requires a variety of food1 that a variety of food has been provided for it on the earth and that the part of us which is not body will not stand eating the same thing every day or even every week4 ,have you ever lived in a boarding house or in an institution where there was an invariable week's menu4 ,it is a mechanical contrivance which soon stirs up rebellion1 and rightly4 ,probably a word more needs to be said on this subject of variety1 for it is a saving grace in menu making4 ,if one can give one's household real variety of food1 not merely that which is made by different methods of serving and cooking1 but that which is actually a difference in constituents1 mistakes in selection will then never get very long or thoroughly established4 ,if one cannot be right all the time1 by means of variety one can be fairly sure of being right some of the time4 ,variety is also made necessary by changes in season1 in occupation1 in state of health1 and ,i think ,i may add without making a loop-hole for pampering people unduly1 that it is made necessary at times by change of mood4 ,a trivial thing comes to my mind which none the less illustrates what ,i am trying to say about variety4 ,so often ,i have seen a woman1 whom ,i like to be with1 a woman who has many1 many things to do1 take a few moments to make the last bit of her cookie-dough into an elephant or a rabbit of extraordinary figure4 ,the cheering effect of this animal upon the boy who comes in from school very tired and perhaps cross or discouraged1 is delightful to see4 ,i repent that ,i called it a trivial thing1 for this puffy1 blunt-legged animal is to the child pleasant food1 an amusing sight and the assurance that some one has thought gladly of him during the long school hours4 ,variety in menus gives to the grown-up mind the same pleasurable feelings which the cookie elephant gives to the mind of the child1 with this practical addition1 that such feelings of pleasure also quicken the appetite and the energy and digestive powers of the body1 thus enabling it to profit more by the nourishment varied foods convey4 ,,marketing ,making a wise menu does not by any means produce a meal4 ,it is a first step in the process1 the next is to buy the food which is required by the menu4 ,many women like to shop1 and even more like to have it thought that they know how to shop4 ,for some unknown reason shopping for food does not usually excite the same interest nor is it so coveted an accomplishment4 ,i wonder if it seems less interesting because the things shopped for are not to keep4 ,if this is the reason1 one has but to remind oneself that they are to keep1 only they must first be transmuted into the flesh and bones1 work and laughter of the family4 ,a large city market is a sight in the same sense that a museum or an aquarium or a menagerie is4 ,it is also to some extent a sight in the way that an art gallery is4 ,i would like to give as a reward to good housekeepers a visit to the market in ,venice4 ,it is spread in heaps and piles of colour on gray stones1 and shaded with gay awnings4 ,women wearing fringed shawls and high heels and high combs go to it in gondolas1 and the market-stuffs are brought to it in boats which glide up to the steps through thousand-coloured ripples4 ,often1 however1 marketing is done in ugly little shops instead of in one big market4 ,but though small shops are not so spectacular1 they are often easier to market in1 and the customer usually receives an amount of personal attention which is useful if one has many things to learn4 ,one of the best reasons for going to a market or to provision shops every day or two is that there is so much to be learned there4 ,an incidental reason is that going to market takes the housewife out of doors more often than she might otherwise go4 ,another reason for going is that it helps in making varied menus2 one sees things which would never have been thought of at home4 ,the housewife who goes to market can also take advantage of special prices4 ,wise marketing1 like wise shopping1 requires of us two moral qualities1 judgment and self-restraint4 ,one must ask oneself and answer wisely and truly3 ,is this what ,i want8 ,is its price reasonable for me to pay8 ,is it good of its kind8 ,is it in good condition8 ,is it a suitable size or quantity8 ,if any of it is left to-day will it fit into my plans for to-morrow8 ,is this what ,i want8 ,that is1 is it what ,i have reasonably planned to get or just something which momentarily appeals to me4 ,on the other hand1 is it perhaps better for my purpose than the thing ,i had planned to have8 ,reasonable1 used in regard to a price1 has two interpretations1 and the housewife is concerned with both4 ,she must consider whether the price of an article is within her means as people say1 that is1 whether she can buy this thing which she wants without sacrificing something equally or more important4 ,she must also consider whether the price is a reasonable value for the nourishment and enjoyment which it represents and not a fictitious price caused by unseasonableness or an unusual demand4 ,is it good of its kind8 ,and is it in good condition8 ,are questions which may well be considered together4 ,we can only learn to answer them by experiment and experience4 ,especially is this true in regard to meat4 ,one cannot easily recognize the different pieces from another person's description1 and it is often difficult to do so from pictures4 ,even the names of the pieces differ considerably in different localities1 and a knowledge of the quality of meat is impossible to obtain except from actual experience4 ,the best and easiest way to learn about meat is from a good butcher4 ,three or four minutes of his time appropriated by you every time that you go to his shop will make you into a skilful marketer4 ,do not hesitate to ask him questions nor be afraid of betraying your ignorance4 ,for whether you know much or little1 it is well to put a good deal of responsibility upon him in selecting meat1 then if it is not satisfactory he can fairly be taken to task1 but if you do the choosing without his help1 a mistake is your own fault4 ,if the housewife is not sure of the names given to pieces of meat in the locality in which she is marketing1 or not very sure of such names anywhere1 she may easily explain her wishes by designating what she means to do with a piece of meat1 as1 a piece of veal for roasting1 about a pound and a half of lamb for stewing1 a piece of beef for soup1 and the like phrases4 ,her receipt book will probably give her pictures and the names of pieces of meat1 or she may again apply to her paternal government for ,farmers' ,bulletin ,no4 #cd3 ,meats3 ,composition and ,cooking1 in which she will find placid animals divided into numbered sections1 and considerable explanation of ways in which these sections may be used4 ,because the names of pieces of meat and the methods of cutting them vary considerably1 ,i shall give but a brief and general table here4 ,this diagram of a side of beef will give some idea of the position of the several pieces4 ,illustration3 #a4 ,hind ,shank #b4 ,lower ,round #c4 ,round #d4 ,aitch ,bone #e4 ,rump #f4 ,loin #g4 ,flank #h4 ,navel #i4 ,plate #aj4 ,ribs #aa4 ,brisket #ab4 ,cross ,ribs #ac4 ,chuck #ad4 ,neck #ae4 ,shoulder #af4 ,fore ,shank ,beef4--,the neck1 shin or shank and navel are usually used for soup stock4 ,a variety of pieces known by a variety of names1 such as cross ribs1 plate or ,rattel rand1 brisket1 shoulder1 rump1 thick flank1 aitch bone and the butt or vein1 are used for boiling1 braising1 stewing1 corned beef1 pot roasts and spiced beef4 ,the upper round1 occasionally called the buttock1 is used for round steaks4 ,the lower round is good for beef-tea1 hamburg-steak1 meat pies and any purpose for which good chopped beef is needed4 ,the chuck ribs are those nearest the neck2 they are frequently used for stews1 chuck steaks and ragout4 ,sometimes the ribs are removed and the meat rolled and tied2 this makes a tender and well-flavoured roast4 ,the prime ribs1 of which some people say there are five and others six1 are used for prime roasts4 ,they are divided into first1 second and third cuts2 the last is considered least desirable4 ,from the part of the animal known as the loin are cut porterhouse1 sirloin and short steaks2 from this part also comes the tenderloin1 sometimes called the fillet4 ,the parts of the loin and the prime ribs are the most expensive and are considered the most desirable parts of the animal4 ,the housekeeper whose purse will not permit her to buy them may comfort herself1 though1 with the fact that they contain no more nourishment than some less popular pieces4 ,other meats are divided into somewhat fewer cuts than beef4 ,the more general divisions are given below4 ,veal4--,the loin is used for roasts and chops4 ,the fillet for roasts and cutlets4 ,the better parts of the neck and the breast are used for roasting and chops4 ,the less desirable parts for pies1 pot roasts and stews4 ,the shank1 which in veal is known as a knuckle1 is used for soup and broths4 ,mutton or lamb4--,the leg is used for roasting or boiling4 ,the shoulder for baking and roasting4 ,the loin for chops and roasts4 ,the ribs1 which are often called the rack1 are used chiefly for chops4 ,the breast may be roasted1 baked or stewed4 ,pork4--,hams and shoulders1 the back and front legs of the animal1 are eaten either smoked or fresh4 ,the loin1 ribs and sparerib are used for roasts1 chops1 stews and baked dishes4 ,pieces used for salt pork and bacon are cut from the almost clear fat of the back and sides4 ,almost all parts of the pig are used for food1 but as they are usually known by names which indicate what they are1 they give the housewife little trouble in remembering them4 ,the use of your eye1 sometimes of your hand1 is required in judging the condition of the food you are buying4 ,meat which is without fat is probably tough4 ,fat of beef should be pale yellow and dry1 the lean1 bright red and firm4 ,mutton1 veal and pork should have pure white fat1 the lean of mutton should be bright red1 of veal1 pink1 of pork1 a somewhat more delicate pink4 ,chickens should have soft1 moist1 yellow feet1 smooth1 thick legs1 and tender skin4 ,the end of the breastbone should be pliable4 ,plump1 very bright yellow chickens are fat and are better for stews or pot-pie than for roasting4 ,turkeys should have smooth1 black legs and white1 plump breasts4 ,if the flesh of their legs is purplish they are probably old4 ,geese and ducks should have soft feet1 hard breasts and pinkish beaks4 ,fish in good condition have bright eyes and scales1 stiff fins and flesh so hard and firm that it will not retain the mark if pressed with a finger4 ,it is not a difficult matter to tell whether fruit and vegetables are fresh and good4 ,when such things are wilted1 withered1 bruised or lacking in firmness1 they are not good for food unless they are merely wilted as lettuce and asparagus sometimes are on a hot day1 or when they have been carried through the sun4 ,i know of no way of judging butter except by tasting it4 ,there is little also by which to judge eggs2 their shells should not be shiny or very smooth and they should feel both light and heavy--if you can tell what ,i mean by that4 ,the last two questions on the marketing list are also usually considered together4 ,both are really questions concerning quantity4 ,food so often comes in quantities too large for one meal that it is usually better to make menus for two days at one time and then revise the second day's menu when the second day comes4 ,under these questions of quantity comes a class of articles a little different from those which we have just been mentioning3 articles like sugar1 flour1 salt1 coffee1 tea and the like1 which are bought in bulk4 ,in what quantity it is wise to buy such things depends upon the size of the household1 the place where these articles may be kept1 the distance from the place where the supply can be renewed1 the income of the family and whether the housewife or a reliable servant dispenses them for use4 ,i think it is pretty generally admitted that households which are living on small means do better to buy food supplies in small quantities4 ,the advantages of doing this are1 that if the commodity is injured in any way1 the loss is small2 that no large outlay of money is required at any one time2 that the smallness of the quantity possessed is a continual guard against its lavish use4 ,these advantages usually amply offset the fact that it is a little cheaper and a little more comfortable to buy in large quantities4 ,because it is easier1 housewives sometimes fall into the way of dealing at just one or two shops4 ,this is a good thing to do usually1 a poor one to do invariably4 ,to go occasionally to other shops gives one the chance to find better things and pleasanter conditions2 it also makes your regular shopkeeper more anxious to please if he knows you go elsewhere when you are not pleased4 ,an advantage in cities of going here and there1 is that one can often take advantage of a difference in prices in different localities4 ,this must be done1 of course1 with judgment2 otherwise one makes oneself a fit subject for one of those jokes about women who save two cents on a head of lettuce and spend ten in carfare going to get it4 ,women who take the same sort of trouble about marketing as they do about buying their clothes usually succeed well with it4 ,it is really not a difficult form of shopping and interest in it grows as one learns4 ,,xii ,,cooking ,,our ,brother the ,sun gets up every morning to cook1 cooks all day1 and seems to enjoy cooking4 ,the cooking processes which we engage in are many of them imitations of his4 ,when we use water and heat to soften and break up starch cells1 it is only a copy of the process by which the sun makes the dry starch laid up in a seed in the damp earth into food for the first little leaves of a plant4 ,long before we ever thought of cooking1 the sun was changing starch into sugar by heating apples and pears and peaches through and through every day4 ,one might even venture to say that he had warmed milk for all the mammal babies ever since the first one was born4 ,every once in a while1 people appear who try to persuade us to go back to nature and eat our food uncooked1 not realizing that they are asking us1 not to go back to nature1 but to our own first ignorance of what nature is doing4 ,illustration3 ,photograph by ,helen ,w4 ,cooke ,cooking ,the dictionary says that to cook is to prepare food by subjecting it to heat2 a brief and simple definition including some thousands of processes ranging from the universal cooking done by the sun to that performed by an accomplished ,french chef4 ,the object of cooking is to make food more digestible and more attractive4 ,for changes occur in food when it is subjected to heat which make it more easily used by the body and which make it more agreeable in flavour--more appetizing4 ,an incidental but important benefit from cooking is that great heat kills the animal organisms which food sometimes contains4 #a4 ,,the ,,processes ,the most usual processes of cooking are broiling1 boiling1 stewing1 braising1 frying1 roasting and baking4 ,broiling4--,food is broiled by being held close to a fire of glowing red coals4 ,the utensil needed for doing this is a wire broiler1 which should be greased before the meat is laid in it1 preferably with a bit of fat from the meat4 ,in broiling1 the chief object is to keep the juices of the meat from running out4 ,for this reason the meat is laid close over the red coals for about ten seconds1 then turned with the other side to the coals that both may be seared almost at once4 ,afterward it is turned frequently to prevent burning4 ,broiled meat is not seasoned until it is done because salt draws out its juices4 ,care is also taken not to cut or pierce the meat while it is cooking4 ,steaks and chops are almost always broiled2 fish1 chicken and oysters are frequently cooked in this way4 ,broiling may be done in a frying pan heated intensely hot1 and greased as the wires of the broiler were with a bit of fat from the meat--a tiny bit4 ,the meat is laid in the pan1 first on one side for a few seconds1 then on the other4 ,it is turned1 as when broiling over the coals1 often enough to keep it from burning4 ,articles of food which are thin need a hotter fire1 or to be laid nearer the fire than thicker ones4 ,this assures that the time required to brown the outside will be too brief to dry the article through and through4 ,a thick piece of meat will not cook through to the middle for some time and should therefore be exposed to a slower fire that the outside may not be hard before the inside is cooked4 ,these principles apply also to the roasting and baking of thick and thin articles of food4 ,boiling4--,as only liquids can boil1 we mean when we say we boil potatoes1 that we cook them in boiling water4 ,when water is heated1 tiny bubbles of steam rise in it1 which at first break before they reach the surface2 this is simmering4 ,as the heat increases1 the bubbles rise more quickly and higher1 and break at the surface2 this is boiling4 ,water boils at #bab ,f41 and1 though its motion may be increased by heat to a gallop1 it gets no hotter1 for the steam escapes when the little bubbles burst4 ,liquids which have a greater density than water1 such as salt water1 syrup1 grease and oil1 do not boil until they have reached a higher temperature than #bab4 ,milk boils at a lower temperature than water4 ,the reason it boils over so easily is that what one might call the texture of the milk bubbles which enclose the steam is less delicate than that of the water bubbles1 therefore instead of breaking when they come to the surface1 they pile up one upon another4 ,boiling water hardens and toughens some of the protein substances in food1 but softens and makes digestible most of the substances included under the head of carbohydrates4 ,cold water softens and dissolves into itself some of the protein substances1 and also soaks out the nourishing qualities of carbohydrates4 ,these facts are extremely useful in deciding upon the best method of boiling food4 ,for instance1 if we have a piece of meat or fish which we wish to boil and serve whole1 it should be put into water which is already boiling2 this hardens the outside sufficiently to keep the juices inside4 ,this hardening is accomplished in about eight or ten minutes2 at the end of that time1 the temperature of the water should be allowed to fall a little below the boiling point that the inside of the article may be cooked without being hardened4 ,water into which fish is put should be just boiling1 not rapidly boiling1 as the motion sometimes breaks the fish into pieces4 ,if we wish to make soup1 broth1 or beef-tea1 we cut meat into small pieces and