,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,housekeeping ,,by ,,christine ,,terhune ,,herrick ,,harper ,,brothers ,,publishers ,,new ,,york ,,london ,,harper',s ,a-,b-,c ,,series ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,housekeeping4 ,by ,,christine ,,terhune ,,herrick ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,electricity4 ,by ,,william ,h4 ,,meadowcroft ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,gardening4 ,by ,,eben ,e4 ,,rexford ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,good ,,form4 ,by ,,anne ,,seymour #afmo1 ,cloth ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,,new ,,york ,,copyright1 #aiae1 ,,by ,,harper ,,brothers ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,published ,,may1 #aiae ,,contents ,,chap4 ,,page ,i4 ,,choosing ,a ,,home #a ,,ii4 ,,furnishing ,,the ,,home #ac ,,iii4 ,,the ,,table #bf ,,iv4 ,,concerning ,,household ,,accounts #ch ,v4 ,,the ,,house ,,in ,,order #ej ,,vi4 ,,hygiene ,,and ,,plumbing #fc ,,vii4 ,,the ,,home ,,without ,a ,,servant #ge ,,viii4 ,,in ,,the ,,laundry #hh ,,ix4 ,,when ,,company ,,comes #ii ,x4 ,,the ,,child ,,in ,,the ,,house #aaa ,a-,b-,c ,,of ,,housekeeping ,i ,,choosing ,a ,,home ,the choice of a home is usually decided by the pocket-book4 ,other considerations carry weight1 but matters of convenience1 preference1 and location are lighter in the scale than the sum one can afford to pay for a shelter4 ,what proportion this will bear to the rest of the income must be settled by each one for himself after an estimate of the other expenses which must be met4 ,when a whole house is taken and the cost of heating and the charge of the outer premises1 as well as the entire care of the place1 have to be assumed by the tenant1 one-fifth or one-sixth of the income is all he should give for rent4 ,the price of coal1 the wage to be paid the person who is to clean snow from the sidewalk in winter and dirt from it the rest of the year1 look after the furnace and ashes1 put out garbage2 the consideration of the services of the one who must sweep front steps1 halls1 and stairs2 the small repairs every house demands from time to time1 will all have to be added to the sum devoted to rent4 ,while the tenant and his wife may perform part or all of these duties1 it is only reasonable that they should understand how much they are saving in actual cash1 and comprehend that what they economize in this respect is the equivalent of what they would pay to the landlord were they to occupy an apartment in a flat building4 ,this state of affairs justifies the man who lives in an apartment in allowing a larger proportion of his income for his rooftree4 ,the details to which ,i have referred just now are included in the price paid for a flat1 to say nothing of the reduction of work when all the living is on one floor1 when stairs do not exist for the housekeeper1 and her responsibilities end at her own front door4 ,the selection of a location is determined by the make-up of the family and the man's place and time of business4 ,these considerations must be taken into account before the house-hunting is begun4 ,distance from the center of the town usually means a reduced rent1 better air1 and more attractive surroundings4 ,to counterbalance these are the long journey back and forth1 night and morning1 the cost of transportation1 inability to come home for the midday meal4 ,as a rule these drawbacks do not equal the advantages to be gained by a home remote from the business district4 ,in order to accomplish the strenuous task of finding a home with the least outlay of labor and worry--for in any case there will be enough of both these commodities--as much planning as possible should be done in advance4 ,the number of rooms necessary should be settled1 as well as the sum which can be paid for rent4 ,the sections of the city which are suitable should be studied and1 if feasible1 traversed1 so as to get a general idea of them4 ,sometimes even a cursory inspection of a neighborhood decides the would-be tenant against it4 ,then1 when lists of houses or apartments have been culled from advertisements and secured from real-estate agents the actual work of house-hunting is begun4 ,one resolution to be laid down at first and adhered to positively is not to go over a house or an apartment if the first glance shows it to be undesirable4 ,when six rooms are the limit for a flat there is no more sense in inspecting a ten-room apartment than there is in scanning a house at twelve hundred a year if seven hundred and fifty is the extreme price that can be paid for rent4 ,such examination not only consumes time and strength1 but it also provokes dissatisfaction with smaller and cheaper quarters which may be seen afterward4 ,a few essentials must be fixed in the mind1 to which any house or flat should conform4 ,it must be light--not a dim twilight illumination1 but1 if possible1 sunshine1 either direct or reflected--in the living and sleeping rooms4 ,the kitchen must not be a dark corner1 not only because such work-places affect the health of those who occupy them1 but also because of the additional charge there will be for gas or electricity burned by day as well as by night4 ,the matter of heat must next be considered4 ,when a house is taken the rent is usually higher if there is a first-class heating arrangement included4 ,old-fashioned appliances mean lower rent1 but they also require increased work on the part of the tenant or servant and are often unsatisfactory in the amount of warmth they supply4 ,a good furnace or steam-heating plant may add to the actual sum of the rent1 but it is generally cheaper in the long run4 ,the quantity of coal burned by such a plant should be ascertained before concluding to take the house4 ,all these questions are eliminated for the man who engages a steam-heated apartment1 but he may change the place and keep the pain4 ,the comfort of the entire winter depends upon a sufficient amount of heat1 and radiators should be examined and a number of direct inquiries put so as to make sure that adequate warmth may be secured in bitter weather4 ,the time when the heat is turned on and off should also be learned1 since it is quite possible to shiver and suffer in ,september and ,may as well as at ,christmas-time4 ,plumbing is always to be investigated closely1 whether in a house or an apartment4 ,no amount of gilding and marble fittings can compensate for cheap plumbing and a poor supply of hot water4 ,the dweller in a house is dependent upon his own kitchen fire for hot water1 as a general thing1 but in nearly all apartment-houses the hot water is declared to be supplied from the cellar4 ,even in high-priced flats hot water is not always ready1 and queries as to this are to be voiced before the lease is signed4 ,more than that1 care must be taken to make sure that the plumbing is in perfect repair and is not likely to give way at inconvenient seasons4 ,all these details are essential and there are others little less important4 ,the quantity of closet room1 the pantries1 the facilities for washing and drying clothes1 the quiet of the house as assured or banished by the character of the neighbors and other tenants1 the cleanliness of paint and paper1 must all be looked after4 ,no matter what inducements in the way of lowered rent are offered1 it is always a mistake to go into a house which is not absolutely clean4 ,this does not mean only that it should be swept and scoured before taking possession of it1 but that paint and paper should be refreshed4 ,the latter is not to be done by pasting fresh paper on over that which already covers the walls1 as is the custom of many decorators--a custom connived at by landlords because of the saving of expense it implies4 ,the incoming tenant must insist that the walls shall be scraped clean before the new paper is hung and that fresh paint shall be used wherever it is needed4 ,it is hard enough to keep a house spotless in the best of circumstances1 and when one enters a dwelling and establishes himself in the midst of the dirt of the departed tenants the task is the most discouraging that can be undertaken4 ,moreover1 vermin must be banished4 ,this is an easy thing to say1 but hardly a housekeeper of middle age can be found in the length and breadth of the country who has not had a struggle with the pest in some form or other4 ,in one home it may have been cockroaches or water-bugs2 in another it may have been black or red ants2 in many it has been that worst and most dreaded of plagues1 bedbugs4 ,sporadic cases of any of these may be conquered without much difficulty1 but when once the enemy is intrenched in the home it seems almost as if the only way to get rid of them finally is by burning the house down6 ,on all considerations1 therefore1 the house-hunter must make sure that vermin are not established in the new dwelling4 ,if there is even a possibility of their presence she must insist upon radical measures being taken before she will contemplate entering the house4 ,when the pests have been there and have been driven out it is still wise to take reasonable precautions against their return4 ,no picture-moldings should be tolerated in the bedrooms1 since these make a lurking-place for insects4 ,the walls of sleeping-rooms should be painted rather than papered1 and dark cupboards1 drawers1 etc41 should be scoured out1 disinfected1 and painted4 ,i have dwelt upon the need of such care in the bedrooms1 but it is no less essential in the kitchen and pantries4 ,while bedbugs occasionally get a foothold even here1 the usual plague is the roach or ,croton-bug4 ,he is said to be inoffensive and he does not possess the deadly odor of the ,cimex lectularius1 but apart from the damage he undoubtedly does in nibbling table-linen and the like1 he is an exceedingly unpleasant housemate4 ,he frequents uncovered garbage-pails1 bread and cake boxes which have been left open1 wire safes with imperfectly closing doors1 and the provision compartments of refrigerators2 and it does not tend to improve the appetite to have him pop out of the cereal carton or run from under the cold roast4 ,so every precaution should be taken against such creatures as well as against mice and rats before renting the house4 ,mice-holes should be choked up with broken glass and dusted with red pepper2 boiling water should1 when possible1 be poured down the runways of insects2 borax scattered about their haunts4 ,after that1 strict care in the way of keeping food put away closely1 pains to see that no crumbs or drippings are allowed on the floor or the shelves1 and rigorous cleanliness of every vessel which has been employed in cooking are the best agencies against the return of the adversaries4 ,other points should be looked to about the kitchen4 ,the stove is the chief consideration after light1 cleanliness1 and pantry space4 ,locality has much to do in determining by what means cooking shall be done4 ,in the country1 where gas is not and wood or coal is burned1 a good range1 suitable for either1 must be depended upon4 ,of such ranges there are many1 and there are divers items to be regarded in each make4 ,the size and fashion of the fuel-box is one4 ,the average kitchen stove will burn a ton of coal in from five to seven weeks1 the time contingent not only upon the care of the cook1 but upon the size of the range4 ,one should be selected with a maximum of heat for a minimum of fuel consumption4 ,the range with an upper oven is easier for the cook1 who by its means is spared constant stooping and bending1 but some ranges with the upper oven are said to burn more fuel4 ,no range or stove should be considered which does not provide adequate means for heating water4 ,when there is running hot water in the house a boiler is usually arranged at the side of the stove1 but in the country1 where the water must be drawn by a pump or from the well and put into the reservoir by the pailful1 a large enough receptacle must be furnished to make it possible to have the supply for the day all poured in at once4 ,in this way the man of the house may attend to this heavy duty in the morning or at night1 so that no woman may have to strain her back by filling and lifting pails of water during the day4 ,the coal or wood stove in the country may be supplemented by an oil or gasolene stove4 ,of these there is a good variety1 each possessing its own special merits1 but they are not to be considered in renting a house1 since they are purchased by the tenant1 not supplied by the landlord4 ,in every large city1 and in many small towns1 cookery by gas has superseded coal and wood almost entirely4 ,the cleanliness and convenience of gas in cooking1 while inferior to those of electricity1 are yet so far ahead of the other means to which we have been accustomed that the amount of time and trouble the gas saves is incalculable4 ,the stove is generally owned by the local company1 who install it and keep it in order1 but in some places effort is made by the landlord to charge the tenant for the use of the stove4 ,common usage will have to determine the tenant's course in the matter1 but as a rule the stove is included in the rent and it is worth while for the man renting the house to make an attempt to secure this concession4 ,there is a difference in gas-stoves and an up-to-date kind should be selected1 fitted with an upper oven as well as a lower one1 and possessing such features as a low flame for simmering1 a plate-warmer1 the latest make of broiler1 etc4 ,the inexperienced housekeeper is frequently imposed upon and the old-fashioned stove is foisted off upon her4 ,this should be guarded against when the house is rented4 ,the inside of the house has received principal attention in this consideration of the rented home4 ,the outer surroundings usually compel a measure of thought and are obvious enough to force themselves upon even the uncritical observer4 ,yet there are a few points worth emphasizing4 ,the character of the neighborhood in a country or a small town generally proclaims itself and the details that must be noticed have to do with sanitary conditions1 the presence or absence of such nuisances as unsavory factories or businesses1 the vicinity of noisy occupations1 the over-close proximity to public schools with the accompanying racket at certain hours of the day1 etc4 ,in the city the drawbacks may be less self-assertive but no less objectionable4 ,before renting a house in a street it is always wise to learn something of the people who occupy the adjoining dwellings1 to make sure that there are no unpleasing features connected with the section and so insure oneself against future annoyances4 ,,ii ,,furnishing ,,the ,,home ,the first details to be regarded in furnishing a house have to do with the woodwork and walls4 ,sometimes the landlord has settled these and the tenant has no choice4 ,this is especially likely to be the case with the woodwork4 ,if it is a cheap and unattractive variety of 8hardwood10 so called1 or is painted in imitation of hardwood1 it is difficult to induce the owner to change this4 ,when he will consent to paint to please the tenant selection should be made either of white or of a soft1 neutral tint which will not conflict with any color of furniture4 ,the painting which simulates the graining of a natural wood is distinctly bad and should never be tolerated except when it cannot be changed4 ,the kitchen should be painted throughout1 walls as well as woodwork1 and in some good light color1 such as buff2 this will give the room a bright1 cheery look1 and the steam which accumulates on the walls of a kitchen can be scrubbed off the paint as it cannot be from a kalsomined or papered wall4 ,in choosing papers1 the tenant should bear in mind that they will have to be lived with for a long time1 and should pick out such as can stand familiar association without becoming objectionable4 ,striking patterns and assertive hues should be avoided4 ,when two or three rooms open into one another it is well to have them papered alike and thus avoid the patchy effect produced by several small rooms all with different wall-coverings4 ,in this day cheap papers which are also pretty and artistic can easily be found and it is worth while to bestow a good deal of time and thought upon their choice4 ,if possible1 all painting and papering should be done and the workmen out of the house before the tenant moves in4 ,this plan permits the rooms to be cleaned and saves double toil to the housekeeper4 ,the furniture of the house does not always lie within the tenant's power of selection4 ,few are the homes which are freshly furnished throughout by a young couple4 ,almost invariably there are 8left-overs0 and 8hand-downs0 which are presented to the newly married pair1 and they are fortunate indeed if such relics are desirable and not discarded pieces which no one else wants4 ,when even a portion of the furniture is to be bought1 it should not be purchased at random4 8,sets0 of any sort are best avoided4 ,for the parlor of a modest establishment1 wicker and willow articles are far better than the conspicuous styles which attain a sudden popularity and then become old-fashioned and out of date4 ,comfort should be considered in every item chosen and nothing taken merely because it looks well or is reasonable in price4 ,while sets are deprecated1 a room need not look like a harlequin collection4 ,a certain uniformity of style and coloring is to be studied1 that the apartment may produce a harmonious effect4 ,odd pieces1 such as a deep arm-chair1 a fancy tea-table1 an attractive set of book-shelves1 are entirely suitable and will not strike an incongruous note in the general surroundings4 ,bare floors are more used now than carpets1 and rugs may make islands of safety here and there on the smooth surface4 ,when fine antique rugs have not been given and cannot be bought1 the best choice is from among the many good varieties of inoffensive native rugs4 ,or a rug may be made of a quiet-toned carpet1 the breadths sewed together to form a square of the size desired1 and surrounded with a border to match4 ,good druggets or art-squares may be found for the dining-room1 matting or bare floors and rugs will serve for the bedrooms1 and hall and stairs are to be covered with the runners which come for these purposes or with a neat stair carpet in quiet colors and pattern4 ,the dining-room furniture demands a good deal of deliberation4 ,it is a mistake to buy it in too great a hurry and so to be laden down with something one does not really want4 ,the table and sideboard are usually purchased for a lifetime1 and it is better to put up with makeshifts for a while on the chance of finding something really good and satisfactory than to buy in a hurry and repent at leisure4 ,the wood of the dining-room furniture is not so much a matter of choice in many cases as of necessity4 ,one must buy what one can4 ,every one cannot have mahogany or ,circassian walnut1 and it is a comfort that so many of the less costly woods are made up into excellent designs4 ,it is much better to buy a good article of a low-priced material than a cheap variety of the more expensive woods4 ,oak1 ash1 cherry1 birch1 gumwood and other native growths may be found in pieces of excellent lines which will satisfy even an artistic eye4 ,when there is money enough to get all that is wanted for the dining-room1 a serving-table and a china-closet of some kind may be added to the sideboard1 dining-table1 and chairs that rank as essentials4 ,the requirements of the kitchen will receive more detailed consideration later on4 ,among the must-haves are the range1 to which reference has already been made2 a good kitchen table1 supplied either with a zinc top or with a shelf to draw out and use as a bread-board2 a refrigerator2 a wire meat-safe2 liberal pantry room1 shelf room1 and1 if possible1 a kitchen cabinet4 ,when the bedrooms are to be furnished the same simplicity must be followed which is recommended for the other apartments4 ,the less furniture the bedroom contains the better1 from a sanitary point of view4 ,the ,biblical inventory of a bed and a table1 a stool and a candlestick1 had much to commend it4 ,the bedstead should be of iron or iron and brass2 the dresser1 table1 etc41 of white enamel or some light-colored wood4 ,the heavy pieces our grandparents took for granted are fortunately out of vogue in a modest household4 ,a box-couch may be included in the furnishing of the room1 or what is known as a utility-box for holding shirtwaists and the like1 and it is to be hoped there is either abundant closet room or an extra wardrobe or clothes-press4 ,such are the large and important furnishings of the