put it into cold water1 which is then gradually brought to a high temperature4 ,the cold water dissolves the substances of the meat1 which it has a better opportunity of doing from many small pieces than from one large one1 and gradually becomes highly and agreeably flavoured4 ,meanwhile1 the meat becomes more and more tasteless and colourless and is1 at last1 fit only to be thrown away4 ,salt is put into the water in which meat is boiled4 ,in cold water it helps to draw out the juices of the meat4 ,in boiling water it draws them out a little1 but the heat of the water converts them into a thin albuminous coating for the meat which assists in keeping in the juices4 ,nearly all vegetables should be put into boiling water instead of being put on the fire in cold and allowed to come to the boiling point4 ,this is in order that the changes which are made in the cells and fibres may be made at once1 before dissolvable substances like starch and sugar are soaked out into the water which is to be thrown away4 ,some watery vegetables1 such as tomatoes and spinach need extremely little water1 sometimes no more than adheres to them after they have been washed4 ,these things are really stewed1 not boiled4 ,white potatoes should be boiled gently1 that the outsides may not break and fall off as they soften4 ,in most cases1 the boiling water in which vegetables are put should be salted1 in the proportion of a tablespoonful of salt to two quarts of water4 ,this not only seasons them but makes the temperature of the water somewhat greater4 ,there are some exceptions to this1 however2 green corn is one of them2 salt yellows and toughens it4 ,many authorities will tell you not to salt peas until they are nearly cooked4 ,as soon as vegetables are tender they should be drained4 ,potatoes1 whether boiled or baked1 should not be covered after they are drained or taken from the oven4 ,they should dry in the air1 not soak in their own steam4 ,stewing4--,stewing resembles boiling4 ,it is boiling done in the juices of the article cooked increased with a little water4 ,as we wish some of the juices to flow out1 we put food to be stewed into cold water4 ,when it has been brought gradually to the boiling point1 the heat should then be lowered to the simmering point and the food allowed to simmer for a long while4 ,stewing is a slow method of cooking but it makes digestible and appetizing meat and coarse vegetables which otherwise would be hard fare4 ,to food which is neither coarse nor tough1 it imparts a particularly delectable flavour4 ,stewed mushrooms are a good example of this4 ,braising4--,braising is rather like stewing done in the oven4 ,a tightly covered pan or earthenware dish is required for it and a slow oven4 ,the meat is shut in the pan with seasonings and a little water1 and cooked long and slowly in the oven4 ,braising is sometimes done in a closely covered dish set in a moderately heated place on the top of the stove4 ,frying4--,frying is done in two ways1 by immersing the article to be fried in deep1 hot fat and also by laying it first on one side then on the other in a pan in which there is a little hot fat4 ,this latter method is often called sauting4 ,the object of frying is quickly to form a crisp1 brown crust round the oyster1 croquette1 doughnut or whatever is being cooked1 which will not allow the flavour and constituents of the food to escape into the fat1 nor the fat to penetrate into the food4 ,provided this is accomplished1 frying is an entirely defensible mode of cooking1 but imperfectly done it is a particularly unwholesome method4 ,the temperature of the fat is the point for chief concern4 ,if it is much below #chj1 it will soak into the articles put into it1 and the result will be food which is unpleasant to look at and hurtful to eat4 ,if the temperature of the fat is much above #chj1 food put into it will become almost instantly dark and hard4 ,fat at the right temperature for frying is perfectly still and smokes a very little4 ,an inch cube of bread dropped into it will become brown in one minute4 ,articles which are to be fried should be as dry as possible because water lowers the temperature of the fat and makes it sputter4 ,they should also not be very cold as this likewise cools the fat4 ,lard1 suet1 drippings1 olive oil and combinations of these things are used for frying because they can be raised to a very high temperature4 ,we cannot fry in water because it can never be made hot enough to crisp anything4 ,fried articles must be carefully drained1 it is well if they can be laid on a paper or a netting for this purpose4 ,roasting4--,roasting1 strictly speaking1 is now rarely done4 ,it is the method of cooking joints of meat by hanging them before an open fire4 ,roasting done in the oven is really a form of baking4 ,the process requires a very hot oven that the outside of the meat may be incrusted with melted fat and albumen which will keep the juices inside4 ,meat for roasting is first rubbed with flour and salt2 the salt starts the juices1 the flour combines with them and helps in the incrusting just mentioned4 ,it is well to put a few spoonfuls of drippings or some fat from the meat into the pan1 for this1 as we have noted1 becomes hotter than water4 ,if the piece of meat is very large1 or requires thorough cooking as in the case of pork and veal1 water may be put in the pan as soon as the outside is incrusted4 ,this will reduce the temperature and make the roasting slower and more thorough4 ,it is most satisfactory to have a rack in the roasting pan1 that the meat may stand over1 not in1 the water4 ,roasting meat must be often basted1 that is1 spoonfuls of the hot fat or water in the pan must be poured over the meat now and again to keep the outside from hardening and charring4 ,the occasional opening of the oven door for this purpose also lets fresh air into the oven and thus improves the flavour of the meat4 ,baking4--,because we have come to use the word which meant cooking meat before the fire for cooking it in the oven1 we more usually apply the word baking to the cooking of bread1 cake1 vegetables1 puddings and the many other things which we cook by shutting them up in the dry heat of the oven4 ,none of these articles require as high a temperature as meat4 ,you cannot bear to put your hand into an oven which is ready for a roast of meat2 in an oven ready for bread you can hold your hand a minute or two4 ,the reason for this is that the juices and steam are to be kept inside meat1 but the gases in bread are to be let out1 the crust must not therefore harden at once4 ,one of the things which must be guarded against when baking bread in a gas range is the danger of having the oven so hot at first that a hard crust is formed on the bread before the crumb is sufficiently baked4 ,it is not always possible to regulate the heat of the oven with dampers4 ,should this be the case and the oven is too hot at the top1 lay a paper or a pie-plate over the article which is baking4 ,if it is too hot on the bottom set the pan containing the food on an oven rack or on an inverted pie-plate4 ,while bread or cake are baking the oven door should only be opened when necessary and then quickly closed1 for cold air sometimes ruins such things4 ,things which are merely to be browned are set on a grate near the top of the oven4 ,things large or thick1 which are to be baked through slowly are set on the bottom of the oven4 ,some substances dry a good deal during the process of baking2 such are breads1 cakes and puddings4 ,the pans or dishes for such articles must be greased4 ,tins for cakes which require long baking are often lined with stiff greased paper1 as this makes it more certain that the cake will not stick to the pan4 ,a housewife should have a standard cook book to refer to for the details of cooking4 ,besides this1 it is well for her to gather from books and magazines serviceable receipts and suggestions about household matters4 ,these may be copied into an indexed blank book1 though ,i believe something in the nature of a card catalogue would be better for the purpose4 #b4 ,,the ,,preparations ,food usually needs some preparation for the processes of cooking4 ,though it requires nothing more1 it is almost invariably first washed in clean1 fresh water4 ,meat4--,fresh meat should be rinsed quickly in cold water4 ,meat which has been smoked or salted often needs scrubbing with a brush as well as rinsing1 and salt meat frequently requires to be soaked for several hours4 ,poultry4--,poultry is usually sent to the market killed and plucked1 and is sometimes drawn before it is sent from the market to the buyer4 ,in country places it is often brought to the housewife alive and though this has inconveniences it has also the great advantage that the poultry can then be drawn immediately after it is killed1 which seems the more clean and more reasonable method4 ,to the housewife who finds herself in the predicament of having a live chicken when she needs a dead one1 ,i can say from experience that beheading is the least offensive method for the unskilled to employ4 ,use a sharp axe or hatchet and strike hard4 ,do not be distressed by the convulsive movements which follow1 they do not indicate suffering4 ,they happen because the intense throbbing thing1 we call life cannot be snuffed out like a candle4 ,even in a small creature it is a tremendous rush and swirl which cannot be stopped on the instant4 ,this is a piece of work which it is not necessary for a housekeeper to learn to do2 she need only know that she can do it if she must4 ,i have found in my own housekeeping that it is more economical to hire my neighbour1 black ,caroline to kill the chickens1 because she can walk out of the kitchen door with two chickens in her hand1 kill them1 and come back again without interrupting the camp-meeting hymn she is singing and ,i am afraid ,i must admit that ,i cannot do the same thing without shivering and tears4 ,a few minutes after the poultry is killed it should be plucked4 ,some people scald it to make the feathers come out more easily2 others1 on reasonable grounds1 heartily disapprove of this performance and insist on dry picking4 ,hold the fowl by the feet and pull the feathers out toward the head1 unless the skin proves to be very tender2 in that case pull the other way4 ,carefully remove all the little black pin-feathers4 ,put a screw of paper on the stove1 light it and singe the chicken quickly to remove hairs and down4 ,if the head has not previously been removed1 cut it off about an inch from the body4 ,just below where the neck and body join you will feel through the skin a rough movable lump4 ,this is the crop and should be removed by loosening the skin from the neck and drawing up the crop between the two4 ,cut it off close to the body4 ,cut off the legs at the joint and cut out a little oil bag which you will find on top of the tail4 ,when chickens are split down the back for broiling1 or cut into pieces for fricasseeing or frying1 it is a simple matter to remove the internal organs4 ,if1 however1 they must be drawn for roasting1 it takes some skill to do it4 ,it is an assistance to remember that the organs lie more or less bound together in the cavity of the body1 somewhat as the seeds lie in the cavity of a cantaloupe4 ,the organs should be disordered as little as possible in the removal1 as some of them1 notably the gall-bag of the liver1 contain substances which affect the taste of the meat if they touch it4 ,as the chicken lies breast up1 make a short crosswise slit in it a little distance from the tail4 ,put one or two fingers into this opening keeping them close to the walls of the cavity1 and gently loosen the organs1 gradually working them out at the slit4 ,some strength is needed for this1 but it should be applied gently4 ,be sure that all the organs are removed1 then wash the fowl under the faucet or in a pan of cold water4 ,wipe it dry with a clean cloth4 ,the washing should be done with especial thoroughness if the fowl has remained long undrawn4 ,carefully separate the heart1 liver and gizzard from the other organs4 ,cut the veins from the heart4 ,trim the fat from the gizzard1 cut a slit in the thick part and draw the slit open2 the inner lining must be removed1 unbroken if possible4 ,wash these giblets carefully1 put them at once on the fire in cold water and simmer until tender4 ,eggs4--,eggs should be washed when they are brought into the house2 the shells are then clean to be used for clearing coffee or soup4 ,when preparing eggs for cooking1 do not break them one after another into the bowl in which they are to be beaten1 but put each one into a cup and them slip it into the bowl4 ,if this precaution is not taken1 an egg unfit for use may be dropped into a bowl with several fresh ones and all will be wasted4 ,some people separate the white of an egg from the yolk by cracking a small piece from one end and pouring out the white1 leaving the yolk in the shell until last2 others break the egg through the middle by striking it on the edge of the cup and pass the yolk back and forth from one half-shell to the other until all the white has run into the cup4 ,whatever method is used1 care must be taken that no yolk runs into the white as this prevents the white from frothing4 ,it is on this account that the whites and yolks are beaten separately when we want eggs especially frothy4 ,eggs also froth better when they are very cold4 ,they are beaten before they are used because we sometimes wish to put air into a mixture by this means4 ,fish4--,large fish are usually prepared and sold in pieces by the fish dealer4 ,small fish are usually left whole and should be cleaned as soon as possible after they are bought4 ,first remove the scales by scraping them toward the head with the back of a knife4 ,hold the knife flat that it may slip under the scales4 ,have a pan of cold water at hand in which to rinse the knife frequently4 ,cut off the head just below the gills4 ,slit the body at the thinner edge and remove the entrails4 ,run the point of the knife along the backbone to remove the blood which lies there4 ,cut off the tail last1 as it is a convenient handle4 ,shad containing roe must be slit very carefully1 that the roe may not be cut or broken4 ,fish which are to be served with heads and tails on are slit from the gills half way down the body and the entrails removed as before described4 ,after fish are cleaned1 wash them carefully in cold water--some people prefer to use salted water--then salt inside and out and lay them on a plate in a cool place--not the refrigerator--until it is time to cook them4 ,wash off the salt and season them again before cooking4 ,if a piece of fish which is to be boiled is wrapped in a thin cloth the motion of the water will not break it4 ,shell-,fish4--,receipts for cooking oysters or clams which begin1 ,open the oysters--or ,take two dozen clams from the shells--are rather amusing when one remembers what an exaggerated pleasure in retirement these creatures take4 ,they do not open their shells when one reads a receipt at them4 ,oysters4--,when oysters are cooked in their shells heat opens them2 otherwise1 some one must open them by hand4 ,a small thin knife with an iron handle is best for this work4 ,the hand in which the oyster is held should be protected with a heavy glove or mitten4 ,if you can find no place where the thin point of the knife can be pushed between the shells1 rap the edge of the oyster with the handle of the knife until some little crack is made into which the point can be thrust1 then gently but firmly work the shells apart4 ,put the oysters into a bowl4 ,the opening should be as cleanly a performance as possible1 for the oysters are the better for not being washed4 ,instead of washing them1 lift them one or two at a time from one bowl to another1 looking them over carefully for any bits of shell4 ,it is better to wash them if they have not been opened in the house4 ,if oysters are to be cooked or served in their shells1 the shells must be thoroughly scrubbed4 ,clams4--,clams1 whether thin shell1 or hard shell1 should be scrubbed1 rinsed1 and laid in a pot with not more than a half-cupful of water4 ,not more1 because the juice from the clams should be diluted as little as possible4 ,cover the pot closely4 ,as soon as the shells open the clams are cooked4 ,when hard shell clams are taken from the shells1 clip off with scissors the hard rim from each one4 ,the clam juice should be saved and put aside to settle1 the clear liquor can then be poured off4 ,it is used to some extent in nearly all dishes made from clams4 ,if an oyster or a clam has its shells open1 pick it up in your hand4 ,if it closes it is all right1 if it remains open throw it away for it is dead4 ,only death prevents these creatures from shutting their doors4 ,scallops4--,scallops as we see them on the table or as they come prepared from the market1 are really the muscles of the scallop which hold its shells together4 ,whole scallops are boiled and the muscle removed when the shells open4 ,lobsters4--,lobsters are sometimes bought alive1 sometimes already boiled4 ,they are not exactly green or brown or blue when alive1 but are bright red when cooked4 ,a boiled lobster is opened by splitting the body and tail lengthwise and cracking the claws4 ,the firm white and red meat and a bit called the coral are the parts to be eaten4 ,the head1 a sand-pouch near the throat1 the stomach and intestines and the tough1 feathery gills on the under side of the body must not be used4 ,crabs4--,hard shell crabs are cooked by plunging them into salted boiling water for fifteen or twenty minutes4 ,they change in colour as lobsters do4 ,if you wish to open them1 first remove the little flap which folds down on the under shell1 then1 placing your thumbs at the place where the flap was fastened on1 draw the upper and lower shells apart4 ,a little1 grayish sand pocket sometimes adheres to one shell1 sometimes to the other4 ,this and the gray1 spongy fingers attached to the lower shell should be removed and thrown away4 ,before soft shell crabs are cooked1 the sand-pocket and spongy substances under the edges of the shell should be removed4 ,the upper shell is soft enough to be turned back for this purpose4 ,vegetables4--,almost without exception1 vegetables are prepared for cooking by being washed and laid in cold water to be freshened4 ,some kinds require no other preparation2 others must be also scraped or peeled or shelled or husked4 ,those vegetables which require no preparation for cooking except washing and freshening are3 asparagus1 beets1 cabbage1 cauliflower1 spinach and sweet potatoes4 ,cress1 celery1 endive1 lettuce and radishes require this same preparation1 but are not usually cooked4 ,one must be careful not to break the skins of beets and not to cut their tops too close1 that the juices may not flow out and leave the