house4 ,these may be reduced or increased1 simplified or elaborated1 in accordance with the preference and powers of the owners of the dwelling4 ,other articles1 hardly less essential1 have to be considered4 ,take the question of draperies1 for instance4 ,within the past few years the fashion has grown of having two and sometimes three pairs of curtains for each window--inner hangings of lace or some similar fabric1 outer draperies of rich and heavy goods1 and frequently these will be supplemented by sash-curtains close against the pane1 to say nothing of one or two shades to the window4 ,this may answer for the woman who is at a loss what to do with her money and can devise no better use to make of it than a multiplication of her possessions1 but the custom is not one the young housekeeper need feel it incumbent upon her to follow4 ,one shade of a neutral tint at each window of her living-rooms1 a pair of curtains of some material which can be readily washed1 are all that she requires4 ,for the principal rooms a good ,madras1 a pretty scrim1 a pleasing though inexpensive lace 7all fabrics which will look well after careful washing7 will meet every necessity and present an attractive appearance4 ,in the chambers two shades may be demanded by those who wish to have a dark room for sleeping1 but short white curtains of wash-goods1 or sash-curtains1 are sufficient here1 and something of the same sort1 but possibly a little better in quality1 can be procured for the dining-room4 ,as a rule plain1 straight curtains1 without ruffles1 are not only more easily laundered1 but look better after they are done up than those pranked out with frills4 ,when ornaments are to be considered one generally makes the best of what one has4 ,the newly settled couple may be thankful if they have not been burdened with pictures and bric--brac which not only do not please their personal taste1 but refuse to harmonize with one another or with anything else4 ,in some cases one can only make the best of conditions1 and after endeavoring to arrange the unwelcome gifts to the best advantage and scattering them over the house so as to dispel the curse to as many different quarters as possible1 resign oneself to endurance until such time as the presents can be removed1 one at a time4 ,those fortunate persons who can buy their own luxuries will recall the ,oriental proverb3 8,if thou hast but two loaves of bread1 sell one and buy jacinths for the soul60 ,what form the jacinths may take will be determined by individual preference4 ,one will find more joy and uplift in really fine pictures than in anything else2 another will concentrate upon books and magazines2 another will turn from both of these and toward music4 ,it makes little difference which way the window is opened into the ,infinite4 ,the vital point is that such an outlet must be provided if soul and spirit are to be nourished and grow as well as body and physical strength4 ,however much the importance of such plenishing as this may impress either the man or the woman1 the latter would be profoundly lacking if she did not display a keen interest in other essentials of her new home4 ,the pictures1 the books1 the other arts1 may rejoice and help her1 but she would be wanting in femininity if she failed to select her table and bed linen with almost as much thought as she would expend upon her 8jacinths40 ,even with unlimited means1 it is not wise to buy more linen than can be used in a small household4 ,plenty there should be1 but not a large stock which will lie aside and yellow from lack of service4 ,three or four dinner-cloths1 each with its accompaniment of a dozen napkins1 will be ample for her average needs1 especially if she uses a centerpiece and doilies on the bare table for breakfast and lunch4 ,in her purchasing she should avoid the fringed articles2 these wear badly and are difficult to do up well4 ,fruit-plate doilies to place under finger-bowls1 fish-cloths1 centerpieces1 tray-cloths1 sideboard and dresser covers1 tea and carving cloths1 and other ornamental as well as useful linens will probably be given to her by relatives or friends1 or she may pick them up from time to time as she has need for them or the chance to purchase them advantageously4 ,as her table-cloths and larger pieces begin to wear out she can usually cut from them squares which will serve to lay under hot baked potatoes in the dish1 to wrap about rolls or other hot bread1 to use for fish-cloths4 ,a dozen each of dish and china towels she should have1 and the same number of heavier towels for kitchen use1 as well as three roller-towels4 ,but the napery in this line she should keep under her own hand1 if she has hired service in her kitchen and pantry1 and give the towels out a few at a time in order to save her linen as well as to inculcate habits of care4 ,when bed-linen is to be considered1 the housekeeper should follow the same line as that she has laid down in her purchase of table-linen4 ,the ornamental may be selected as suits her fancy1 but there are certain must-haves in the plainer articles4 ,six pairs of cotton sheets are none too many1 and pillow-slips to go with them4 ,if she and her family cherish a weakness for linen pillow-slips1 some of these may be provided in place of so many pairs of the cotton cases4 ,for three beds three or four spreads should be procured1 so as to allow of change1 and these spreads should be of the kind which wash easily and look well afterward4 ,mattress-covers are also essential1 as are blankets and extra coverings4 ,silk or lace counterpanes cannot be reckoned among must-haves1 any more than can like dressings for the bureau1 but may be supplied at will4 ,at least two or three dozen fine towels must be included in the list of essentials1 half a dozen good firm bath-towels1 and wash-cloths at discretion1 as well as a dozen heavier towels for the use of domestics4 ,guest-towels1 bath-sheets1 bath-mats1 and the like are luxuries which may be accumulated after the necessities are attained4 ,when the housekeeper is filling out her list of household linens and cottons she must not overlook dusters1 floor-cloths1 mop-cloths1 dish-cloths1 or mops--,i hope she uses the latter6--and other similar requirements4 ,in this advanced day there are new articles in this line which present themselves constantly and which the housekeeper must decide for herself to be luxuries or necessities4 ,for supplying the china-closet a fixed rule is almost impossible4 ,the best plan is for the housekeeper to make out for herself what her family will need and then to consult an intelligent clerk in a good china-shop4 ,sometimes it is cheaper to buy a whole set of china than to select from 8open stock0 the pieces that are absolutely required4 ,soup1 dinner1 dessert plates2 plates for lunch and for breakfast1 for afternoon tea1 for salad1 for entres2 service plates2 meat and vegetable dishes in china or silver1 can all be purchased in a charming variety and at a reasonable price4 ,the same is true of glassware4 ,many gifts will fit in well here1 and the stock of silver is pretty sure to be received from the family or friends4 ,in the kitchen matters are different4 ,few persons present culinary plenishing1 and it almost always devolves upon the housekeeper to select it for herself4 ,while she may have developed needs in certain explicit directions1 there are a few rules which can be laid down for her general guidance1 certain articles which it is safe to declare essentials4 ,such are the following3 ,two #a-quart saucepans ,one #b-quart saucepan ,one #e-quart saucepan ,one #c-quart double boiler ,one #b-quart double boiler ,two baking-pans for meat or one plain baking-pan and one covered roaster ,one large frying-pan ,one small frying-pan ,one colander ,one graduated quart measure ,one graduated half-pint cup ,one meat-broiler ,one fish or oyster broiler ,three jelly-cake tins ,one large cake-tin ,one biscuit-pan ,one set muffin-tins ,three bread-tins ,three pie-plates ,one #b-quart pitcher ,two jelly-molds ,one pudding-mold ,one steamer ,one teakettle ,one teapot ,one coffee-pot ,fireless cooker ,chopping bowl and knife ,meat chopper or grinder ,soapstone griddle ,cake-turner ,bread bowl and board ,rolling-pin ,board for cutting meat ,board for cutting bread ,meat-saw ,bread-knife ,bread-box ,cake-box ,butter-paddles ,potato-beetle ,egg-beater ,scales ,lemon-squeezer ,meat-fork ,one large crockery mixing-bowl ,two small crockery mixing-bowls ,one platter ,two pudding-dishes ,set of skewers ,cheese or vegetable grater ,nutmeg-grater ,vegetable-press ,soup-strainer ,coffee or tea strainer ,coffee-mill ,corkscrew ,pair of scissors ,can-opener ,small vegetable-knives ,mixing-spoons ,flour-dredger ,salt-shaker ,cake-cutters ,split spoon ,skimmer ,ice-pick ,other no less important articles are as follows3 ,two dish-pans ,a garbage-pail with cover ,sink-brush ,soap-shaker ,wire dish-cloth ,oil-can ,brooms1 dust-pans1 whisk brooms1 carpet-sweeper1 etc4 ,,iii ,,the ,,table ,the judicious purchase and use of food is the chief economical possibility of housekeeping4 ,the rent is an incompressible item4 ,every month that immutable charge presents itself4 ,it cannot be cut down4 ,the only way to reduce it is by changing the dwelling4 ,fuel may be used with a discretion which lessens outlay1 but in cold weather the house must be kept comfortable1 even though the coal bills mount high4 ,when certain repairs are due they have to be made or the rooms become unbearably shabby4 ,only in the domain of food is it feasible to apply a wise judgment in buying1 a cultivated skill in cooking which induces cheap selections to be as savory in taste1 as nutritious in qualities1 as those which cost far more4 ,such ability in marketing and preparation does not come by nature4 ,it must be studied and worked for1 but it is worth the effort4 ,at the first glimpse nothing seems simpler than for the young housekeeper to sally forth to a good market1 make her selections1 order them cut off and sent home1 and pay for them--or have them charged6 7,usually it is fatally easy to open a charge account67 ,the same notion prevails as to buying groceries4 ,if a good shop is chosen1 there is apparently no trouble about the transaction4 ,possibly there need be no difficulties if the family purse is so well filled that a little more or less expenditure is of no real importance4 ,but few are the homes in which this state of affairs exists and most of us find it desirable1 if not actually essential1 to study the comparative prices of staples in different shops and localities1 to learn if there is an advantage in making some purchases at one shop and some at another1 instead of giving all the family custom to one merchant4 ,earlier reference has been made to the proportion of the income which is to go for rent4 ,positive assertions as to how much shall be spent on the food of the family are far less easy to make1 and the degree of definiteness with which they are uttered is hampered by the constant changes in the price of food4 ,not more than ten years ago a liberal allowance for the food of an adult was from three dollars to three dollars and a half a week4 ,this covered only the price of the commodities and did not allow for the fuel used in preparation1 service1 etc4 ,to-day this expenditure would be totally inadequate for the same order of nourishment it would have included a decade back4 ,at that time a breakfast consisting of fruit1 cereal1 bacon1 fish or eggs1 bread1 coffee or tea2 a luncheon comprising a solid dish of meat1 fish1 eggs1 or cheese1 one or two vegetables1 or a hot bread1 a simple sweet1 and tea or cocoa2 a dinner of soup1 a meat1 two vegetables1 a salad1 crackers and cheese1 or a good sweet1 and coffee--could all have been secured in the family at a little over three dollars a head1 when there were three or more to be fed4 ,from four and a half to five dollars per capita would be required at the present time for a similar provision4 ,the rise in prices may have altered the sums of our estimates2 it has not lessened the necessity for a study of the proportion of the family means which must go for nutriment4 ,this must be determined by the heads of the house in conclave4 ,the harder part of the work devolves upon the woman1 who must devise economies and carry them into effect1 both in marketing and in cooking4 ,the inexperienced housekeeper should try to gain a few lessons in the best methods of purchasing4 ,sometimes a brief attendance at a cooking-school is of aid2 or she may be able to join a class for learning how to market--such classes exist and are most helpful--or she may gain counsel from some older and more experienced housewife1 or by conning books on these topics4 ,in this day there is no excuse for even a beginner making the mistakes which have supplied material for many of the hackneyed jokes at the expense of young matrons4 ,important as is the practical and personal lesson in knowing how to market wisely1 much can be gained from manuals on the subject4 ,some of these furnish cuts and charts of the various animals1 with descriptions of the portions and of the uses to which each may be put4 ,instructions as to the periods of the year when certain articles are at their best are also supplied4 ,prices can be learned from the market reports published in the daily papers and much is to be acquired by going from one shop to another4 ,after a little the housekeeper will become acquainted with the appearance of meat and be able to judge for herself if it looks fresh and good4 ,she can likewise observe how the shops are kept and in which certain obvious sanitary arrangements are complied with4 ,she will not need much tuition to inform her that she should turn aside from shops where the food is not guarded from flies and dust1 where strict cleanliness does not prevail in the salesmen and the appurtenances1 and the objects on sale are not handled with proper care4 ,a few points it may be well to emphasize for the benefit of the beginner4 ,the fat of meat should be white and clean1 the lean a clear red1 the joints of poultry must break easily and the skin look smooth and healthful4 ,when a fowl is yellow1 bony1 and hairy it is bound to be old and tough4 ,the gills of fish should be fresh and the eyes bright4 ,i cannot speak too strongly against the growing habit of marketing by telephone4 ,not only is the housekeeper who follows this custom at the mercy of her marketman1 who can put off on her any cut which has been rejected by the wiser housewives who have come in person to do their trading2 he is subjected to the pleasing temptation to cut off more than she has ordered or charge her for a heavier piece than he sends home4 ,the woman who goes to market gains other advantages beyond those of seeing for herself the appearance and the size of the piece she orders and has cut off while she stands by and superintends the process4 ,she also has offered to her chances for bargains she would never get if she marketed by telephone4 ,often there will be a change in the market or in the weather that will bring down the cost of articles which are usually high-priced1 and the woman who does her own marketing is the one to benefit by this as well as by suggestions which introduce variety into her bill of fare4 ,this same variety is to be studied by the sensible housekeeper1 not only on account of the gratification it gives her to set a pleasing provision before her family1 but also because of the genuine good that is gained by avoiding a monotony which fails to encourage the appetite4 ,moreover1 saving is aided by this diversity1 since cheap dishes can be slipped into the commissary without awakening the suspicions of the eaters that economy is being practised at their expense4 ,among the rational details to be observed in buying meat is that of insisting that all 8trimmings0 shall be sent home4 ,when a roast of beef or a breast of lamb or a shoulder of mutton or veal is boned and rolled1 the bones should never be left at the market for the butcher to sell over again1 but sent with the meat that they may be used as a foundation for soup or gravy stock4 ,the giblets and feet of poultry should also be demanded4 ,when chops are 8,frenched0 or a steak cut into seemliness1 none of the scraps should be considered unworthy of saving4 ,all have their place in the stock-pot or as stew-meat4 ,too large a piece of meat should not be bought by the woman with a small family4 ,meat merchants have a way of discouraging the purchase of the smaller roasts on the plea that they dry out in cooking4 ,if they do it is because the work is not properly done4 ,it is quite possible to make a small roast toothsome and tender instead of dry and hard if the housekeeper will cook it in the right way and with due care4 ,steak and chops1 the frequent resource of the woman with a small family1 are expensive luxuries4 ,she is wise if she learns how to cook the cheaper cuts in a sufficiently attractive fashion to make her family contented with these instead of leaving them longing for the higher-priced portions4 ,a 8run0 upon any one kind of food should be avoided as much as having fixed days for specific viands4 ,fish on ,friday one may take as a matter of course1 but there is no real reason why one should have roast beef every ,sunday or a boiled dinner on ,saturday night4 ,i know it is the plaint of the majority of housewives that it is most difficult to secure variety in the meat dishes1 but this trouble should not exist in a family where practically all sorts of meat can be eaten4 ,in one household such as ,i know1 where veal and pork are both taboo1 and fish can be eaten by only one person1 the choice is narrowed down a good deal4 ,even then1 however1 with a knowledge of how to prepare savory stews1 minces1 hashes1 scallops1 croquettes1 fritters1 meat-pies1 stuffed peppers1 tomatoes and peppers with a meat filling1 as well as roast1 boiled1 broiled1 braised1 and fried meat dishes1 there should be no wail over the trials of the housekeeper in changing her menus frequently4 ,no time can be considered wasted which is bestowed on the study of how to cook cheap meat well4 ,always it should be recollected that many of the so-called cheap cuts really contain a greater amount of nutriment than the choicer selections4 ,as ,i have said on various occasions1 the housekeeper must be prepared to pay a price for excellence of food1 and if she cannot pay this in hard cash she must supply the equivalent in careful cookery and wise seasoning4 ,a knowledge of the uses of curry powder1 anchovy1 and other condiments in changing and modifying the tastes of familiar foods1 a willingness to give the time to slow and long cooking which will bring out the best flavor of the meat1 an acquaintance with the manifold ways in which left-overs of food can be utilized in pleasing combinations1 are among the branches which a housekeeper of small means finds well worth her study4 ,reference has been made to the help a fireless cooker is to the woman who keeps house well4 ,it is a saving of time1 fuel1 labor1 and food values4 ,by its assistance the housekeeper can prepare her meal hours ahead of time and go about other pursuits in the calm certainty that when she is ready for her dinner it will be ready for her1 and as good as if she had simmered over the kitchen fire all the afternoon1 using up her fuel and herself4 ,there are several varieties of these cookers1 all of them on practically the same plan1 and it will pay a woman to look about her to find which kind suits her best4 ,for soups1 stews1 cereals1 they are unequaled1 as for making jams1 preserves1 or anything else which demands a long period of deliberate cooking4 ,special attention has been given to the purchase of meat1 but there is almost equal judgment to be shown in buying groceries4 ,here there is a chance for the inexperienced marketer to be imposed upon4 ,certain fixed principles she should follow4 ,the first of these is that it is1 as a rule1 unwise to buy in bulk4 ,that is1 there is little gained in a small family by laying in large supplies at a time4 ,a barrel of flour is likely to be musty and weevily before it can be used2 corn meal in large quantities develops vermin2 so do cereals purchased by a number of packages or pounds at a time4 ,care should be taken to select an honest grocer or to know enough of prices not to be overcharged1 and then to order supplies as they are needed4 ,buying in bulk means more than this3 it also refers to getting the 8loose0 crackers1 cereals1 and the like1 instead of those inclosed in cartons4 ,the latter is always the better plan1 and care should be taken to select a good variety that is put up by