beet colourless and tasteless4 ,salt should be put in the water in which cabbage and cauliflower are freshened and the cabbage heads should be divided into quarters that the small insects which these vegetables are apt to contain may be driven out4 ,the washing of spinach requires especial care4 ,it is well to use two pans that the spinach may be lifted back and forth from one to the other and the sand left in the bottom of the pans4 ,a little salt should be put into one of the waters to expel insects4 ,vegetables which require also to be scraped are1 carrots1 oyster plant1 parsnips and new potatoes4 ,vegetables which require to be peeled as well as to be washed and freshened are3 cucumbers1 egg plant1 mushrooms1 onions1 white potatoes1 squash1 turnips and tomatoes4 ,egg plant is sliced1 but the slices are not always peeled4 ,it is freshened in salted water4 ,cucumbers and tomatoes are laid in water before they are peeled instead of afterward4 ,thick pieces should be cut from the ends and sides of cucumbers as the skin contains unwholesome juices4 ,onions are less unpleasant to peel if held under water during the process4 ,vegetables which also require shelling or husking are3 lima beans1 green peas and green corn4 ,corn silk may easily be removed from the ears with a brush4 ,dried beans and peas require many hours of soaking to make them ready to be cooked4 ,string beans are prepared by a process peculiar to themselves4 ,some people cut a thin strip from each side of the pod2 others cut the pointed end toward one side1 the stem end toward the other and draw away the strings with the cut pieces4 ,the point of importance is to get rid of the strings absolutely4 ,rice is prepared by thorough washing4 ,a good way to accomplish this is to put the rice in a coarse strainer and lower it into a pan of water4 ,lift and stir the rice1 then raise the strainer from the pan1 change the water and repeat the washing process4 ,continue to repeat this until the water remains clear4 ,fruit and ,berries4--,fruit should be washed and wiped dry when it is brought from the market4 ,it is then ready for use in any way that may be desired4 ,thick skinned fruits such as pears and apples are peeled before they are cooked4 ,dried fruit is usually soaked before it is cooked4 ,it is desirable that berries which come from the market or store should be washed4 ,this can best be accomplished by putting them in a coarse sieve or colander and holding them under a gently running faucet4 ,it is a good thing to spread them on a clean paper or cloth to dry4 ,when berries are picked in the garden1 one may have the luxury of eating them unwashed4 ,mixtures4--,there are certain articles of food1 different and differently prepared from any hitherto mentioned1 which might be called as a class1 mixtures4 ,they are dishes made by mixing several food substances together1 and are called bread1 cake1 pudding1 pastry1 sauces and many other names4 ,bread4--,of these mixtures bread is the most important and the most difficult to make4 ,receipts for bread are the simplest ones we have1 yet a detailed description of bread-making might easily fill a book4 ,to read such a description for the first time would very probably shock a careful housewife4 ,she has learned to protect her stores of food from any processes of fermentation2 she regards the growth of fungus in the cellar or of mould on the back of the refrigerator as an indication of unhealthful dampness1 perhaps of dirt2 she probably has some terror of germs and bacteria4 ,is it not rather shocking then1 to learn that1 without fermentation1 fungus and bacteria1 she could not make the sweet1 clean bread which she bakes every two or three days4 ,when she has thought out these puzzling facts1 she will find that each one of her bakings is a sermon from the text that all things work together for good if one knows the secret of their use4 ,yeast is a form of bacteria--a germ--a microscopic fungus which floats about in the air4 ,i find that a ,government ,report on the subject calls this wild yeast4 ,one cannot resist following out the idea thus suggested1 and saying that this wild species may be caught by the housewife in mixtures of warm hops1 potato and flour and domesticated for use in bread making4 ,the little yeast plants multiply quickly when they find something which they like to feed upon1 and it happens that they like a mixture of flour and water which is neither very hot nor very cold4 ,therefore1 when we put yeast into dough the little plants feed and multiply and in doing so change the character of the dough4 ,they cause it to ferment1 just as grape or apple juice ferments4 ,when the carbohydrate substances in the flour1 that is1 the starches and sugars1 ferment they change1 and in the change form alcohol and carbon dioxide4 ,when this performance is at its height1 we put the dough into the oven1 the yeast plant is killed by the heat and a stop thus put to its activities4 ,another result of putting the bread into the oven is that the bubbles of gas formed by fermentation expand with the heat4 ,the gas escapes1 but not before the walls of the bubbles have been hardened sufficiently by heat to make the bread full of tiny holes--porous we call it1 and light4 ,the following receipt is a usual one for a small batch of bread3 #b quarts of flour4 #a tablespoonful of salt4 #a sugar4 #a lard4 #a half cake of yeast soaked in a cup of milk4 #b cups of milk or water4 ,the sugar and the lard are not necessary to bread making but are frequently used2 the lard because it makes bread tender and moist1 the sugar to take the place of some of the sugar in the flour which is used up in fermentation4 ,without the other four ingredients1 flour1 salt1 wetting and yeast1 we could not have bread4 ,the yeast is either a little compressed cake of useful bacteria1 or it is a liquid in which this bacteria has congregated4 ,the flour is a nourishing but unattractive substance which we wish the yeast plant to change into spongy1 pleasant-flavoured1 digestible food4 ,the salt assists in making the pleasant flavour and also helps to prevent fermentation from going beyond the desired point4 ,unless the fermentation of bread stops at the right time1 changes occur in the dough like those which take place in milk when it sours1 and in cider when it turns to vinegar4 ,milk or water are necessary to give the flour the moist consistency which is agreeable to the growth of yeast plants4 ,it is sometimes necessary to heat the wetting a little1 for the temperature of the dough to be favourable to the activity of the yeast must be not less than #gj ,f4 nor more than #ij ,f4 ,directions for mixing bread frequently tell you to set a sponge4 ,this is done by mixing all the ingredients except the flour1 and then stirring into them just enough flour to make a thick batter4 ,this mixture is set in a temperature between #gj and #ij and allowed to ferment4 ,the sponge is a more watery mixture than dough and in it the yeast has an especially easy opportunity to develop4 ,the setting of a sponge also serves as a test of the yeast4 ,if the yeast does not greatly increase the quantity of the sponge and make it full of bubbles1 it will not be strong enough to affect the stiffer dough4 ,when the sponge has increased to about twice its size in the beginning1 enough flour is stirred in to make kneading possible4 ,the object of kneading is that the yeast may be distributed through the flour so evenly that its effect upon all parts of the dough will be the same4 ,after the kneading the bread is set to rise1 that is it is put in a comfortably warm place1 out of the way of draughts1 and left while the yeast plants multiply and ferment the bread4 ,when the dough has increased to about twice its original size1 it is kneaded a little more1 chiefly to break the bigger bubbles which would make holes in the bread4 ,it is then moulded into loaves and rolls and set to rise again1 this last because in the moulding it has acquired a little more flour and its sponginess has been somewhat compressed4 ,it is finally baked1 as has been said1 to stop fermentation and preserve the porous character of the bread4 ,baking also forms the pleasant-flavoured crust4 ,a person of inquiring mind may observe in the table of food values given in the previous chapter that the nourishing constituents are greater in quantity in flour than1 with a slight exception in fat and ash1 they are in bread4 ,the natural question will then be1 why take all this trouble to cultivate yeast plants in flour when the result furnishes less nourishment than flour8 ,why not mix flour and water and bake it8 ,this would be unleavened bread which is somewhat like crackers1 somewhat like macaroni1 both of which register higher in nourishing constituents than bread4 ,nevertheless1 they do not serve our purpose as well as bread1 because they are much more hard to digest and more quickly create distaste4 ,the body must not only have nourishment supplied to it1 it must have it supplied in forms which it can use without serious difficulty4 ,it is quite possible1 therefore1 to obtain more actual nourishment from digestible1 appetizing bread which contains a smaller per cent4 of nutriment1 than from a crude and insipid flour mixture which contains a greater per cent4 ,cake4--,there are other methods of making food light besides putting yeast into it4 ,two of these are commonly used in making cake and fancy breads4 ,sponge cakes are made light by beating air into the eggs used4 ,cakes which contain butter1 and breads which contain no yeast are made light with baking powder1 which is a mixture of soda and cream of tartar1 or with soda and cream of tartar put in separately4 ,soda is an alkali2 cream of tarter is an acid4 ,a combination of the two liberates carbonic acid gas to raise the cake and also counteracts the poisonous properties of the soda4 ,three rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder produce the same effect as one level teaspoonful of soda and two rounded teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar4 ,therefore1 if a receipt calls for soda and cream of tartar and we have only baking powder1 or vice versa1 we may use one for the other if we remember this equality4 ,one frequently finds soda and not cream of tartar called for in receipts in which sour milk or molasses is required4 ,in such cases the acid in the milk or in the molasses will take the place of that usually furnished by cream of tartar4 ,soda and cream of tartar1 or baking powder1 should be put into the flour before it is sifted1 they are thus thoroughly mixed with it and also sifted4 ,the ingredients of fancy breads and cake must be mixed in ways which will not interfere with the means by which they are made light4 ,it is usually a good plan when mixing muffins1 gems1 ,sally ,lunn or anything of the kind which does not require kneading1 to put all the dry ingredients together in one bowl1 all the wet ones together in another bowl1 then to stir the wet ones into the dry ones and if there are eggs in the mixture fold in the beaten whites last4 ,whites of eggs are nearly always the last thing to be put into any mixture1 because if they are moved about more than is necessary to get them in1 much of the air in them will be lost4 ,the ingredients of cake are usually mixed in the following order3 butter and sugar beaten together to a creamy consistency2 beaten yolks of eggs2 milk or water and flavouring2 flour and baking powder2 whites of eggs4 ,the order for mixing a sponge cake is the same except that some of the ingredients mentioned in this list will be omitted4 ,the reason that flour is put in last1 or next to the last1 is that it contains the baking powder or the soda and cream of tartar4 ,when these substances are wet they give off gas which is to make the cake light1 therefore they should not be wet until just before the cake is ready for the oven4 ,fruit is put into a cake last of all4 ,it is floured before it is put in to keep the pieces from sticking together1 and to keep the moisture they contain from injuring the cake4 ,because the lightness of cake depends upon bubbles of air or gas which in the course of time collapse1 cake batter should be baked as soon as mixed4 ,that this may be possible1 the fire should be put into suitable condition and the utensils and materials gathered and prepared before the mixing begins4 ,pastry4--,pastry mixtures differ from bread or cake mixtures in that they are flaky instead of spongy4 ,things flake when they are composed of layers2 the point then is to make pastry by a process which will produce layers4 ,when a smooth dough has been made of flour1 salt and cold water1 it is rolled lightly to a thin sheet1 tiny pieces of butter are scattered over it and a very little flour sprinkled on it4 ,the sheet is then doubled1 rolled to the former thickness1 butter and flour are applied to it as before and it is again doubled4 ,this is repeated several times4 ,when it is finally ready for the oven it is in layers of dough and butter4 ,when the heat of the oven melts the butter and expands the air between the layers1 they separate a little1 that is1 they flake4 ,by means of this theory of pastry one can better understand the directions given in pastry receipts4 ,for example1 the ingredients must be kept cold that the butter and dough may not combine during the rolling4 ,the pastry must be handled lightly and never pressed or pounded because this would press out the air and crush the layers into each other4 ,the filling of pies sometimes presents difficulties4 ,a very juicy filling soaks the under crust4 ,one remedy used for this is to bake the bottom crust before filling the pie2 another is to brush it over with white of egg4 ,the very best way to prevent the under crust of a pie from being soggy and indigestible is not to have one4 ,put the fruits into a fairly deep baking-dish and cover it with a flaky top crust4 ,this is an ,english method which we should do well to follow4 ,the result is more fruit and less crust1 and none of that under crust which whatever pains you take will more or less relapse into dough4 ,juicy pies must not be filled quite full1 that they may not boil over in the oven4 ,openings cut in the crust help to prevent this2 an inverted tea cup put into a deep pie is also a preventive4 ,i am told that if the top crust is just laid over the pie and not fastened at the edges1 the juice of the filling is less apt to run out4 #c4 ,,the ,,sequence ,going into the kitchen to make one dish2 or getting a supper for which much of the food has been previously prepared1 gives no suggestion of one of the chief difficulties in getting meals4 ,this difficulty is the sequence of work4 ,unless thoughtful and orderly arrangements are made1 one dish will be done too early1 another too late1 the cook may find she is required to perform two pieces of work at once and the last moments before the meal will be crowded with more things than can possibly be done4 ,the time required to cook different articles of food often furnishes a sort of schedule for getting the meal4 ,additional time must be allowed1 however1 for preparations before cooking and for finishing touches after cooking4 ,except when a gas range is used the fire is the first thing to attend to4 ,the other things to be arranged for naturally fall into three groups with intervals between in which work may be done which does not have to be timed4 ,the first group contains things which take long to cook1 such as baked and boiled meats1 oatmeal1 some puddings1 old vegetables1 and vegetables which are cooked slowly like stewed tomatoes4 ,these things are prepared and put on the fire as soon as the fire is ready for them4 ,between this and the second group is an interval which may be used for preparing the second group and for setting the table1 arranging salad1 putting dishes to warm1 etc4 ,sometimes a dessert has to be prepared in this interval1 in that case the food of the second group may have to be made ready and the table set at the very beginning of things1 before the fire is looked after4 ,the second group contains vegetables and desserts which cook in from thirty to forty-five minutes1 soup which is to be warmed1 eggs which are to be boiled hard to accompany vegetables1 anything which takes a half or three-quarters of an hour to cook or which is needed in the concluding preparations of the other food4 ,after this second group is on the fire comes another interval in which things may be done which were left over from the other interval and in which cold food such as bread1 butter and milk may be put on the table4 ,in this time also preparation must be made for the cooking necessary to the third group4 ,some of these are1 mixing thickening for gravy1 shelling hard-boiled eggs for spinach1 and collecting on the kitchen table seasonings1 butter and milk for the cooked vegetables and meat4 ,the third group contains things which must be done a very brief time before the meal4 ,these are broiling meat1 preparing cooked vegetables for the table1 making sauces and gravy1 putting beaten egg or vermicelli in soup and getting everything arranged in dishes4 ,then there are three last things for the housewife to do before the meal3 to see that the fire is in condition to leave1 that soiled pots and pans are filled with water1 and last of all to take an instant to wash her hands1 remove her apron and make herself tidy4 ,there are one or two ways in which preparations for meals may be simplified4 ,for any large meal but especially for dinner served late in the day1 as many preparations as may be1 should be made in the morning or at luncheon time4 ,when making the menu for a meal do not select things which conflict2 for instance1 a roast of meat and a delicate pudding cannot be baked at the same time4 ,likewise1 it is inconvenient1 not to say unappetizing to have the meat and vegetables and dessert for a meal all boiled or all baked or all fried4 ,try not to have two things for the same meal which will be spoiled if they are not served the instant they are cooked4 ,at the end of this chapter about food1 ,i have the desire to put a little verse which often runs in my head when ,i am getting meals4 ,though o'er the board the constellations shine1 ,austere the feast for time's retainers spread2 ,laughter the salt of life1 and love the wine1 ,sleep the sweet herbs1 and work the bitter bread4 ,a ,,time ,,table ,method4,hours4 ,minutes4 ---------------------------------------- ----------- ,asparagus boiled 444 #bj-cj ,beans1 lima boiled 444 #de-fj ,beans1 string boiled 444 #de-fj ,beef roasted 444 #ab per lb4 ,beefsteak broiled 444 #f-aj ,beef1 corned boiled 444 #bj per lb4 ,beets1 young boiled 444 #de-fj ,beets1 old boiled #c-d 444 ,bread1 wheat baked 444 #dj-fj ,bread1 corn baked 444 #dj-de ,bread1 brown steamed #c-j 444 ,cabbage boiled 444 #ae-ce ,cauliflower boiled 444 #bj-ce ,cake1 sponge baked 444 #de-fj ,cake1 plain baked 444 #cj-dj ,cake1 fruit baked #b-c 444 ,cake1 layer baked 444 #aj-ae ,carrots boiled 444 #ce-de ,chicken roasted 444 #bj per lb4 ,chicken broiled 444 #bj ,chicken boiled 444 #ae-bj per lb4 ,celery boiled 444 #bj-cj ,chops broiled 444 #f-aj ,cookies baked 444 #aj-ae ,corn boiled 444 #ab-bj ,custard baked 444 #ae-bj ,duck roasted #a-j 444 ,dumpling1 apple boiled #a-j 444 ,eggs1 soft boiled 444 #c ,eggs1 hard boiled 444 #ae-bj ,eggs fried 444 #e ,fish1 boiled or baked 444 #aj-ae per lb4 ,fish fried 444 #aj-bj ,gingerbread baked 444 #bj-cj ,ham boiled 444 #be per lb4 ,hominy boiled #a-j 444 ,lamb roasted 444 #ae-bj per lb4 ,mutton1 boiled or roasted 444 #ae-bj per lb4 ,macaroni boiled 444 #bj-cj ,muffins baked 444 #ae-cj ,mushrooms broiled 444 #ab ,mushrooms stewed 444 #bj ,onions boiled 444 #de-fj ,oysters1 broiled or fried 444 #c-e ,oyster plant boiled 444 #de-fj ,oatmeal boiled #a-j 444 ,parsnips boiled 444 #cj-de ,pork roasted 444 #cj per lb4 ,pork broiled 444 #bj ,potatoes boiled 444 #be-cj ,potatoes baked 444 #de ,peas boiled 444 #bj-cj ,rice boiled 444 #bj-dj ,sausage fried 444 #aj-ae ,spinach boiled 444 #cj-de ,squash boiled 444 #be-ce ,tomatoes stewed #a-j 444 ,turkey1 boiled or roasted 444 #bj per lb4 ,turnips boiled 444 #de ,veal roasted 444 #bj per lb4 ---------------------------------------- ----------- ,,weights ,,and ,,measures ,i #c teaspoonfuls1 dry #a tablespoonful4 #d teaspoonfuls1 liquid #a tablespoonful4 #d tablespoonfuls1 liquid #a wineglassful gill4 #b wineglassfuls1 liquid #a gill cup4 #af tablespoonfuls1 liquid #b gills #a cup4 #ab rounded tablespoonfuls1 dry #a cup4 pint1 liquid #a cup4 #d wineglasses #a cup4 lb4 of flour #a cup4 lb4 granulated sugar #a cup4 lb4 butter1 solid #a cup4 #d gills #a pint4 #b cups #a pint4 #b pints #a quart4 #d quarts #a gallon4 ,,ii #a tablespoonful1 heaped1 granulated sugar #a ounce4 #a tablespoonful1 rounded1 butter #a ounce4 #a tablespoonful1 liquid ounce4 #a tablespoonful1 rounded1 flour ounce4 #a tablespoonful1 rounded1 coffee ounce4 #a tablespoonful1 rounded1 powdered sugar ounce4 #af ounces #a pound4 #d cups of flour #a pound #a quart4 #b cups butter1 solid #a pound4 #b cups granulated sugar #a pound4 #b cups powdered sugar #a pound4 #b cups or #a pint water or milk #a pound4 #a pint chopped meat1 solid #a pound4 #aj eggs #a pound4 ,,xiii ,,washing ,,and ,,ironing ,,the day when we wear paper clothes and rarely wear them twice has not yet come4 ,meanwhile washing and ironing must be done1 either in the home or elsewhere4 ,even when this work has been banished to a laundry or a house on a back street1 it is yet desirable to have some knowledge of its processes1 that when something goes wrong we may be able to tell what the trouble is4 ,the laundry1 like the kitchen1 should be light coloured1 cleanly1 orderly and furnished only with articles needed for the work4 ,i was taken in to see a laundry not long ago which had pale green walls and two sunny windows4 ,it contained appliances for the work1 a substantial laundress and a highly coloured picture of the ,madonna4 ,there was also a cricket1 not the kind you sit on1 but the kind that chirps4 #a4 ,,appliances ,as the appliances for washing and ironing are many1 and some of them for uses not entirely obvious1 a list with a few comments on each item may be useful4 ,tubs4--,two are needed1 three are more convenient4 ,when the washing is finished1 the tubs should be scrubbed1 rinsed and dried before the covers are closed4 ,portable wooden tubs also need scrubbing and rinsing1 but must not be allowed to get very dry4 ,if they are kept in a warm1 dry place1 put a little clean water into each one4 ,when allowed to dry1 the staves shrink and the tubs leak4 ,that tubs are called portable does not mean they should be carried4 ,about one woman in a dozen is really able to carry a tub with water in it4 ,it is not the weight but the attitude in which one is compelled to lift it that makes the trouble4 ,if there is no one to help to carry the tub1 empty it by the pailful2 it takes less time than being laid up with a strain4 ,a washboard4--,washboards are made of corrugated glass or metal and wood4 ,they should be rinsed when the rubbing is finished and kept dry when not in use4 ,before putting the board into the tub1 see that it has no rough or sharp places which may tear clothes or hands4 ,a washboiler and a washstick4--,keep the boiler scrupulously dry when not in use4 ,a speck of rust the size of a pinhead can make serious trouble4 ,the stick is a fairly long1 smooth1 clean one with which to move and lift scalding hot clothes4 ,a wringer4--,rinse and dry it carefully before putting it away4 ,at some other time than in the midst of washing1 it is well to study out the contrivance which regulates the width of the opening between the rollers1 that one may be able to change it easily and quickly for the wringing of thick or thin articles4 ,the opening should be narrow enough to make turning the handle quite active exercise1 but wide enough to prevent any wrenching or dragging of wringer or clothes4 ,a clothesline4--,a length of clean rope which can be put up and taken down each time it is needed is probably the most satisfactory clothes line4 ,permanent lines of twisted wire are good1 if one may have permanent lines4 ,these must be wiped with a damp cloth before the clothes are hung out4 ,this rule also holds good for any line which is left out in the weather1 but rope lines should not be left out if it can be avoided1 for they soon become blackened and sodden4 ,when buying a clothesline1 see that it is not too thick nor too thin for average clothespins4 ,clothespins4--,these must be kept clean1 either by frequently getting new ones1 or by scrubbing the old ones1 and also by keeping them1 when not in use1 in a covered box or basket4 ,clothes poles4--,these are sticks eight or ten feet long1 and notched deeply in one end4 ,when the line sags between its supports with the weight of the clothes1 it is raised with one of the poles4 ,the notch holds the line and the other end rests on the ground4 ,a clothes basket4--,this article is used for carrying clothes from place to place4 ,if it is used only for purposes connected with washing and ironing it will remain for a longer time fit for those purposes4 ,a laundry stove4--,this stove is not necessary when the washing and ironing are done in the kitchen1 yet it is more convenient to have one if the size of the kitchen permits4 ,set on its top1 the wash-boiler is at a convenient height2 irons heat more evenly upon it1 and are not in danger of being splashed from the cooking4 ,an ironing board4--,this appliance is frequently wider at one end than at the other1 because the width of the larger end is convenient to iron on1 and the narrowness of the other end is easily put through the top of a skirt or other garment which is slipped over the board for ironing4 ,the board is first padded with several thicknesses of blanket or felt stretched smooth2 a clean1 white cotton cloth is then stretched over it and sewed or tacked very neatly along one edge and at the ends4 ,all the coverings must be stretched and fastened very tightly to prevent wrinkles which would mark the clothes4 ,the padding keeps the edges of the board from cutting through or marking the clothes1 it furnishes a smooth1 elastic surface for the sliding movement of the iron1 and it makes it possible to iron embroidery1 lace or tucks in relief1 by pressing them into the padding with the iron4 ,some boards are made with folding legs which are a convenience if substantial and well braced4 ,besides a large board1 it is well to have a small bosom board2 they are not merely for shirts but are convenient also for ironing small articles at other times than on a regular ironing day4 ,a sleeve board is likewise a helpful addition to the laundry fittings4 ,irons4--,to do a family ironing at least six irons are needed4 ,do not keep them on a stove with fire in it except when they are in use4 ,they are spoiled by being constantly heated and cooled1 and they get dirty4 ,water is not good for them4 ,if they are splashed or smoked they must be washed1 but it is better not to wash them regularly4 ,cooling a very hot iron by immersing it in a pail of water is bad for the iron1 and is a careless practice besides2 it is rectifying a neglect with a violent remedy4 ,if irons are rough or troublesome about sticking1 scrape and wipe them clean1 then rub their bottoms and sides with a piece of beeswax tied in a cloth4 ,in the country1 rub them on a sandy place in the garden path4 ,i am told that it is good--and pleasant--to rub them on pine-needles4 ,when irons are put away1 turn the bottoms up4 ,if they are put away for a long time1 it is well to give them a thin coating of beeswax4 ,if you have ever seen any one test an iron with a wet finger to see if it is hot1 you will only need the courage to try to be able to do it4 ,wet your finger in your mouth and strike quickly and lightly on the bottom of the iron2 if it--spits1 to put it elegantly1 the iron is right for average ironing4 ,rub it on a paper or a cloth and judge from the effect whether it is clean and of the right temperature for the work you are doing4 ,iron holders4--,it is well to have two or three of these articles4 ,those made of asbestos covered with bed ticking are excellent4 ,even when irons have a detachable handle1 an iron holder will be needed for a holder rests and spares the hand4 ,they are sometimes made with a little pocket into which the ends of the fingers can be thrust2 it is a good arrangement1 for finger-ends have to be so near the iron that they sometimes get scorched4 ,an iron stand4--,a stand is necessary to rest the iron on when the laundress needs both hands to arrange the article she is ironing4 ,if one is hard put to it for a substitute1 a horse-shoe1 or a piece of fire-brick will serve1 the latter is especially good because it holds heat4 ,a clothes horse4--,the more closely it folds up and the more rungs it has when unfolded1 the better the clothes horse4 ,its chief use is to provide a place close at hand where newly ironed articles may be hung4 ,such a place is necessary because the articles are still a trifle damp and because one does not wish to walk any great distance to dispose of each piece4 ,wax1 cloths and paper4--,the use of these articles has already been mentioned4 ,pieces of wax can be bought already covered and attached to a convenient little handle4 ,cloths and paper come from the housewife's store of useful things4 ,soap4--,from the thousands of kinds of soap one can only make a choice by means of personal experiment1 or by accepting the recommendation of some one who has already experimented4 ,the kind preferred once settled upon1 it is best to buy enough at a time to last several months and to keep it exposed to the air1 for unless soap dries a little before it is used1 it wastes4 ,many preparations are sold to whiten clothes and make washing easy4 ,to use them is a risk1 and ,i have yet to see one which produced even as good temporary results as intelligent washing done with good soap and followed by thorough rinsing4 ,starch4--,starch--the raw material--should be protected from dust in a closed box or jar and not exposed to strong light1 as this in time makes it slightly yellow4 ,it is on this account that starch boxes are frequently lined with dark blue paper4 ,cold starch is merely starch dissolved in cold water4 ,the proportion is a tablespoonful of starch to a pint of water4 ,stir until it seems dissolved1 but stir again before dipping each article as it settles quickly4 ,this starch is used just before ironing4 ,articles starched with it should be squeezed out well and folded in a dry cloth for ten or fifteen minutes1 then ironed4 ,to make boiled starch1 moisten three tablespoonfuls of starch with cold water4 ,stir and press out the lumps until it is smooth as cream4 ,then begin to stir it fast and pour on quickly a quart of boiling water4 ,allow it to boil about twenty minutes4 ,toward the end of the time put in a piece of spermaceti as big as a walnut and stir until it is mixed with the starch4 ,substitutes for this are a bit of lard or a bit of butter4 ,when clothes come home smelling of kerosene1 it usually indicates that the laundress has used a dash of that oil as a substitute for spermaceti4 ,if candles are used in the home1 it is well to save the ends for the starch4 ,wax or oil added to starch makes it smooth and keeps it from sticking to the irons4 ,bluing4--,the purpose of bluing is to give white clothes a bluish tinge instead of the yellowish tinge they are apt to acquire4 ,substances for the purpose can be bought in several forms and are used greatly diluted4 ,two or three squeezes of a bluing ball1 or a teaspoonful of liquid bluing is often a sufficient quantity for a tub of water4 ,bluing must be thoroughly stirred into water4 ,if this is not done before clothes are put in1 they will be streaked4 ,some people put a few drops of bluing in starch4 #b4 ,,the ,,process ,where soiled clothes are to be kept during the interval between wash days is often a difficult question4 ,a closet in the laundry made especially for the purpose is one solution2 a hamper set in some ventilated but secluded spot in the house is another4 ,it is unfortunate that often the bathroom is the only refuge for a clothes hamper4 ,articles like bed linen1 which are only changed once a week should be changed as near the wash day as possible1 but ,i do not think this matter so important that the change of linen should be made on ,sunday4 ,the first step in the process of washing is to sort the clothes1 separating white1 coloured1 woollen and silk articles4 ,the white division always1 sometimes the others1 must be divided again into articles which have been put to personal uses1 such as garments1 bed linen and towels1 and those which have not1 as table linen1 and dish towels4 ,notice in sorting the clothes whether anything is stained1 and if so1 put it aside to be especially cared for4 ,it is often impossible to remove stains after they have been soaped4 ,some people soak clothes over night2 some put them to soak the first thing in the morning2 some do not soak them at all4 ,in any case1 only white cotton or linen articles may be either soaked or boiled4 ,clothes are put for soaking into a tub of water1 each article crushed together1 not folded4 ,they may be soaped or not1 as one pleases4 ,linen which has not been put to personal uses should be laid in a separate receptacle1 or else not soaked4 ,when the time has come to begin the washing let the water out of the tub in which the clothes are soaking1 then cover them with clean1 hot suds4 ,put in the wash board with its legs firmly planted against the side of the tub opposite to you4 ,soap and rub each article inside and out1 and little or much1 according to need4 ,attend especially to seams1 hems and very soiled places4 ,as the articles are washed1 put each through the wringer1 folding it with buttons in and narrow enough to go easily between the uprights of the wringer4 ,put them then either directly into the boiler1 or into a basket which can be carried over to the boiler when the other pieces are ready4 ,if some piece is still soiled after the rubbing1 soap the soiled places again before putting it into the boiler4 ,as soon as these articles of personal use are in the boiler1 begin to wash the other white clothes in clean suds4 ,rub and wring them and put them into a tub of rinse water4 ,by the time these are finished1 the clothes can be turned out of the boiler into the tub just emptied1 and the white things in the rinse tub put into the boiler for their boiling4 ,rinse the boiled clothes1 preferably twice1 then prepare the bluing1 put unstarched articles through it and lay them in the basket for hanging out4 ,articles to be starched must be left in the second rinse water until the starch is ready1 because no clothes may safely lie in bluing4 ,after being washed1 rinsed1 or blued1 clothes must be well wrung1 otherwise they will be a means of passing soapy water from one tub to another and will never be thoroughly rinsed4 ,intervals must be found between some of these performances for hanging out unstarched articles and for making the starch for the others4 ,when the first boilerful of clothes are hung out or waiting to be blued1 empty the second boilerful into the tub4 ,rinse as the others and when they are ready1 blue and starch these and all that have been waiting4 ,put articles1 or parts of articles1 which are to be very stiff in the starch first4 ,see that they are well wrung and shaken out beforehand and well squeezed out afterward4 ,dilute the starch a little for the pieces which are to be less stiff4 ,if napery is to be slightly stiffened1 put it into a tub with clean water and two or three large spoonfuls of the starch4 ,when the white clothes have been hung out1 wash the coloured things in clean suds4 ,they are neither soaked1 boiled1 nor blued1 and they should not lie in the wash or rinse water4 ,wash1 rinse twice1 and hang out at once in a shady place unless they must first be starched4 ,a little starch of original thickness should be saved for the coloured clothes if any of them must be very stiff4 ,dark cambrics are better stiffened with gum-arabic dissolved in water1 for they are apt to be streaked by starch4 ,stockings1 unless woollen1 are washed with the coloured articles4 ,colour can sometimes be set in wash material by soaking it in salt and water4 ,woollens are neither soaked1 boiled1 blued nor starched1 nor should they ever be put into water in which any thing else has been washed or rinsed4 ,the wash water and the rinse water for them should be of the same temperature and should feel neither warm nor cold to the hand4 ,wash them in suds made with good1 white soap1 and wash the white ones first4 ,shake them well before hanging them on the line and shake them every now and then while they are there4 ,do not rub woollen articles with soap1 nor wring them with your hands or a wringer1 nor hang them in hot sunshine or close to a fire4 ,knitted articles must not be ironed1 but flannels1 after they have dried1 may be pressed with a very moderately heated iron4 ,silk clothes should be washed and rinsed in tepid water and ironed with a good iron while they are still wet4 ,it will be found convenient to hang clothes of the same kind together on the lines4 ,one of the reasons for this is that when they are taken down they are already sorted for sprinkling4 ,sprinkling is done the night before the ironing day1 or early in the morning of that day4 ,if the weather is very warm1 or there is no cool place in which to keep the dampened clothes1 it is better to sprinkle them in the morning1 as during the night they may turn sour4 ,spread a clean dish towel or cloth on a table1 lay