manufacturers whose names are a guarantee of the excellence of the products4 ,until one has investigated the matter one has no idea of how many cheap and poor materials are foisted off upon a guileless public1 bearing the stamp of unknown makers1 with the assurance that they are 8just as good0 as like articles put up by well-known houses4 ,this fiction is especially prevalent about canned goods4 ,when these are first-class they are admirable1 and fortunately there are daily increasing numbers of fine and trustworthy establishments who can fruits1 vegetables1 meat1 fish1 etc41 in conditions which assure the complete protection of the consumer4 ,yet there are still in existence small and unscrupulous concerns whose output is cheap and poor if not actually dangerous to health1 and these should be boycotted by all housekeepers4 ,care should be exercised in buying fresh vegetables and fruits4 ,in most of our large cities the laws as to protecting these against dust and dirt are being enforced more vigorously with every year1 and here1 too1 the housewife can help to bring about a better state of affairs by insisting upon purchasing only such articles as have been properly cared for4 ,vegetables which are to be cooked before eating may not suffer so much by being exposed to dust1 but salads and berries and other fruits or vegetables which are eaten raw are a menace when they have been suffered to lie and wilt in a current of air laden with dust and disease germs4 ,,iv ,,concerning ,,household ,,accounts ,one of the first items of business to be considered by a newly married couple1 or a pair who are about to begin housekeeping1 is the division of the income between the husband and wife4 ,this does not imply that their interests are to be opposed or that they are to have absolutely separate purses4 ,it does mean that there must be a clear understanding on both sides of what the expenditure is to be for certain purposes and that the funds for food1 domestic service1 and other strictly housekeeping outlay should be in the hands of the wife4 ,this point has been much debated and the pros and cons on both sides exploited4 ,some men argue that the possession of ready money will lead the wife to extravagance1 that it is far better to have all articles charged and the bills paid by the husband1 that women do not understand household accounts or bookkeeping4 ,enough foolish and shallow women exist to lend a trifling force to this position4 ,but the general and growing view is that the housekeeper upon whom is laid the responsibility of purveying for an establishment rises to the emergency1 that she does better work and makes wiser purchases when she is trusted with an allowance for such expenses1 that an exhaustive knowledge of double-entry bookkeeping is not demanded for simple domestic accounts1 that even the immature and untrained wife gains knowledge by experience and competence by errors made and corrected4 ,certain disbursements seem naturally to devolve upon the man of the house4 ,that he should pay the rent1 defray outside or general repairs1 perhaps meet the coal bill1 appears a matter of course4 ,but it is unquestionably the province of the wife to buy provisions and pay for them1 either in cash or by weekly or monthly accounts4 ,charges for work done in the house1 the replacement of cooking utensils1 household linen and the like1 the bills for gas and electric light1 all should be within her control1 to be settled by her as they fall due1 after she has examined them and convinced herself that they are correct4 ,if other arrangement is made than this1 it should be after careful consideration and unbiased discussion of the advantages and demerits of the system4 ,as a general thing such a division as that just suggested proves the best4 ,exactly what proportion of the income shall be placed in the hands of the wife is a matter which must be decided by individual circumstances4 ,estimate has already been made as to the allowance to be given to food1 and it can readily be seen that this must be determined by the character and size of the family as well as by the conditions surrounding them4 ,the household of a farmer or of one who commands a garden and dairy can be kept on a much smaller pecuniary expenditure for actual food than is possible in the home of a dweller in the city1 who must buy and pay for every particle of food which comes into the house4 ,the sum disbursed may amount to the same thing in the long run1 since the cost of keeping up the garden plot or caring for the cattle must be met by the man of the house1 but he will not need to give as much cash into his wife's hands as will be required in other circumstances4 ,however the amount may be apportioned1 whatever may be the charges laid upon the wife and those assumed by the husband1 the necessity of strict and accurate household accounts should be insisted upon4 ,i am not advocating any special system4 ,i have known excellent outlines of domestic expenses which simply darkened counsel with words for some housekeepers and rendered the business of following their outlay confusion worse confounded4 ,sometimes a woman with little more than a common-school education and an ordinary working knowledge of arithmetic can keep her accounts with a conciseness and cleanness many a trained bookkeeper might envy4 ,if a housekeeper has a system which proves satisfactory it is a mistake for her to try to change it for one which may be more scientific but is less useful4 ,merely as a suggested guide ,i would advise the beginner to provide herself with two books1 one small and cheap1 to be slipped into the pocket when going to market1 the other larger and of better quality4 ,in the first one1 to which is attached a pencil1 is to be set down every purchase and its cost1 as soon as made4 ,the memory should never be trusted in these matters1 but each outlay--no matter how small1 if it be nothing more than a car-fare or a three-cent bunch of parsley--entered immediately4 ,then these items are to be transferred in ink to the larger book as soon as possible after the housekeeper's return to the home4 ,it is fatal to accuracy and to really helpful bookkeeping to let the accounts accumulate before they are written down and balanced4 ,still keeping along the most elementary principles of household accounts1 let me counsel that on the left-hand page be written the amount of money in hand1 while the sums expended and the items for which they are paid out are set down on the opposite page4 ,the two pages may be balanced each day or as the bottom of each page is reached1 as best suits the housekeeper4 ,the one immutable rule is that the sum which the written balance shows ought to be in her purse should absolutely be there4 ,this may sound like the very primer of household expenses1 but no woman who has ever gone through the anguish of trying to determine what has become of the stray dime her figures show should be in her possession1 or of discovering how she happens to have a quarter more than her ciphering proves to belong to her1 will ever make light of the endeavor to square her accounts and her cash balance4 ,such struggles are avoided by the consistent practice of noting down each payment as soon as made4 ,possibly the most important decision the young housekeeper has to make in beginning her domestic bookkeeping is how she shall pay for her purchases4 ,shall it be cash or credit8 ,and if the latter1 how often shall bills be paid8 ,from the standpoint of wise economy it is safe to state that the strictly cash habit is probably the most economical method to follow4 ,the old saying of 8pay as you go1 and if you can't pay don't go60 is put into practical effect4 ,foolish as it may be1 the fact remains that we all feel a certain reluctance to part with actual cash which lays a detaining grasp upon us when we might be tempted to 8plunge0 if the charge were not to be presented until the end of the week or month4 ,the housekeeper thinks more than once before she buys the more expensive cut of meat1 the higher-priced fruits or vegetables than her purse shows she ought to purchase4 ,and there is undoubtedly a comfort beyond words in the knowledge that no vexing bills are coming in after the food has been consumed and forgotten4 ,when feasible1 there are countless advantages in paying cash for everything which is brought into the house and leaving to credit only such items as cannot well be met except periodically--such as fuel1 light1 wages1 and in some cases milk and ice4 ,on the other hand1 the charge system has something to its account4 ,it is much more convenient1 in the first place4 ,when one is in a hurry to finish her marketing and get on to something else the nuisance of having to wait for change is vexatious4 ,sometimes the article desired is not in stock and must be ordered4 ,one hesitates to pay for it before it is certain that it can be obtained4 ,again1 the telephone marketing or commanding of groceries1 disadvantageous as it is1 must sometimes be followed because of illness or inclement weather1 and then the habit of paying cash is a bother4 ,moreover1 there is little doubt that the charge customer usually receives a meed of consideration often refused the cash payer4 ,it is also a genuine inconvenience to pay cash for milk and for ice and for certain other commodities1 such as butter and eggs supplied by special dealers4 ,i have not touched upon the possibility that ready money may be lacking1 as is sometimes the case with the man on a salary and still more with the one who does piecework and is not paid on a fixed day4 ,often the need for paying 8real money0 amounts to a hardship1 not because the purchaser is not solvent1 but because his remuneration is slow in arriving4 ,at such periods the charge account partakes of the nature of a sheet-anchor4 ,and yet there are strong arguments against it4 ,perhaps it is useless to lay stress on the disadvantages of the charge account1 and yet ,i would feel ,i was in error if ,i did not speak a word of warning against the fatal facility attending on credit arrangements4 ,it is altogether too easy to have an article charged1 forgetting that a day of reckoning can only be postponed at the best4 ,the housekeeper who for good and sufficient reasons decides to pay by check periodically should lay down for herself certain fixed rules4 ,one of the chief of these is to have short accounts4 ,a grocer's or a butcher's bill should be presented weekly and paid punctually4 ,when the bill comes in it should be gone over carefully and the items on it checked up1 to be sure1 in the first place1 that every article charged has been delivered2 in the second place1 that the charge set against it is that which was stated when the purchase was made4 ,it is a common occurrence to find an increase of from one to five cents on several entries on a bill4 ,the error may be due to the bookkeeper's mistake or to the dealer's dishonesty4 ,in either event the blunder should be called to the merchant's attention and corrected4 ,he will respect the housekeeper none the less because he learns she is on the alert for possible discrepancies4 ,another principle to be followed is that the marketer should not be led into making foolish or extravagant purchases because they are to be charged4 ,in the majority of cases it is a mistake for the small housekeeper to buy in quantity1 since the cash saved by the transaction is offset by the waste of the material1 either by spoiling or because of extravagant use4 ,yet when the purchase can be charged it is easy to yield to the temptation toward what seems at the first glance like an economy4 ,again1 the possession of the charge account should not be permitted to lead the housekeeper into the habit of vicarious marketing--either by telephone or by messenger or by ordering through an employee of the concern she patronizes4 ,other mistakes may also be made1 but these are probably the most frequent and those into which the woman who is not on her guard against pitfalls in the domestic path is likely to slip4 ,i have said that it is not feasible to state here a fixed sum to which the housekeeper must limit her outlay for food4 ,her best plan for arriving at an approximate estimate is by a process of averages4 ,a single day or even a single week cannot furnish a standard any more than can a single meal4 ,the wisest method is by the aid of strict system to keep track of her expenditures and then study how the economy of one time offsets the liberality of another4 ,to illustrate3 when the holiday season is at hand expenses are bound to increase4 ,the cost of the ,thanksgiving or the ,christmas turkey and pies cannot be appreciably reduced4 ,but it is possible to make a science of economical purchasing and catering--this1 too1 without stinting the family or feeding them poorly--so that the burden of high-priced food may not hopelessly swamp the income4 ,a like principle may be followed on other occasions4 ,if company must be entertained1 if a family feast must be observed1 prudent marketing and skilful cookery may delude the household into an ignorance of the fact that money is being saved to carry the housekeeper over the time of increased bills4 ,constant thought and consideration are required for this1 but to the lover of housekeeping the occupation after a while becomes almost like a game in which she pits her wits against the cost of living and glories when she comes out ahead4 ,here is an enterprise in which the habit of going to market for oneself and the custom of keeping strict account of disbursements both help the worker4 ,she can pick up at a bargain a cut of meat1 a selection of fish1 a choice of vegetables or of fruit1 or an occasion in canned goods which will at once bring down her average and permit her to lay aside a little toward the next heavy pull upon her purse4 ,this is especially likely to be the case in the period of preserving1 pickling1 and similar pursuits1 when often a happy 8find0 in fruit will help to lighten the unavoidable weight of conserving of any sort4 ,the wise student of housekeeping need not let her family recognize the alternation of a feast and a fast at the table4 ,when they eat a larded lamb's liver1 they will not suspect an economy2 when they rejoice in filleted sole they will have no idea that the cheapness of flounders is responsible for their treat1 any more than they guess that a delectable trifle which redeems a rather simple dinner is made from the remains of stale cake1 the left-overs of a couple of jars of jam1 and a simple custard4 ,some of the so-called economies do not economize4 ,a bread-pudding which requires eggs1 milk1 sugar1 butter1 and raisins to the value of fifteen or twenty cents to use up three cents' worth of stale bread can by no stretch of the imagination be regarded as a saving4 ,better make toast of the bread1 save it for stuffing1 or dry it and keep it for crumbs to serve in frying4 ,but there are genuine economies galore1 and the woman who makes a science of them will lay up for herself a series of agreeable sensations when she balances her housekeeping accounts at the end of the month4 ,v ,,the ,,house ,,in ,,order ,putting the house in order is one thing4 ,keeping it in order is quite another4 ,once upon a time there was a theory that every house1 no matter how well kept1 how frequently swept and scrubbed1 must be torn up by the roots twice a year1 for the spring and fall cleaning4 ,at those dreadful periods mere men fled from before the devastating broom and scrubbing-brush wielded by the woman of the family4 ,even when they stole home in the evening to the slim meal which was all the worn-out housekeeper could provide1 the halls and stairs were likely to be blocked by pails of suds1 by furniture or rolls of carpet en route4 ,to the aged survivors of that epoch the phrase 8housecleaning-time0 is still enough to provoke a shudder4 ,i have heard the assertion made that it lasted at least six weeks1 although all seem to be agreed that the spring visitation was more severe than that of the autumn4 ,even in this day and generation there are found certain authorities to declare that a house cannot be kept so clean that it does not once in so often require a thorough going-over4 ,in a way there is an element of truth in their claim4 ,in every home there are nooks and corners not in constant use1 and therefore not regularly cleaned2 store-closets1 trunk-rooms1 cupboards or drawers reserved for extra bedding1 clothing1 furnishings1 into whose closed confines dust mysteriously seeps1 wherein moth and other vermin make their breeding-places4 ,at least once a year--and better1 twice in a twelvemonth--these 8glory-holes0 should be emptied1 the contents looked over1 beaten or dusted1 the floors1 walls1 shelves1 etc41 wiped off carefully4 ,this is the time to give away or throw away treasured possessions no longer of use to their owners and which may be of service elsewhere2 to rearrange such articles as escape banishment2 to put aside for the next season the summer or winter clothing1 hangings1 and the like which are not needed at the moment4 ,so long as dirt and dust continue to exist and to work themselves into the most jealously guarded precincts1 so long must the housekeeper bestow at least a semi-annual inspection on her reserves and their quarters4 ,she fails signally to understand her business1 however1 if she permits an accumulation of dirt with the comforting conviction that it will all be removed in the spring and fall clearance4 ,more and more we understand the importance of purity to health1 and with this comprehension we have grown to perceive that the best method of retaining high cleanliness is by never allowing the dirt to get the better of us4 ,a little brushing and sweeping and cleaning here and there as it is needed1 a more attentive treatment once a week1 will keep the house clean without making the labor a burden4 ,the system which should be the housekeeper's most valued ally in the effort after efficiency comes into play here4 ,by the time she is fairly settled in her new home she should have evolved a routine which1 so far from being an irksome groove1 will be rather a track on which the domestic wheels revolve without undue friction and the consequent wear and tear4 ,take into consideration first the round of the day as it has to do with keeping the house in order4 ,when the maid or the housekeeper herself comes down in the morning to start the breakfast1 either by making a fire with wood or coal1 or by lighting the oil or gas flame1 or turning the key that sets the electric current to work1 she should open the windows to let in fresh air and the light which reveals the dusty or the untidy corners4 ,while the kettle is boiling or the cereal simmering she may have to set the table1 or if this has been done the night before and a light cloth thrown over it to protect from the dust1 the dust-pan and broom may be called into service or the carpet-sweeper run over the places which demand attention4 ,the fortunate woman who has a vacuum-cleaner1 either one of the hand variety or the larger style which connects with the electric current supplying the house1 has work simplified and time saved1 as well as strength conserved4 ,in those homes where an early and rather hasty breakfast is obligatory for the sake of the commuter or the business man who must get to his office promptly1 or the children who must be off to school1 it is better to have done what superficial tidying was possible the night before and to let the sweeping and dusting go until after the morning meal is despatched and the workers on their way4 ,if a system is followed which obliges the readers of books and newspapers to put them in their place before going to bed1 which insists that toys1 tools1 and clothing shall not be left lying about for some one besides the scatterers to put away the next morning1 there need be no confusion encompassing the breakfast-table4 ,a few moments should have been snatched for dusting the more conspicuous portions of the dining-room furniture1 and distress of digestion should never be induced by the presence of dirt or disorder in the surroundings4 ,when the housekeeper has the home to herself1 has disposed of the details of dish-washing1 bed-making1 etc41 has planned for her meals and made out the list for her marketing1 she should turn her attention to the removal of the 8matter out of place10 as dirt has been gracefully termed4 ,the living-room will probably require her first efforts after she has reduced the dining-room to the proper condition of shining tidiness4 ,i have referred to the vacuum-cleaner4 ,i wish ,i could put one into the hands of every housekeeper6 ,several