the pieces on it one on top of the other and sprinkle water over each with your hand or a clean whisk4 ,in winter it is well to use warm water for this4 ,fold large pieces into a manageable size4 ,do not put white and coloured clothes together1 nor yet starched and unstarched articles4 ,when all the pieces of one kind are sprinkled1 or enough of several kinds for a roll1 roll them tightly1 turning in the sides as one does the paper round a package4 ,thin pieces require less sprinkling than thick ones1 and folded pieces need sprinkling on both sides1 but directions of this kind are of little avail1 for only experiment can show you how wet to make each piece4 ,if clothes are not well dampened they cannot be made smooth with the iron1 yet they must not be so wet that they cool the irons and require an exceptional amount of pressing4 ,as the rolls are made1 lay them in the clothes basket4 ,when they are all finished put a cover over them1 lest the outermost pieces dry before the time comes for them to be ironed4 ,time and strength are wasted in attempts to use cool irons1 therefore allow them time to get thoroughly heated before you begin to iron4 ,set up the board in a place where it will not be in a draught1 as this quickly cools the irons4 ,place the iron-stand at the right-hand end of the board1 and with it a paper1 a cloth and a piece of beeswax4 ,under the board spread a clean cloth1 that when long pieces are being ironed they may rest on the cloth instead of on the floor4 ,the order in which ironing is done is a matter of preference4 ,some women say1 do the heaviest and most difficult pieces first4 ,others prefer to alternate the hard and easy ones4 ,women who do their housework without assistance usually make a roll of little unimportant things which they iron in the intervals of getting luncheon or of other necessary work4 ,large articles like tablecloths and sheets are folded down the middle and first ironed on one side1 then on the other4 ,they must be folded evenly and perfectly straight4 ,things like pillow cases1 which cannot be slipped over the board1 are also ironed double and on both sides4 ,fine pieces1 such as tablecloths and shirtwaists1 should be ironed until entirely dry4 ,on the contrary1 the pieces known as flat-work--sheets1 towels1 etc4--may be ironed1 carefully folded1 and allowed to dry on the clothes horse4 ,the object of ironing is to make things smooth and the shape they are intended to be4 ,by keeping this in mind1 and taking pains to accomplish it1 one can soon teach oneself to iron acceptably4 #c4 ,,special ,,washing ,the time and care required for washing some articles is so much more than can well be given them in the regular wash1 that it is better not to attempt to do them on the wash day4 ,such articles are blankets1 curtains1 embroideries1 lace1 chamois gloves or any very delicate fabrics4 ,blankets are successfully washed by the method given previously for woollens1 though the water used may be warm if preferred4 ,in that case1 the rinsing water must be equally warm4 ,in washing both wool and silk it is very necessary not to change their temperature4 ,if curtains are torn or stained1 they must be mended1 and must have the stains removed before they are washed4 ,put them in good1 hot suds and do not rub them or wring them1 or lift them heavy with water1 but instead1 pat them and knead them gently with your hands for a good while1 then press as much water out of them as possible and throw them into rinse water4 ,rinse again and again until they do not discolour clean water4 ,bluing and starch are absorbed by lace and delicate fabrics to an unusual degree1 therefore if you wish to use either for curtains1 use very small quantities4 ,when the washing is finished1 put the curtains on stretchers4 ,set white curtains in the sun to dry1 others in the shade4 ,an expedient which may be employed if stretchers are not obtainable1 is to pin the curtains to the carpet in a room which need not be used for two days4 ,cover the carpet with sheets1 then stretch the curtains into shape and pin them down tightly4 ,this is a troublesome method1 but it produces better results than ironing4 ,if curtains are washed and ironed in the way ordinary articles are done1 care must be taken not to stretch them out of shape when they are hung on the clothesline4 ,hang them with the length of the curtain running in the same direction as the length of the line4 ,the following is a good receipt for washing curtains3 ,into a pail of boiling water put one-half cup of kerosene1 two tablespoonfuls of pearline4 ,stir for fifteen minutes4 ,put in the curtains1 let them stand twenty minutes4 ,rinse twice in lukewarm water without rubbing or wringing4 ,rinse once in cold water4 ,blue1 and starch and put on a stretcher4 ,wash embroideries in lukewarm suds made with white soap4 ,do not soap or wring them4 ,press and move them about with careful hands and only leave them in the water as long as is necessary4 ,rinse thoroughly and iron on the wrong side while still wet4 ,spread several thicknesses of flannel or thick folds of cotton cloth over the ironing board1 this padding will bring the embroidery out in high relief4 ,these directions apply to either silk or cotton embroidery with the exception that the latter1 if white1 may be soaked or hung in the sun without injury4 ,if there is the slightest need1 lace should be mended before it is washed4 ,precious old lace should also be basted on strips of muslin with a very fine needle and thread4 ,soak lace for a half-hour in lukewarm suds made with very good white soap1 then press it and pat it and lift it up and down in the suds until you think it is clean4 ,press the water out of it between your hands1 and rinse it several times4 ,then1 if it is basted on pieces of muslin1 clip the threads on the back of the pieces and with the utmost care separate lace and muslin4 ,pin the former out on a pillow1 using small pins and exercising much patience4 ,every little point must be fastened down1 and pins woven into the straight edges in the direction in which the edges run4 ,lay the pillow in the sun and do not remove the lace until the next day4 ,if lace is to be ironed1 pad the board beforehand in the way recommended for embroidery4 ,use a very moderate iron for the lace must slowly and gently be pressed into its original shape4 ,everybody who has read ,cranford remembers with delight that lace may be whitened by soaking it in milk4 ,it may also be made tan-colour by dipping it in coffee or tea4 ,the latter is better because it leaves no odour4 ,a weak solution of gum arabic will stiffen lace when stiffness is desired4 ,starch is not usually satisfactory4 ,water in which fine fabrics are washed must either be soft by nature1 or must be made soft with borax4 ,chamois gloves can be washed successfully with cold water and good soap4 ,some people recommend putting a few drops of sweet oil into the water4 ,wash them until they are clean1 soaping and squeezing and rubbing them4 ,rinse them once4 ,squeeze them out hard and then gently stretch and press each glove into the shape and size it was when it was new4 ,hang them up to dry1 but not in the sun1 or near a heater1 or in a place where you may forget them4 ,for at least three or four times while they are drying1 they should be again gently rubbed and stretched4 ,upon the care with which this is done1 depend the softness and shape of the gloves4 ,when they are almost entirely dry1 put them on your hands1 then take them off and again gently stretch them into shape4 ,things which may not be washed in water are sometimes cleaned with naphtha or with some kindred fluid4 ,i hardly think this should be done unless one can do it out of doors4 ,it is extremely dangerous work1 not only to oneself but to the lives and property of other people4 ,at least try other methods before such washing is resorted to4 ,more things can be washed in soap and water1 if they are washed cleverly1 than is generally realized4 ,articles of delicate colour and texture can often be dry-cleaned with potato flour1 powdered ,french chalk1 or powdered magnesia4 ,rub the flour or powder gently into the fabric1 and allow it to remain there several hours4 ,then shake it out and repeat the process4 ,it is also a good method to put the article to be cleaned into a box1 powder it all over with one of these substances and then shut it up for two or three days4 ,several times each day shake the box well4 ,light coloured articles1 which may not be wet1 such as walls1 furniture1 rugs1 fur1 curtains and worsted shawls1 may sometimes be improved by rubbing flour and corn meal into them and then shaking and brushing it out again4 ,i am told that white fur can be made clean if it is rubbed with plaster of ,paris1 shaken1 and then rubbed with a damp cloth4 ,i cannot vouch for plaster of ,paris1 but ,i can for corn meal and flour1 for with it ,i once successfully cleaned a white kitten4 #d4 ,,alleviations ,housewives make various arrangements by which the family wash may be done with less expenditure of time and strength on the part of the household than it usually requires4 ,some have a woman in to do this work2 some have the clothes washed out of the house and sent home rough dried for ironing2 others send the flat pieces to a laundry and have the others done at home2 others yet send the elaborate pieces out and do the flat wash in the house4 ,a somewhat different sort of compromise can be made if the woman of the house realizes that light washing is pleasant1 skilful work4 ,she can considerably lessen bills for washing and ironing if she will herself do the handkerchiefs1 napkins1 doilies1 stockings1 and other small pieces4 #e4 ,,emergencies ,a word or two may well be said in regard to a few of the commonest difficulties that arise in this work4 ,a rainy or violently windy day is probably the most frequent emergency4 ,if one has an attic or a cellar1 temporary lines can be put up in either or both2 if one has not1 there may be room for a line or two in the kitchen and the clothes horse must help out4 ,if there is no place where clothes can be hung in the house1 either put the washing off1 or get all the white clothes to the stage of the second rinsing1 then put them into the tubs with clean water and leave them till the storm is over4 ,the coloured things must wait1 the woollens also1 unless there are so few that they can be washed and hung up in a bedroom1 or some equally unusual place4 ,there is not much that can be done when the wash water is muddy4 ,fill as many receptacles with it as possible1 the night before the washing day and in the morning pour the water off1 disturbing the settlings as little as possible4 ,its muddy colour will remain unchanged1 but it will contain less actual mud4 ,if one makes the mistake of getting clothes too blue1 it will save time eventually to rinse and dry them again4 ,for several washings are sometimes not sufficient to remove colour which has been ironed in4 ,in freezing weather1 it is a good plan to have a short length of line on which small pieces can be pinned in the house4 ,line and clothes may then be carried out and put up at the same time1 and can be brought in together when the pieces are dry4 ,clothes frozen to the lines are easily torn unless they are carefully removed4 ,therefore wrap up well before going out to do this work1 that you may not be in a hurry4 ,also put on heavy gloves or mittens and crush the frozen corners of the clothes hard in your hand before trying to detach them from the line4 ,a scorch will sometimes disappear if it is sponged gently with a wet cloth4 ,to hang the scorched garment in strong sunshine is also a good remedy4 ,dip a serious scorch in soapsuds or borax and water before hanging it in the sun1 if1 however1 the texture of the material is injured1 the misfortune can only be remedied with a darn or a patch4 ,sometimes starch will stick and coat the irons4 ,in such a case1 it is an assistance to sponge the starched pieces all over lightly with cold water and a clean cloth1 and to scrape the irons thoroughly and rub them with beeswax4 ,if1 after this1 the starch is still unmanageable1 rinse the clothes in clear water1 and if they are then too limp stiffen them with cold starch4 ,this really takes no more time and strength than struggling to iron sticky clothes2 it also prevents garments from being torn1 which is an invariable part of the vexation and anxiety occasioned by starch which sticks4 ,a sentence containing two words like vexation and anxiety may not be allowed to end a chapter4 ,i will put here1 instead1 that well-worn reproach of housework1 that it is ephemeral--work done merely to meet passing necessities4 ,for this reproach is a great source of contentment in the work4 ,most thankfully ,i can remind myself that things over which ,i could cry with weariness to-night will not exist to-morrow2 most thankfully ,i realize that this day's work is only one of hundreds like it1 and in all those days1 even ,i can learn to do the work acceptably4 ,,xiv ,,house ,,cleaning ,,jokes about house cleaning have somewhat decreased in number1 which makes one hopeful that the miseries of house cleaning have also decreased4 ,certainly there has been an earnest effort on the part of many housekeepers to make the performance an inconspicuous piece of work instead of an orgy4 ,house cleaning is of two classes3 that which is done when the house is continuously occupied1 and that which is done when a house is opened or closed after a season of absence or of occupation4 ,for either class1 a careful preparation removes half the difficulties and for both ample time should be allowed4 ,one should especially beware while house cleaning of what ,bishop ,hall calls the lust of finishing4 ,try to clean only as much each day as can be put back into habitable order by the time the men of the household come home4 ,one room a day is all a woman unaided should try to do4 ,mankind are pleased to make jokes about house cleaning and glad am ,i that they can take it that way1 for really it is a trial of character to come home tired and hungry and find the house cold1 the rooms in disorder and a picnic supper spread in the kitchen by an overwrought wife4 ,preparation for either class of house cleaning includes1 for one thing1 a decision as to what renewals and repairs are to be made4 ,painting1 papering1 floor renovation1 carpet and wall cleaning1 upholstering and whitewashing are all matters to be decided before the cleaning begins1 that they may not conflict1 and that those which make dirt and litter may be done before the actual cleaning of the rooms4 ,another sort of preparation is the cleaning of cupboards1 closets1 desks1 bureau drawers1 book-cases--everything which can be tightly closed or covered4 ,a little time devoted to this work every day for several weeks helps to make brief the period of necessary disorder4 ,a day or two before a room is cleaned1 ornaments and pictures can be taken down1 cleaned and put away until their places are ready for them again4 ,one must of course be careful not to remove comforts or conveniences4 ,house cleaning is merely an especially thorough and complete periodical cleaning1 such as has been described in ,chapter ,six1 to which are added certain works of renovation and the packing and unpacking of possessions which are used only during a part of the year4 ,renovations4--,renovations which are made by professionals merely require of the housekeeper that she appoint a time for the workers to come1 that she see that they do come and that they do their work well4 ,it may happen1 however1 that the housewife wishes or is compelled to make some renovations herself1 and though there is no way to find out how to do the work except by doing it1 yet a few suggestions may help4 ,whitewashing4--,the cleaning of the cellar usually involves whitewashing4 ,perhaps you think anybody can whitewash4 ,truly1 anybody can1 but often it's himself he whitewashes instead of the cellar4 ,the amount of lime which can be bought in most places for ten cents will make four or five pails of whitewash4 ,a friend of mine said1 when ,i asked her how much lime she bought for whitewashing her cellar1 ,oh1 two lumps about as big as my head4 ,when ,i asked1 ,head with puffs or without8 ,she changed it to1 about half a bucketful4 ,a firkin or a large pail which does not leak and which can be devoted to the purpose is needed for slacking the lime4 ,put in the lumps1 then pour half a pail of water on them1 carefully because you do not want to splash your surroundings with lime nor burn yourself4 ,do not be alarmed at the commotion you thus unwittingly create2 when the lime has thumped and hissed and gurgled a few minutes1 put on another half-pailful of water4 ,when the lime gets more quiet1 add water enough to fill the keg1 and stir until it is smooth1 then cover to keep out dust and leave it until it is cool4 ,when you look at it again it will probably be smooth and thick like sour cream4 ,if there is water on the top stir it in4 ,then dip out some of the lime into a pail and dilute it with water until it is like good milk4 ,stir it thoroughly4 ,surfaces which are to be whitewashed should be well brushed to remove dust and loose flakes of old whitewash4 ,apply whitewash with a broad brush and do not put it on very thick4 ,it will look gray and unpleasant until dry4 ,the whitewasher should prepare herself carefully for the work4 ,lime is injurious to clothes1 shoes and skin4 ,wear old shoes and clothes which can be washed1 and protect your head and hands4 ,professional whitewashers usually appear in hats or sunbonnets2 it is not a badge of their profession1 but a means of protecting their eyes when they whitewash above their heads4 ,protection for hands is even more necessary1 a day's work without protection means hands too sore to use for anything4 ,one might think that rubber gloves would be perfect for this purpose1 but in a few hours the lime eats through the rubber4 ,old rags which one can tie round one's hands and replace with others when they get wet are ,i believe the most effectual protection4 ,lime once slacked can be kept from one whitewashing to another and from year to year merely by keeping it always wet4 ,it should also be kept covered1 for dust discolours it4 ,painting4--,surfaces which are to be painted should first be made clean1 dry and smooth4 ,sweep and wipe walls and ceilings1 scrub woodwork with soap and water1 remove stains and grease spots1 sandpaper rough places and fill dints1 cracks and scratches3 those in the walls with plaster of ,paris1 those in the woodwork with putty4 ,when woodwork receives two coats of paint1 the putty should be applied after the first coat has dried4 ,surfaces which have not before been painted always require two coats of paint4 ,the first must be thoroughly dry before another is applied4 ,amateurs succeed better