kinds are on the market and ,i carry no brief for any special make1 but ,i know there is more than one good variety4 ,the woman of slender means can use one of the hand-machines1 which1 while perhaps more tiresome to work than the cleaner run by electricity1 will yet make much less call upon the strength than the ordinary broom and do the work much more effectively4 ,not the least of the advantages of the vacuum-cleaner is a merit it possesses in common with the ordinary carpet-sweeper--that it does not scatter dust as well as gather it up4 ,more than this1 the vacuum-cleaner enables the worker to remove the dust from draperies without taking them down1 to clean walls by a less arduous means than going over them with a cloth-wrapped brush or broom4 ,decidedly1 one of the best investments a housekeeper can make is a good vacuum-cleaner2 and she will find that it soon pays for itself in the amount of time and toil it saves4 ,the work it takes a woman hours to accomplish is done by the vacuum-cleaner in a fraction of the time she would bestow on cleansing by the old methods1 and more than one housekeeper has found that she saved the wages of an extra helper by the purchase of a vacuum-cleaner that she could handle herself4 ,when such a cleaner is out of the question1 a substitute for minor work in this line is a carpet-sweeper4 ,true1 it cannot go into corners and its accomplishment must be supplemented by a dust-pan and broom1 but even so1 it saves much stooping and struggle to the housekeeper4 ,a trustworthy variety should be selected2 it should be emptied regularly and kept in perfect working order4 ,with this there should be provided what is known as a dustless mop--there are several makes of these--to use on the bare floors after the rugs have been treated by the sweeper4 ,as a matter of course everything of this sort1 as well as the use of a broom which raises dust1 should be concluded before the housekeeper attacks the furniture with the brush for the upholstered pieces1 a flannelette or cheese-cloth duster for the hardwood1 or one of the so-called oiled dusters4 ,of these1 too1 a good choice is offered at house-furnishing establishments4 ,while the cleaning goes on the windows should be open1 but not in such a way as to blow the dust1 and the doors into the other part of the house should be kept closed4 ,the old method1 still practised by untrained maids or by housekeepers whose zeal is in excess of their knowledge1 of cleaning two or three rooms at once and driving the dust from one room to another should be entirely out of date in these sanitary days4 ,the same sort of surface-cleaning should be followed throughout the house1 in halls and chambers1 as well as in the down-stairs rooms4 ,even in the tidiest household dust is likely to gather from day to day1 and if neglected twenty-four hours its presence is unpleasantly conspicuous4 ,this superficial care answers excellently for part of the time1 but it is not sufficient without a more thorough attack at least once a week4 ,the housekeeper need not follow the modes of her mother and grandmother and have the whole house swept from top to bottom on one day of the week1 unless she finds1 after study of ways and means1 that this simplifies living for her4 ,a better plan is to have one room or two done a day1 so that the labor is lightened by being spread out through the week4 ,the same method should be followed in each room that is to be cleaned4 ,the smaller ornaments should be wiped and laid away1 either in the bureau drawer or on some large piece of furniture which cannot be moved but may have its surface and the objects put on it covered with a sweeping-sheet4 ,lighter articles1 such as chairs and small tables1 should be dusted and then carried from the room4 ,the postponement of the dusting until they are brought back after the room has been swept means a fresh scattering of the dust about the clean chamber4 ,sweeping-sheets1 made of cotton cloth bound with red1 that they may not be confused with the regulation bed-linen1 should be at hand to lay over such large pieces as cannot be removed4 ,the sweeping should be done from the sides of the room toward the center1 recollecting always to have at least one window opened and all doors closed4 ,when the dust is all in one compact heap it should be taken up in the dust-pan1 transferred at once to a newspaper1 this rolled up tight and put aside to be carried down to the furnace or the ash-can4 ,after the dust has settled the walls can be gone over with a cloth or with a broom about which has been wrapped a duster1 or a hair brush with a long handle1 such as comes for this purpose4 ,the above method can be followed in a room with a carpeted floor or with a large rug fastened down4 ,when small loose rugs are used they may be swept first1 then rolled up and carried from the room1 after which the bare floor is dusted or wiped off with oil or rubbed with one of the good waxing preparations which the popularity of the hardwood floor has brought into the market4 ,in a house supplied with a vacuum-cleaner the floor and the rugs can both be cleansed without the labor of carrying out the latter1 and the upholstered furniture will not need the offices of the small brush in removing the dust from folds and tufts4 ,water should not be used on a hardwood floor4 ,it may be wiped off with a cloth dipped in crude oil and turpentine mingled in equal parts1 and the mixture must be well rubbed in4 ,in default of this1 kerosene may be employed1 observing moderation in the quantity of the oil applied4 ,too much of any kind of dressing makes an unpleasant odor which lingers persistently4 ,it may be said1 by the way1 that when oilcloth is washed the cloth should be wrung out nearly dry4 ,if the water gets under the oilcloth this will rot4 ,when windows are to be washed the dust and dirt from the frames should be removed before the glass is touched4 ,if not1 the panes will be streaked4 ,warm water should be used1 and no soap2 this would make the glass cloudy4 ,a little borax or ammonia may be added to the water1 and in cold weather alcohol should be mixed with the water to prevent this from freezing on the cloth4 ,in scouring paint the soap or other preparation should be applied on a flannel or the paint will be scratched4 ,hardwood finishings1 such as door-posts1 window-frames1 and the like1 should have the same sort of oiling as is used for the floors4 ,if the silver which is in daily family service is always washed as it should be after each meal there is no reason why it should become dull and dingy and require a weekly scouring4 ,scalding-hot water is an essential2 the silver should be rinsed off in hot suds1 dropped into the almost boiling clean water1 fished out quickly1 a piece or two at a time1 and dried immediately4 ,no draining of silver or glass should ever be allowed1 no matter what compromises are permitted in this line with china and crockery4 ,close to the worker's hand should stand a few helps toward keeping her silver and glass bright and shining4 ,a bottle of household ammonia or a box of borax is one of her best aids4 ,also she should have a little coarse salt with which to take egg stains from silver1 and a cake or box of good silver polish in case some of the pieces look less brilliant than they should4 ,a chamois-skin to give a final polish is also a desideratum4 ,if silver has been laid away and become dull so that a general scouring is demanded1 it is well for the housekeeper to have one of the patented devices by which silver can be cleansed by an immersion in a bath of soda and salt contained in an aluminum pan4 ,again1 there are several good articles of this kind for sale at reasonable prices4 ,the daily equipment for dish-washing should consist of two dish-pans for the housekeeper who does not possess a butler's-pantry sink with running water4 ,in one of these pans the silver and china should be rinsed free of all grease before they are put into the clean hot suds of the other pan4 ,the glasses should be washed in the clear water before soap has been added2 next come the silver pieces1 and these1 like the glasses1 should be wiped dry as soon as they are taken out4 ,the ideal method is to dry the china in the same way1 but if it is perfectly clean when taken from the suds1 the pieces ranged in a rack and boiling water poured over them1 they will usually dry evenly and show no marks or streaks4 ,this method undoubtedly saves much time and bother4 ,a dish-mop is better for use in washing dishes than a dish-cloth1 since it keeps the hands from the hot water1 but should be scalded after each service and boiled once a day4 ,the towels should be washed and boiled with equal regularity4 ,,vi ,,hygiene ,,and ,,plumbing ,some of the apparently minor details of housekeeping really possess more importance than those which seem to bulk larger4 ,consider drains1 for instance4 ,in this day it is taken for granted that no one buys or rents a house without being assured that the plumbing is in perfect order1 as well as having been of the best quality in the beginning4 ,i say that this is taken for granted1 and yet ,i feel ,i should modify this statement1 recollecting homes in which ,i have been a guest where the plumbing is obsolete and neglected to a degree which would be dangerous with even the most up-to-date fittings4 ,when such carelessness exists relative to the old-fashioned closed plumbing with the cheapest and least scientific of traps and stop-cocks1 one gains a rather alarming notion of the hazards to which householders recklessly subject their families4 ,let me state here that the absence of evil odor is no proof that drains and traps are in excellent order4 ,the deadly sewer-gas is practically without smell1 and persons can be badly poisoned by it with no warning on the part of their olfactory nerves4 ,there are tests which will demonstrate the presence of noxious vapors1 but these must be made by sanitary engineers or specialists in this line4 ,unless the dweller in any home is positively assured that the drains1 plumbing1 etc41 are in perfect condition there should be no delay in making such tests and in proving the good or evil state of the house-fittings4 ,this is not sufficient1 however4 ,the drains must be kept clear1 not only for such a simple hygienic reason as the desire to guard against disease1 but