if they use already mixed paints1 rather than those of their own mixing4 ,if after it has been long and well stirred paint is thicker than light cream1 it should be thinned with turpentine4 ,because in thick paint the places where the strokes of the brush began and ended are apt to show2 likewise1 because thickly painted surfaces are easily scarred4 ,paint with long1 light strokes2 it is a motion like waving a flag1 not like scrubbing4 ,for wide surfaces1 like walls or ceilings1 use a fairly wide brush to save time2 for narrow places like door and window casings use a small brush4 ,soak new brushes in water1 and keep all brushes in water during intervals when they are not in use4 ,a brush which has dried with paint in it will soften if it is soaked in turpentine4 ,floors and ,carpets4--,methods for refinishing hardwood floors were given in ,chapter ,six4 ,the directions for beating rugs given in the same chapter apply equally to the cleaning of carpets4 ,papering4--,it is not always safe to copy professionals in the matter of putting on wall paper4 ,they do many things which the unskilled cannot4 ,nevertheless1 the first thing to do in this work is to examine the paper already on the walls4 ,count the full-length strips1 then count the short strips and calculate how many full-length strips they amount to4 ,as a double roll of wall paper is usually #af yards long1 the number of strips a roll will cut can be found by dividing #af yards by the length of one strip4 ,the length of a strip is obtained by measuring the height of the room from the top of the base-board to the ceiling4 ,be sure to divide #af yards by the length of one strip in yards1 or else to divide its equivalent1 #dh feet1 by the length of one strip in feet4 ,if a room is not already papered the number of full length strips may be found by measuring the distance round the room1 exclusive of the distance across doors and windows1 and dividing it by the width of the paper4 ,one must then measure spaces too short or too narrow for whole strips and as before calculate how many full-length strips they amount to4 ,when the number of full-length strips required for a room has been obtained by either of the foregoing methods1 the number of rolls required may be obtained by dividing the number of strips needed by the number of strips a roll will cut4 ,it is always wiser to get one roll more than the number thus obtained2 this allows for the waste in matching and for strips which may be spoiled in the putting up4 ,when the old paper has been examined remove it4 ,brush it over with hot water and peel it off4 ,sweep the walls and fill cracks and holes with plaster of ,paris wet with water4 ,cut the margin from one side of each roll of paper1 from the same side in every case4 ,usually the margin is wider on one side than on the other1 which helps one to remember which side to cut4 ,paper hangers cut off both margins but it is better not to do this until one has acquired some skill in paper hanging4 ,as you unroll the paper to trim off the margin1 also roll up again the part which has been trimmed4 ,on a pasting board or on the floor run out enough paper1 face up1 from a trimmed roll to make a full-length strip4 ,make a fold in the paper at the length required and cut it with scissors or a sharp knife4 ,lay something across the ends to keep the strip from rolling up4 ,again run out paper from the roll about the length of the strip but this time lay it with the trimmed edge on the untrimmed edge of the strip and if necessary draw it up to make the pattern match4 ,cut off the few inches which have to be drawn beyond the strip to make the match1 then cut a strip from the roll the length of the first strip4 ,continue to do this again and again until there are as many strips as you need4 ,then turn them all face down4 ,paste each strip with quick long strokes1 using a wide paint brush or whitewash brush4 ,fold the lower end lightly toward the middle1 far enough to keep it from touching the floor when you raise the strip by the upper corners4 ,place these corners against the wall where they belong and press the upper part of the strip against the wall1 then brush it lightly downward with a clean brush1 unfolding the lower part when you come to it4 ,put up all the full-length strips first1 beginning beside a door or a window frame where you will have a straight edge for a guide4 ,put the trimmed edge of the first strip next the woodwork1 lap the trimmed edge of the next strip over the margin of the first1 and so on4 ,if the distance between the last strip put up and the corner of the room is not sufficient for the width of the strip1 either leave that space and put the next strip on the next wall with the trimmed edge close in the corner1 or else cut the strip lengthwise and put it up with the cut edges meeting in the corner4 ,when all the full-length strips are up1 cover spaces which are too short or too narrow for a whole strip with pieces cut for the purpose from the strips left4 ,a border is put up last and must be done by two or three people1 or else cut into lengths short enough for one to handle4 ,good paste is made as follows3--,into an enamelled or new tin saucepan put four quarts of water and bring it to the boiling point4 ,mix a cup of flour with cold water as if for thickening gravy2 beat it smooth4 ,pour it into the boiling water1 stirring all the time until the mixture is thick as cream and has boiled a little4 ,remove from the stove1 and if there is any likelihood that the paste will be kept over night1 put into it a piece of alum as big as a walnut4 ,this keeps it from becoming sour4 ,packing4--,renovations accomplished by amateur effort are more apt to be associated with house cleaning of the first class1 than with that of the second4 ,packing1 on the contrary1 though it has a small necessary part in the cleaning of a house continuously occupied1 is a chief and important performance in closing a house4 ,in fact1 this latter process is little more than packing up a whole house4 ,the suggestions concerning packing which follow are intended to be of use in closing a house but they amply cover the packing away which is done spring and fall in a house which remains open4 ,woollen articles and furs should be packed in receptacles which close tightly and should have some substance unpleasant to moths packed with them4 ,it is a wise precaution to line packing boxes or trunks with brown paper which has been wet with turpentine1 or with newspaper1 for both are disliked by moths4 ,all articles should be thoroughly brushed and shaken before they are packed4 ,many people disapprove of hanging them out in the sun beforehand1 as they think this gives the moths a splendid chance to lay eggs in comfortable1 sun-warmed fur and wool4 ,things soiled or half-soiled ought not to be packed away4 ,dirt injures fabrics and colours and helps to breed creatures4 ,possessions which are to remain packed for a long time should not be put away starched4 ,do not wrap white articles in white tissue paper1 it turns them yellow4 ,beware of putting into packing trunks anything which gathers dampness4 ,it may be romantic to find a dried rose laid away with somebody's ball dress1 but a brown spot on the front breadth is not romantic4 ,pieces of camphor should be wrapped in paper and any other substance used to keep out moths must be sprinkled or laid in with discretion4 ,black clothes are rarely injured by such things1 but coloured ones may be4 ,curtains1 hangings1 bed coverings and all textile furnishings1 whether woollen or not1 should be packed or folded and wrapped when a house is to be closed as they require protection from light and dust4 ,sofa pillows may be put into old pillow slips and left in their places or packed1 whichever is more convenient4 ,mattresses and bed pillows should be covered with old sheets or dusting sheets4 ,some people have their carpets and large rugs taken up1 cleaned and stored by the cleaners or brought back to the house and left rolled until needed again4 ,such rolls should have paper tied over the ends and should be separated from each other4 ,sometimes carpets are left on the floor and covered with crash while the house is closed2 the crash protects them from dust and from being faded4 ,fabric-covered walls and upholstered furniture should be covered to protect them from the same dangers4 ,it is convenient to have a cover for each piece of furniture1 but if several pieces are grouped together they can be covered with one cloth4 ,ornaments1 pictures1 mirrors and light fixtures should be wrapped in cloths or paper to keep them from dust1 light and flies4 ,silver and valuables should be sent away to some reliable place for storage or locked in a safe4 ,bright objects such as andirons1 brass curtain poles and candlesticks and their like are better wrapped in brown paper4 ,rub the nickel fittings in the bathrooms with the rags which have been used for polishing floors or furniture4 ,this is good for them at any time4 ,books which are to be left in a closed house should be carefully dusted and shut in cases1 or covered with sheets4 ,a piece of gum camphor1 or a few drops of oil of lavender put on the shelves will help to keep away insects1 mould and mustiness4 ,leather-bound books need special care about once a year whether the house is open or closed4 ,care which agrees well with them is this3 ,first wipe them thoroughly and affectionately with a flannel cloth2 then dip a small piece of flannel into a mixture of equal parts paraffine and castor oil1 and with it wipe all the leather parts of the bindings4 ,in city houses green shades are usually put up in summer and light-coloured ones in winter4 ,any shade which is taken down should be tightly rolled to keep the spring from loosening4 ,when closing a house in a place where there is much dust1 it is well to lay pieces of paper on the window sills1 just far enough over the outer edge to be held by the window when it is shut4 ,these keep the dust which sifts in from lying on and discolouring the sills4 ,if stoves1 lengths of pipe and wire screens are put away for a time1 it is well to grease them1 unless the place where they are put is absolutely dry4 ,melted lard or drippings are good for this purpose1 and also kerosene1 though in time this completely evaporates4 ,the nickel parts of stoves keep in better condition if they are wrapped in paper after they are greased4 ,when a kitchen is to be closed for a season1 the room and everything in it must be left clean and dry1 otherwise there will be mould1 rust and water-bugs to contend with when the house is opened4 ,some scouring and polishing will be saved if bright tin and brass utensils and fittings are wrapped in paper4 ,the contents of cupboards and drawers should be grouped on tables and covered with paper or cloths1 and no food kept except stores which are not injured by keeping4 ,inflammable liquids such as alcohol1 kerosene and turpentine should not be left in a closed house4 ,matches should be shut in a tin box or taken away altogether4 ,the last thing before a house is closed--gas1 electricity and water must be turned off4 ,after the water is turned off1 empty the tanks of the closets as they may rust if water stands in them several months4 ,crude glycerine or some liquid which does not evaporate should be poured into all traps4 ,in the course of months the water in traps evaporates and leaves the passageway for gases from the sewer to the house unobstructed4 ,on account of this evaporation1 the water should be run occasionally in rooms and bathrooms which are not in regular use1 in order that the traps may be kept full4 ,two general rules to be followed in preparing a house to be closed are3 mark all articles which are wrapped up in unrecognizable packages1 and1 as far as it is reasonable1 leave things in the rooms in which they belong4 ,many people would add to these the rule that household possessions should be repaired before they are put away4 ,i think1 however1 that this rule does not apply to clothing1 furs1 hangings1 upholstery or any textiles4 ,such are improved or deteriorated by being packed away1 and one cannot tell beforehand which will happen4 ,likewise1 they are freshened by being repaired or altered just before they are again used4 ,it is true1 however1 that household appliances1 and the house itself should be put in order before the house is closed1 for possessions like plumbing1 rain-pipes1 woodwork1 light fixtures1 furnaces1 stoves and shades grow worse the longer they are left out of repair1 and sometimes injure other things4 ,opening a ,house4--,just before a house is to be opened1 light and water should be turned on1 all the contrivances connected with them examined and needed repairs made4 ,it is better that this part of the opening should be done a day or two before any one returns to the house to live4 ,dust is the first thing to look after when the house is opened4 ,remove as much of it as possible before anything is uncovered4 ,then remove covers and put things in their places1 beginning with those most necessary for living4 ,after that rearrange and renew those which require it as soon as the time and needed assistance for doing so can be obtained4 ,housecleaning of any sort can hardly fail to be a time of turmoil and weariness for the housekeeper4 ,her help is to remember that if the family have good food and comfortable beds and are not scolded or quarrelled with1 they are well enough off to wait several days or even weeks for curtains1 clean windows and slippery floors4 ,,xv ,,emergencies ,,this does not pretend to be a chapter1 though it is called so for convenience4 ,it is merely a list of miscellaneous suggestions drawn from experience1 which may be useful to others4 ,it is in the very nature of emergencies that they cannot be forseen or prepared for4 ,they are things like those encountered by the knight-errant as he rode through the unknown forest--things which are never twice the same and which must be met and dealt with1 without forethought or consideration4 ,and they are most successfully dealt with in an adventurous spirit1 as things to call out one's courage and address1 and put them to the proof4 ,i know that is a difficult spirit to attain4 ,mistakes and failures and the remarks which families feel themselves at liberty to make about such things are disheartening and painful4 ,the funny side is the best defense always against one's own distress and the thoughtlessness of other people4 ,i have found that a person who sees the funny side of a calamity or of a difficulty gives more help in housekeeping than any one else4 ,happy the home which contains such a person1 thrice happy one in which that person is its mistress4 ,a woman who is inclined to take household failures and accidents too seriously may comfort herself with the thought that what she fails to do to-day1 she will probably succeed in to-morrow2 and also with the reflection that an occasional uncomfortable accident is good for her family4 ,a few spoonfuls of scorched soup eaten for courtesy's sake is valuable food4 ,likewise1 household accidents can be used to plant in the family mind that calamities are to be shared by all4 ,it is not merely a reproach to the housekeeper that the family maid does not set the table correctly1 or that the family potatoes are burned4 ,probably if a husband remarks1 ,your gravy is cold1 it is just as well for his wife to reply delightedly1 ,no colder than your beans4 ,not awfully clever perhaps1 but better than hurt feelings4 #a4 ,,cooking ,,emergencies ,stale bread or cake can be freshened by plunging it into cold water and then setting it in the oven for a few minutes4 ,it must be used at once4 ,pieces of stale bread may be thoroughly dried in the oven1 then put through the meat chopper and kept in a glass jar for covering croquettes1 fried oysters1 etc4 ,pieces of meat which in appearance and quantity will not be suitable for a meal may often be used by arranging some vegetable on the same dish4 ,the pieces can be warmed in gravy and wreathed with carrots or peas4 ,or they can be put through the grinder1 packed into a mould lined with boiled rice and the whole heated4 ,or they can be chopped1 put into ramakins1 covered with potato crust and slightly browned4 ,these are merely samples of the many ways in which vegetables can be made to conceal the fact that there is not meat enough for a main dish4 ,left-over breakfast food of any of the cooked varieties can be made into delicate little cakes which will make up for the lack of a vegetable or do for a luncheon dessert4 ,if there are about two cupfuls or less1 mix with one egg and a saltspoonful of salt4 ,fry in very hot grease using about a dessertspoonful of batter for each cake4 ,they will sputter and be hard to turn1 but that merely indicates their good qualities4 ,if thickening remains lumpy instead of stirring smooth1 strain it through a fine wire strainer4 ,curdled mayonnaise need not be wasted4 ,if a new dressing is begun and stirred until it begins to thicken1 the curdled dressing may then be stirred in as if it were oil4 ,cream tomato soup can be kept from curdling if a bit of soda not larger than a pea is stirred into the milk4 ,this holds good for any cream soup or for milk which is to be boiled4 ,a piece of soda not larger than a pea boiled with vegetables will keep them green4 ,boil this same quantity of soda with old1 tough vegetables and they will soften4 ,it makes less odour through the house1 and makes the vegetables themselves less strong1 if cabbage1 cauliflower1 onions and some kinds of beans are drained two or three times while boiling1 and covered again with fresh hot water4 ,it is better not to put a cover over such things4 ,if potatoes baked in the meat pan will not brown1 they can be browned in a frying pan on top of the stove4 ,when water has boiled off vegetables and they are burning1 remove the pot from the stove and turn the contents quickly and lightly into another pot4 ,let everything which is inclined to stick1 stick4 ,put hot water on the vegetables and return them to the stove if they need more cooking4 ,put water and a tablespoonful of baking soda into the burnt pot4 ,yolks of eggs1 also lemons1 will keep longer if laid in cold water4 ,pieces of charcoal wrapped in bits of cheese cloth and laid with meat or tucked inside poultry help to keep either sweet4 ,if the cook must be a long while absent from the kitchen while fowls are roasting1 strips of bacon pinned across their breasts and legs will baste the fowls for her4 ,if the fire is too hot for broiling1 or if for any reason the broiler may not be used1 heat the frying pan hot without greasing it4 ,lay the meat in the pan first on one side then on the other4 ,the result is much like broiling1 some people even prefer this method4 #b4 ,,some ,,substitutes ,,for ,,articles ,,called ,,for ,,by ,,receipts ,for milk4--,water1 or milk and water1 may be used in either cake or bread when receipts say milk with little variation in result except that bread and cake thus made dry more quickly4 ,sour milk may be used in mixtures which require sweet if just enough soda is put into it to make it sweet1 and the baking powder is measured grudgingly4 ,sweet milk may be used when a receipt calls for sour if lemon juice is stirred into it until the milk thickens4 ,for celery in salad4--,use tender cabbage and celery seed4 ,or use endive4 ,for chicken4--,excellent substitutes for chicken croquettes and chicken salad can be made of veal or of young pork4 ,for cream4--,use milk and double the quantity of butter4 ,for butter4--,in cake1 use half butter1 half lard and a pinch of salt4 ,in cookies1 one may risk using three-quarters lard1 if the lard is very good and the available butter very poor4 ,in less delicate cookery lard1 sweet drippings or chicken oil may be used4 ,before using any of these substitutes salt them a little4 #c4 ,,stains ,,and ,,spots ,fruit and wine stains4--,if fruit juice or wine is spilled at table1 cover the spot with salt4 ,the salt lessens the stain1 saves the appearance of the table1 and diverts attention from the culprit who did the spilling4 ,boiling water poured through fruit or wine stains will usually remove them entirely4 ,if it does not1 try a weak solution of oxalic acid4 ,coffee and tea4--,pour boiling water through the stains until they disappear4 ,ink and iron rust4--,cover a spot of either ink or iron rust with salt wet with lemon juice and lay it in the sun4 ,repeat until the spot disappears4 ,or1 use salts of lemon and sunshine in the same way4 ,or1 if the material stained is white linen or cotton try chlorinated soda4 ,sometimes ripe tomato will remove ink stains4 ,sometimes soaking them in milk will take them out4 ,often an ink-eradicator such as is sold to remove writing from paper will take ink spots out of white material4 ,paint4--,turpentine will remove paint from fabrics1 also from glass or iron4 ,mildew and grass stains4--,try lemon1 salt and sun applied as for iron rust4 ,try diluted oxalic acid4 ,if the material stained is white1 try boiling it in buttermilk4 ,try alcohol for grass stains4 ,or rub them with molasses and then thoroughly wash the fabric4 ,grease spots4--,if the article may be washed1 try washing it with cold water and white soap4 ,or1 moisten it with a strong solution of household ammonia and water1 cover with blotting paper and iron dry4 ,or1 sponge with a mixture of four parts alcohol to one part salt4 ,powdered ,french chalk will often remove grease spots from silk or woollen materials4 ,tar1 carriage grease or machine-oil may usually be removed by rubbing the material with lard and then thoroughly washing it with soap and water4 ,spots of candle grease will disappear if they are covered with blotting paper or coarse fibred brown paper and ironed with a hot iron4 ,kerosene4--,kerosene spilled on books1 rugs or furniture will quickly disappear if they are held near a hot fire or a gas jet4 ,not nearer than your hand can bear4 ,sometimes if the article is left in strong sunshine all day1 the spots will disappear4 ,blood stains4--,wash first with clear cold water4 ,if the stain is obstinate wet with kerosene1 then wash in warm suds4 ,stained hands4--,they are improved by the application of any of the following3 vinegar1 lemon juice1 pumice1 ripe tomatoes or dishwater4 ,note4--,colour taken out by an acid can usually be restored with an alkali4 ,colour taken out with an alkali can usually be restored with an acid4 #d4 ,,annoying ,,creatures ,ants4--,powdered borax sprinkled on shelves and along baseboards and door sills will keep ants away4 ,ants will not walk over broad1 thick chalk lines4 ,such lines drawn round boxes and jars some distance above the shelf or floor on which they stand will protect them from ants4 ,ants and other crawling insects may be kept out of a cupboard which stands on legs1 if its legs are set in bowls or cans of water4 ,to wash cupboards and shelves with a strong solution of alum and water 7#a lb4 to #b qts47 is a protection against any kind of insect4 ,mice4--,an excellent defense against mice is a velvet-footed1 self-possessed1 ,epicurean ,philosopher in the shape of a cat4 ,traps are good if one may not have a cat4 ,seek diligently for holes large enough to admit mice and have them stopped4 ,if you discover one unexpectedly and have nothing else at hand1 thrust a piece of yellow soap into the hole4 ,i have not yet found among mice the counterpart of the gentleman who cleaned his teeth with yellow soap for the sake of self-discipline4 ,poison is a poor expedient for ridding the house of mice4 ,whatever may be said in the advertisements1 poisoned rats and mice frequently die in the walls or in the cellar and make life miserable in the neighbourhood4 ,it is with reluctance that ,i suggest attacks upon mice4 ,i must hasten to finish them1 for a little later in the evening a tiny1 palpitating1 silken1 gray ball with bright eyes will come and sit on my desk and eat crumbs4 ,what if he should sit down on this page and see what my housewifely conscience compels me to write1 but not always to act upon6 ,moths4--,gum-camphor1 tar-camphor1 turpentine1 pepper1 a large collection of patent substances1 extreme cold and extreme heat are all objectionable to moths4 ,ways of packing articles to protect them from moths have been given in the chapter on house cleaning4 ,careful sweeping and dusting1 and frequent airing of clothing and hangings are excellent and natural preventatives of moths4 ,water-bugs and cockroaches4--,keep places where they congregate dry and clean4 ,practically all the well-known roach foods and roach salts effectually prevent these creatures1 but none are effectual in places which are allowed to be dirty or damp4 ,bedbugs4--,if a housewife has ever had the least trouble with these creatures there is one warning to take to heart and constantly obey3 ,watch6 ,complete extermination is extremely difficult4 ,sometimes after two or three years of absence they appear again4 ,besides there is always danger that they may be brought into the house from a street car or a laundry or some such place4 ,if one finds a few of these creatures1 apply creosote1 or corrosive sublimate1 or some patent poison to the bed or cracks where they were found4 ,apply the poison with a feather or a squirt4 ,be sure to mark the bottles containing it with the word ,poison and keep them where they will not easily be found by others than the housewife4 ,if one makes the horrifying discovery that a room is really infested with these creatures1 then indeed one must fight hard and unceasingly4 ,paint and varnish are a great help in such cases4 ,if the room is papered1 remove the paper1 fill every crack first with poison1 then with plaster of ,paris4 ,paint or calcimine the walls instead of papering them again4 ,fill every crack in the woodwork with putty1 have a moulding put over the place where the baseboards meet the floor1 and paint or varnish all the woodwork so thick that there are no cracks4 ,wash the bed and the furniture in the room and varnish all their underneath and unfinished parts4 ,then1 every day when the room is put in order1 seek these flat1 brown creatures everywhere4 #e4 ,,burns ,,and ,,stings ,keep in the kitchen a few soft1 old white rags for wrapping burns1 cuts1 bruises and other injuries4 ,keep also for these hurts a bottle containing two teaspoonfuls of borax dissolved in one quart of water2 or two ounces boracic acid dissolved in one quart of water4 ,either of these mixtures is healing1 soothing and antiseptic4 ,always wrap burns2 air aggravates them4 ,keep them wet with one of these solutions and the pain will soon be allayed4 ,wrap burned fingers separately1 or they will stick together4 ,an excellent remedy for scalds is always at hand in the kitchen--the flour dredger4 ,cover the scalded place thick with flour and keep it covered4 ,stings and bites of insects should be kept wet with ammonia for ten or fifteen minutes1 or covered with baking soda wet with water4 ,clean mud from a garden bed or a flowerpot is also excellent for them4 #f4 ,,serving ,,of ,,meals ,,for ,,the ,,sick ,meals for people who are in bed are an emergency of housekeeping4 ,in their preparation1 economy should not be exercised unless it is grievously necessary4 ,sick people are easily annoyed and often have no appetite2 sometimes they have even a disgust for food4 ,the necessity then is that their food should be the best1 the freshest1 the most inviting and the most carefully cooked4 ,it is also important that food should be really hot or really cold when it is intended to be4 ,coffee or tea served in a little pot or in a covered pitcher rather than in a cup will be hotter and not spilled over into the saucer4 ,plates and cups which are to contain hot food should be heated very hot1 they will be cool enough for use by the time they have been carried upstairs4 ,if the tray must be carried any distance cover hot food with heated plates and bowls4 ,for butter or ice cream or any food which must be cold to look or taste agreeable1 chill the plate on which it is to be served and cover it with a chilled bowl or plate4 ,in hot weather put the butter on a little lettuce leaf1 or lay a tiny piece of ice beside it4 ,the appearance of an invalid's tray is often the cause of appetite or of the lack of it4 ,the linen should always be perfectly fresh1 the food in small quantities and daintily arranged4 ,the dishes may well be the daintiest and prettiest in the house1 and should be small enough for easy use4 ,a flower or a geranium leaf is a pleasant addition to the tray4 ,before bringing a meal to an invalid1 go and see that she is comfortable4 ,if one has not an invalid's table1 it is well to put a pile of books or boxes on each side of the sick person on which the ends of the tray can rest4 ,it takes strength and nerve to balance something on one's lap when half lying down4 #g4 ,,guests ,including guests in the chapter on emergencies is not intended as a discourtesy4 ,they owe the classification to the fact that they are sometimes unexpected and always need a little special thought and care1 however simply they are received4 ,it does not seem to me that the people who make no preparations whatever for guests are any more in the right than those who make themselves sick-in-bed getting ready for them4 ,it is not necessary to sweep the whole house1 clean the attic and whitewash the cellar in preparation for a guest1 but it does seem that a room should be carefully made ready for them and that more space should be cleared for their possessions than two hooks in the closet and perhaps a bureau drawer4 ,certain things which it is pleasant to have in a guest room are in the following list3 ,an empty closet and empty drawers4 ,drinking water1 at night1 because a guest cannot wander round at night seeking what he needs4 ,a candle and matches close to the bed1 because something may happen to the lighting arrangements1 or the guest may forget where they are4 ,a wash cloth1 a piece of soap1 a brush and comb1 pins and a whisk broom1 because these things are easily and frequently forgotten by a traveller4 ,a wrapper1 a pair of bedroom slippers1 and a ,bible4 ,these three are especially for transient guests as they are apt to be heavy and large to carry in a travelling bag4 ,if the guest-room bed is very daintily covered1 it is well to have a place1 other than the bed1 where a guest may lie down4 ,the bed should be opened at night because a stranger often feels a helpless ignorance of the intricacies of shams and counterpanes and unaccustomed methods of bed making4 ,the degree of preparation made for meals offered to guests should be governed by the occasion4 ,when people are formally invited into your home for a meal1 it is natural that special preparations should be made for them1 and quite right1 provided the repast does do not exceed what you can afford or serve without evident anxiety4 ,unexpected guests and guests who stay a few days or more ought to be taken into the regular life of the family1 with only such departures from the usual order as the use of finer linen1 or flowers on the table1 or the preparation of some dish which the guest is known to care for4 ,there are several small reasons why it is not wise to make a sudden change in the family ways for the sake of impressing a guest4 ,one is that some candid member of the family is sure to speak of the change or betray it by awkwardness2 another is that the guest is sure to find out the alteration by this means or some other2 and another is that company manners and company menus produce an awful restraint which even a cordial family and a genial guest cannot break through4 ,then there are two large reasons for not trying to impress a guest2 it is artificial and untrue1 and it kills natural1 simple hospitality4 ,if entertaining is made a great trouble and expense1 many people cannot do it4 ,and this is a real misfortune because the reception of guests is a necessary part of family life4 ,it is a pleasure1 it brings new knowledge and new experience1 it is an opportunity for kindliness1 it diverts people's minds from themselves and besides1 it is a sacred duty4 ,a good many times ,i have seen trouble in a family or in a school completely done away by the coming of an interesting guest4 ,probably every one knows instances when a guest has brought a great happiness or a great blessing4 ,for there is much truth as well as loveliness in those old tales of angels entertained unawares1 of the weary stranger sheltered who proves to be the king1 and of travellers lodged for a night who departing leave exhaustless gifts4 ,,xvi ,,servants ,,whatever is said within the next few years of the situation known as the servant question must be in the form of a theory or of an opinion4 ,for the question is still unanswered1 the problem unsolved4 ,there are two things which each woman can do toward solving this problem2 one is to find out all she can about it in general1 and the other is to deal as wisely and calmly as she may with the particular servant or servants in her care4 ,one of the most obvious things about the situation is that there is something very much the matter4 ,listen for only a few minutes to a group of women talking about their servants and you will hear a most disheartening list of complaints4 ,discount this list somewhat on the grounds that people are inclined to magnify their troubles1 and then consider how it compares with the complaints made of the hands in a factory or in a mill4 ,there will be many points of likeness and identity1 but in such a comparison one serious difference between the problem of domestic service and other labour problems cannot fail to become apparent4 ,this difference is that each domestic servant comes into individual and personal relation with her employer and lives in her employer's home1 distinctly affecting with her disposition and behaviour the family life4 ,one can vividly realize the peculiar troubles which can arise from this situation by picturing the anxieties and annoyances that the superintendent of a mill or a factory would suffer if he were suddenly required to become the head of a lodging house for his employees4 ,our situation is not quite so serious in regard to numbers as his would be1 but1 none the less1 we have constantly to take into our homes women who differ from ourselves in nationality1 class1 education1 personal habits1 tastes1 standards--in fact1 in so many things that a daily and unavoidable relationship is most difficult and irksome4 ,nor are the trials of this relationship entirely borne by the mistress4 ,is it not a fact to be considered deeply1 not to say humbly1 that girls prefer to work in factories and stores for poor wages and to live in wretched lodging houses1 rather than to receive good wages and live in our homes8 ,what is there in this relationship of domestic service which the workers on their side so much dislike8 ,also1 a maid feels the incongruity we have mentioned between the family in which she lives and herself4 ,a maid-of-all-work1 especially1 can hardly fail to be very lonely4 ,the lack of fixed work hours in this service deprives the maid of personal liberty and of any protection from unreasonable demands4 ,from morning till night and from night till morning she is at the mercy of the whims and temper of another woman4 ,she knows that in this occupation she will be ranked lower socially than her acquaintances who do not live out4 ,she knows1 also1 how little respect her work commands even from those who are benefited by it4 ,even the kindest of us sometimes say1 ,she looks like a cook or1 ,i feel as if ,i were dressed for the intelligence office4 ,if we speak like that of an occupation1 is it surprising that women wish to avoid it8 ,it is not hard to deduce from the complaints made on both sides that the problem of domestic service is a problem of personal relationship4 ,its solution then depends upon the discovery of a possible and wise relation between mistress and maid1 which it will become the general purpose to establish and preserve4 ,at least two alternatives lie already before those who would discover this relationship4 ,one is to recognize and endeavour to perfect the system of domestic service which has been for centuries in use2 the other is to develop and establish a new system which lies as a possibility in the minds of many people and has been sporadically tried4 ,for convenience1 ,i shall name these two and call the first1 the patriarchal system1 the second1 the business system4 ,the patriarchal system of domestic service has been in use some time4 ,it probably began when the first woman brought the first man his food for love's sake4 ,then one day she was ill or the baby needed her and she asked some other woman to take it to him for the sake of neighbourliness4 ,then perhaps in a time of dearth it occured to an impoverished woman to serve another for the sake of food and clothes--and so it all began4 ,up to a very recent time servants were often permanent members of the household4 ,the phrase a family servant and a very few representatives of the class are still with us4 ,the relation between such servants and their masters and mistresses was a personal and moral one4 ,at its best1 the servant gave time1 work1 strength1 loyalty and love1 for life2 the master and mistress gave food1 clothes1 shelter1 protection1 nursing1 affection and a home1 for life4 ,one cannot say how widely this ideal prevailed1 but certainly it once existed in thought and fact as it does not now4 ,times have changed1 have they not8 ,and changed so quickly that we hardly know just where we are in regard to servants4 ,servants on the one side1 masters and mistresses on the other side1 have dropped the responsibility out of their relationship and yet they fondly expect other things to remain unchanged4 ,one woman complains that her servants are disrespectful1 another that they are ungrateful1 another that they do not care anything about her4 ,suppose a servant should suddenly turn and ask us1 ,do you care anything about me8 ,do you know about my childhood8 ,do you know how many brothers and sisters ,i have1 and whether my father and mother are yet alive8 ,do you know what things make me glad or gay1 what interests or hopes ,i have8 ,if ,i am faithful to you1 will you teach me and help me in my ignorance and my sins1 and at last protect my helpless old age8 ,if your cook should suddenly turn on you with these questions--on you1 who own to having fifteen cooks in two months1 or even on you who grieve because servants are not respectful1 would not either of you discharge her at once and say you were never so insulted in your life8 ,and yet if the patriarchal system of domestic service is to work1 we must be able to answer earnestly1 yes1 to these questions1 and the servant on her side must make the family life and interests her chief concern4 ,she must be like ,black ,lize who lies buried at the feet of her mistress in a northern cemetery1 and who told some of her people that she did not leave the family after the war as they had done1 she stayed1 and put up with things4 ,or she must be like two ,irish saints whom ,i know1 devout women each consecrated to the service of a family4 ,one hears their feet on the stairs at five in the morning going out to ,church1 and again going up to bed late at night after the last young mistress is undressed and comfortably at rest4 ,they live here or there as others choose2 they go out or stay in1 sleep or stay awake1 wait long or hurry madly as other people wish2 they are the chosen companions of the ill1 the sad and the difficult members of the family2 they have given up their own family ties to share the fate of another family2 they have no end in life except to serve4 ,this patriarchal system asks a good deal of mere human creatures1 does it not8 ,and one cannot say positively what the business system will ask because it has not been tried1 but it seems probable that it would ask as much only in different ways4 ,it is time1 though1 to consider what the requirements of the business system might be1 because many people think that domestic service will before long undergo some such change as has come over the professions of teaching and nursing in the last half-century4 ,any one who will read the novels of ,miss ,bront and of ,miss ,austen1 of ,thackeray and of ,dickens with special attention to the governesses and nurses they contain1 is likely to feel surprise1 however well he may know the histories of these professions4 ,particularly consider ,shirley for governesses and ,martin ,chuzzlewit for nurses and then picture the teachers and nurses of to-day1 and it will not be hard to believe that in fifty years the profession of domestic service may also be so changed in status that no woman will feel it a social descent to employ herself therein4 ,what will the relation between worker and employer be then1 and what will be required of each8 ,the relation would doubtless be that of a business contract such as one has with a teacher1 a typewriter or a nurse4 ,the employer could not ask for respect1 but for business courtesy2 she could not expect gratitude1 but rather skilled service for value received4 ,her responsibility for her employee would consist in paying her wages1 in providing her with sanitary surroundings1 in requiring only a definite number of hours of work from her1 and in regarding her with the same sort of human consideration which is used toward other wage earners4 ,in all probability these things would be required of the housekeeper by law1 as they are in greater or less degree required now of employers of labour4 ,women would have to know more about housekeeping than many do now1 to be able to direct professional workers4 ,they would have to give up using the word servant and the manner and feeling which sometimes go with it1 or their employee would probably seek another position4 ,the employee would not be a member of the household2 she would usually sleep out of the house and come in for work hours1 she would not take her meals with the family any more than she does now but it would be for the same reason that your husband's superintendent or secretary does not go out to lunch with him4 ,she would expect the wages which were customary for her training and work hours4 ,she would not be expected to have any especial attachment for her employers other than that arising from the fact that they fulfilled their business contracts and treated her courteously4 ,she could not expect to have incompetency ignored1 nor to learn her business from those who were paying her the wages of a skilled worker4 ,would you like these requirements any better than those of the patriarchal system8 ,these are just two sketches of the possibilities of an old system and of the probabilities of a new one4 ,the problem1 as you must personally meet it1 unsolved1 unclassified1 little understood and a good deal discouraging is even now perhaps getting dinner in the kitchen4 ,probably the best plan for dealing with her at present is to use a little of both systems4 ,it is wise to be very business-like about some things4 ,days out1 for instance1 ought not to be interfered with except in case of family calamity4 ,if the maid chooses to spend them at home1 they should be as much hers as if she had gone out4 ,sanitary surroundings are another thing4 ,i hope that if ,i looked into your maids' room ,i should not see that there was no light1 no heat1 a double bed for two maids who are strangers to each other and the most meagre washing conveniences4 ,it is useless to say that it is better than their homes1 it is not their homes1 it is your home4 ,when an inspector goes to see about factory conditions1 he does not say1 ,it's well enough1 it's as good as their homes4 ,another thing about which we should be business-like is the matter of hours4 ,we should be as particular that our maids do not work sixteen hours as if we had a ,trades' ,union compelling us to be4 ,a business-like point-of-view would also preserve us from despising a necessary and useful occupation4 ,i have mentioned the careless way we speak of it sometimes1 but what ,i think really matters more1 is that some women would rather put up with lying1 stealing1 and immorality in a maid than take the risk of having to do her work4 ,on the maid's day out1 likewise1 some of us do as little of her work and do it as slightingly as we can1 and she knows it4 ,but we shall need the patriarchal method in dealing with maids personally4 ,they are of many nationalities2 they are untrained1 untaught2 they have different customs1 different manners1 often different feelings from ourselves4 ,we shall need much knowledge and human sympathy to understand them2 much patience and quietness to teach them4 ,we shall have to explain things which are new to them a great many times and very simply4 ,we shall have to tell them definitely a few things which we require1 and we must keep them and ourselves faithfully to these requirements4 ,we must not lose our tempers with them because this lessens our authority1 and besides1 it is inexcusable to lose one's temper with a subordinate4 ,we must not expect sympathy from them in the trouble they give us4 ,we shall not get it any more than we would get such sympathy from children in school4 ,it is sometimes a help over a puzzling place to remember that this work has a resemblance to the work of teaching4 ,there is required of us the same willingness to wait long for results1 the same patience with ignorance and clumsiness and defectiveness1 the same quiet firmness toward carelessness and insolence4 ,many teachers have to begin to teach when they still know very little4 ,they learn as they work1 and so can housekeeper teachers4 ,if the cook knows more about her work than you do1 by all means learn from her and take her advice often1 but do not allow her on this account to rule the household1 or to decide about family arrangements which are not in her department4 ,do you know that letter of ,saint ,paul's written to his friend ,philemon on behalf of a runaway slave8 ,it is an irresistible letter4 ,such a mingling of loving confidence and insistent authority is hardly to be found elsewhere4 ,and also1 with a little thinking1 a little putting together piece by piece1 one gets a whole1 vivid dramatic story from this letter4 ,but its importance to us is that it is a letter written about a servant1 and has more in it than people have yet been able to put into practice1 though they have made a little progress in about nineteen hundred years4 ,,xvii ,,martha ,i ,,believe that the chief reason that women find the work of housekeeping irksome and sometimes intolerable is a reason seldom given or reckoned with4 ,the objections frequently raised1 that women dislike the work because it ties them at home1 because it takes all their time1 because it tires them so that they can do nothing else1 are obviously inadequate4 ,for why should it not do all these things8 ,lawyers1 doctors and teachers give all their time and thought to their work2 nurses1 companions and secretaries do not have much time to go out2 women who stand behind counters1 tend looms or sit at switchboards are often too tired even for pleasure when the day's work is done4 ,a woman who earns her part of the family living by making a home cannot expect to be delivered from toil4 ,is it likely that she can succeed in a difficult profession without giving up pleasures and ease for its sake1 without working as hard and as unquestioningly as the men of her family do for their part of the family support8 ,some people say that we regard the profession of housekeeping unreasonably because women are by nature lazy1 frivolous1 and not capable of very much intellectually4 ,now1 though ,i humbly acknowledge that these things may have to do with it1 yet ,i believe1 as was at first suggested1 that there is a chief reason for the serious distaste we often feel for the profession4 ,this reason is1 that a certain reticence and effacement1 which every one should exercise in regard to his work1 is required of housekeepers in unusual measure4 ,people who can think and talk of nothing but their own work and interests are very difficult people2 a housekeeper who has this fault is not only difficult1 she is dangerous4 ,for women who make their housekeeping an idol pretty soon begin to offer it human sacrifice4 ,i remember hearing1 as a child1 a woman say of another who was an immaculate housekeeper3 ,she swept her sons to the ,devil4 ,a puzzling saying to me then1 a terrible one to me now1 for it was true4 ,those sons were never allowed in the house till they had taken off their shoes2 they were not allowed in the yard because they made a litter4 ,naturally1 they went to those places which opened to them most easily--the street1 the saloon1 the state's prison4 ,this is an extreme case1 but there are countless others1 grading from those as serious as this to those in which homes just miss being comfortable on account of tiny1 gnat-like annoyances4 ,they are cases of failure in the woman's profession1 and1 trivial or great1 they arise from the same cause1 from the neglect of that thing we don't like about housekeeping--its unique characteristic--its effacement4 ,our work as housekeepers is only notable when it is not noticed4 ,it must be done1 delighted in and loved but seldom talked about and always held subservient to other ends4 ,housekeeping is the servant1 silent and effaced1 of peace1 and home-likeness and health and joy1 and of all that we call spiritual in those who form our households4 ,and therefore1 the housekeeper's life is full of little secrets2 secrets of suffering and weariness1 secrets of amusement and joy4 ,but they are secrets which spoil her work if they are told4 ,if one is a martyr1 one must not tell about it4 ,the saints who wore hair shirts did not cut a hole in the front of their clothes to show them4 ,the woman who is always telling how much she has to do and how much she has to put up with1 has not stopped at cutting a hole in her clothes1 she wears her hair shirt on the outside to scratch other people with4 ,do you remember ,mr4 ,pip's sister1 in ,great ,expectations1 who constantly reminded the family that she never took her apron off8 ,it is natural in this connection to say a word about the care of the housewife's own health and cheerfulness4 ,better even than to conceal weariness and depression is to have none to conceal4 ,some women are for years driven and spurred beyond reason by what we please ourselves with calling conscientiousness or energy1 but find at last that it was undisciplined ambition1 or a stupid lack of system1 or that we were blinded to the comfort and pleasure of other people by a determination to sacrifice ourselves4 ,a woman who does her housework without assistance should expend some of her conscientiousness upon getting a rest4 ,fourteen hours is too long a work-day for any one4 ,she must get it out of her mind that to rest is to acknowledge defeat and weakness2 far from it--it is such a difficult thing to do that she will probably have to learn how4 ,some people find that it rests them most to lie down and read a pleasant book2 others can1 or can teach themselves1 to sleep4 ,others1 yet1 find that to do nothing is like slipping the belt off the fly-wheel of an engine1 their minds run the faster for having no work to hold them back4 ,a remedy for this is just to say one's prayers--not prayers of asking1 but prayers of realization1 of companionship4 ,there is also relief which should be accepted or secured for oneself as the work is being done4 ,to change one's broom from side to side2 to carry a pail first in one hand then in the other2 to straighten one's body and fill one's lungs now and again when washing or ironing or sewing2 to spare one's hands and feet2 to occupy the time spent in long tasks with pleasant thoughts--all these are things which help us to be well and glad and to keep the secret that we are sometimes tired and troubled4 ,to return now to the other type of housekeeping secrets2 it is less unsafe to share pleasant secrets than painful ones1 but often even these are better kept4 ,unusual expedients1 surprising shifts1 the plan which pops into your head at dinner for using a left-over to-morrow are all better kept to oneself1 or at least kept until the thing is so far past that only the funny side of it remains4 ,the girl in ,miss ,austen's ,a ,nameless ,nobleman1 who basted her grandmother's bed-curtains and valance into a wedding dress and refused to tell where it had come from had woman wisdom4 ,her husband appreciated the joke much more when1 a few months later1 he saw the same embroidery adorning his bed4 ,we need to realize the dignity and usefulness of housekeeping2 we must recognize that it is an active1 clever employment in which there is much to learn1 much to be found out2 we may well regard it as a profession deserving our strength and time for life--and yet---- ,we must never be so absorbed in its importance or occupied with its affairs1 that we cannot be quiet1 and listen4 ,for it may be that across many1 many years we shall hear a voice saying lovingly and yet reprovingly3 ,martha1 ,martha---- ,perhaps we may need to lie awake and question ourselves1 as ,i think that other ,martha must have done in the still night at ,bethany4 ,why should earnest1 careful service be unacceptable8 ,why does a weary guest1 who often has hardly the time to eat bread1 care little for a feast8 ,is there something more required of a woman than keeping her household warmed and fed1 and something less required than notable success in her own work8 ,doubtless that other ,martha sobbed herself quiet at last over her failure and reproof1 and then in the quietness remembered that in the guest chamber her ,guest lay at rest4 ,,xviii ,,the ,,inspiration ,,inspiration cannot be explained or described4 ,i cannot tell you nor can you tell me what makes the long tasks of housework bearable and its service sweet4 ,but ,i can tell you some things which come to me when ,i am weary and disheartened4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is a picture by ,murillo1 called ,the ,angels' ,kitchen1 of angels with wide wings folded1 and star-eyes bent on the daily tasks of housewives4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is also ,brother ,lawrence1 who had a great aversion to the work of the kitchen1 but accustomed himself to do everything there for the love of ,god1 and so found everything easy during fifteen years4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,lacordaire was asked why he thought it important to keep his tiny secluded room in spotless order1 he replied1 ,the ,holy ,angels always see it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the words have been in the ears of the world for centuries1 that ,he took upon ,himself the form of a servant4 ,has it entered into our understandings yet1 that to be a waitress or a butler or a cook or a nursemaid or to do the work of them all as a housewife is to take upon ourselves a divine office and companionship4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but it is just of three women that ,i oftenest think4 ,one is that beggar-maid whom ,king ,cophetua made his queen2 another is ,griselda whom ,lord ,walter chose from rags and penury and grievous toil to be his wife2 and the last1 the outcast1 beheld by the ,prophet ,ezekiel1 of marred beauty and defiled garments1 yet chosen for love's sake to be a bride adorned and honoured4 ,their stories are our stories4 ,we are each one of us both servant and queen2 we are each one of us somewhat unlovely1 somewhat unable and yet exalted4 ,and in the servant's heart is always the radiant secret1 ,i am the queen2 and in the queen's heart is always the remembrance1 ,these lowly tasks belong to me by right4 ,doubtless at last when the tasks are done1 comes the fulfilment of that vision with which this book began1 when the ,potter's work will be finished1 earth's wheel still1 and the clay cup moulded and filled to refresh the lips of the ,master who made it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,obvious punctuation errors repaired4 ,varied hyphenation was retained4 ,page #afc1 necesssary changed to necessary 7,all necessary shaking7 ,page #bdh1 calory changed to calorie 7,the calorie nevertheless is7 ,page #cjc1 untensils changed to utensils 7and the utensils and7 ,page #cji1 the table that begins on page #cji has some items out of alphabetical order4 ,this was left as printed4 ,page #chi1 rememberance changed to remembrance 7always the remembrance7