also because a greasy or dirty pipe soon means a choked pipe1 and this in turn brings the inconvenience of a sink which cannot be used1 of a backed-up overflow of waste water1 with the possible accompaniment of injured floor-coverings1 walls1 and ceilings4 ,the expert may be required to decide as to the perfection of drains4 ,the veriest beginner in housekeeping needs little education to know how to keep them free4 ,in the first place she should see that nothing is thrown down a waste-pipe but the things it is meant to carry off4 ,when wads of paper1 broken pasteboard boxes1 rolls of hair-combings1 and similar refuse are flung into the mouth of even a wide and generous waste-pipe there is pretty sure to be trouble sooner or later4 ,when grease and particles of food1 tea-leaves1 coffee-grounds1 and collections of dust are dumped into a sink1 or a corresponding amount of debris is permitted to try to make its way through the pipe running from the wash-basin1 no one but the person guilty of such gross carelessness may be to blame1 but the whole household is likely to suffer for the offense4 ,in view of the fact that most persons are heedless1 the housekeeper should protect herself and others against risks4 ,one of the simplest helps to this is the use of washing-soda--a chemical which is absolutely ruinous to clothing when used as a detergent in laundry-work1 but is admirable for cutting grease or fat which has accumulated in waste-pipes and for eating away other foreign particles which have gathered there4 ,i hasten to add that it will not disintegrate strands of hair or bone buttons--both of which are often found by plumbers in the joints of choked pipes they have been called in to open6 ,another aid to keeping the pipes clean and free is household ammonia4 ,this does not need to be poured clear into the pipes1 but when it has been employed in rinsing greasy dishes or in cleansing the sink1 or in brightening glass or silver1 the hot water to which it has been added is of distinct benefit to the waste-pipes4 ,it may be suggested1 by the way1 that one of the best methods for using the washing-soda is to lay a good-sized lump of it over the drain-pipe from the sink so that the water which goes down carries particles of the soda with it on their cleansing errand4 ,either ammonia or a solution of washing-soda should be used in rinsing out the set-tubs after laundry-work has been done4 ,when one thinks of the human waste from the skin which adheres to the clothing and is washed off from it in these tubs1 there is a degree of foulness in the notion of letting the tubs pass with no more cleansing than the rinsing they get from the second or third water through which the clothes are passed4 ,other cleansing preparations come which are perhaps less severe in their effect on the hands than the common washing-soda4 ,many of those on the market are known to be excellent by the proof they have given housekeepers4 ,the names of several of these will at once suggest themselves to any one who keeps up with the times in the line of domestic helps4 ,whatever the chosen cleaning medium may be1 a bottle or box of it should always stand in the bath-room1 not only for rinsing out pipes and keeping them clear1 but also for preserving the purity of basin and tub and toilet-bowl4 ,i have often been impressed by the carelessness of housekeepers in this detail1 especially in homes where there are several children4 ,evidently these have never been taught the niceties of rinsing out the tub after bathing1 or the basin after washing the hands4 ,around each vessel runs a high-tide mark of soap or dirt1 the mere sight of which is enough to deter the observer from using bowl or bath4 ,the touch of the hand to the inside of either will almost always discover a sediment or accretion of grease or dirt or both4 ,this accumulation is readily removed by a soap-rubbed cloth or by one dipped in ammonia or other detersive4 ,such care may seem a trifling detail1 but it is one which should never be neglected4 ,in connection with this a word does not come amiss as to the superior attractiveness of nickel bath-room fittings1 or of those of the kitchen or butler's pantry1 when they are kept bright and clean1 over those which are suffered to lapse into dinginess4 ,when the nickel coating is hopelessly scoured off it is not a serious matter to have the fittings done over and made to look like new4 ,the whole care of the bath-room deserves more attention than it usually receives4 ,soiled towels and wet wash-cloths should not be flung down here and there1 or stray medicine-bottles and medicine-boxes left in untidy rows on the shelves4 ,the medicine-cabinet should be kept in order2 the towels and wash-cloths folded neatly and hung up after using2 clean towels in plenty in readiness for the chance guest2 the soap-dish should be scoured scrupulously as often as once a day4 ,of course it takes time to do these little things1 but their presence or absence marks the difference between the good and the careless housekeeper4 ,washing-soda has another use beyond that of keeping drain-pipes clear4 ,a solution of it is excellent for washing out the ice-box or refrigerator4 ,this process should take place at least once a week4 ,when this is said it is not meant that the ice-box should not be cleared out oftener than that4 ,a new piece of ice should not go into it if there is a possibility of bits of food of any sort having been left in the corners or cracks of the ice-chamber4 ,daily inspection of the contents of the refrigerator will make sure that all food in it is keeping well and is sweet and fresh4 ,in most well-made refrigerators of the day the shelves are so built that they can be slipped in and out4 ,by this plan they can be scrubbed clean and the sides of the refrigerator can also be scoured off1 as would not be feasible with non-detachable shelves4 ,after it has been made clean a few pieces of charcoal should be laid in the corners4 ,this will keep the place sweet by absorbing the odors from food1 and every few days the fragments of charcoal should be thrown out and new ones put in their place4 ,even with this care the ice-box will sometimes get a close smell2 at such times a small shovel should be made nearly red-hot1 a little ground coffee sprinkled upon it1 and this put into the refrigerator for a few minutes4 ,it should be understood by every housekeeper that butter1 milk1 and cream should never be kept near strong-smelling articles of food4 ,they absorb the odors and taste of the items they have been with4 ,milk is usually kept in open dishes or pans for those who wish to get the full good of the cream which rises to the surface1 and nothing else except other milk products or perhaps fresh eggs should be permitted near it4 ,when highly flavored foods of any sort must be kept in a refrigerator they should either be closely covered--which is not always possible or desirable--or put in a chamber by themselves4 ,butter should not be suffered to remain in the wooden boxes or plates on which it is often sent home2 lettuce and greens should either be washed before they are put away or wrapped in clean paper4 ,lettuce is best rinsed and then done up in a clean cloth before it is laid near the ice4 ,when canned goods of any sort are opened they should at once be turned from the tin4 ,they will keep indefinitely in the can while this is sealed1 but as soon as the air gets at the contents a chemical change is wrought by the contact of the fluid and the tin and the food soon becomes affected and a positive menace to health4 ,the housekeeper should always have in her stock a number of small bowls or dishes into which to turn the fruit1 vegetables1 etc41 which have been sent home to her in a can4 ,a wire meat-safe is an important item to have in the pantry1 when there is room for such a convenience4 ,lacking this space1 the dweller in flats achieves a compromise by a box built outside of her kitchen window1 covered on top with oilcloth or other water-proof material1 that the contents may be kept dry4 ,according to the exposure of the window to the sun1 the sides of the box may either be of wire netting or solid wood4 ,in length the box matches the width of the window and is usually high enough to allow of two shelves4 ,in this improvised outdoor pantry can be kept in cool weather many articles which would otherwise crowd the refrigerator unduly and would perhaps wither or spoil in the warm kitchen or pantry4 ,every convenience she can lay her hands on the housekeeper is within her rights in securing4 ,when it is worth while it pays for itself in sparing her busy hands and feet1 in easing the tire of her overworked back4 ,on her floor she should have linoleum1 as it is easier to keep clean than the bare boards1 more sanitary and more convenient than rugs4 ,the study of how to arrange her kitchen so as to save herself steps is one of the first things the new housekeeper should undertake4 ,the table should stand near the sink and not too far from the stove2 the utensils most frequently in service should be hung on a row of hooks close at hand or be ranged on a couple of shelves above the table4 ,here1 too1 should be such articles of seasoning1 etc41 as are in constant demand--the salt-box1 the pepper-cruet1 the vinegar-bottle1 the flour-dredger1 and the like4 ,the bread-box and bread-board should be near the table on which the loaf is to be sliced2 the bread-knife should be close by4 ,one of the greatest conveniences for a kitchen is that piece of furniture called a kitchen cabinet1 which unites the functions of a dresser1 a receptacle for provisions1 a table or shelf at which to make bread and roll pastry1 and various other qualities that must be known to be appreciated fully4 ,these cabinets come in different sizes1 styles1 and finish1 and are easily made by the clever home carpenter4 ,the fireless cooker must not pass unnoticed1 whether this be of the home-made hay-box kind or of the more elaborate variety containing plates to heat for cooking the contents of the vessels of the cooker4 ,whichever make is selected1 the cooker itself is one of the most potent aids the housekeeper can have as a saver of time1 of fuel1 of labor1 and of fatigue4 ,by its assistance the meal virtually cooks itself1 once it has been started in the right way4 ,food prepared in the fireless cooker preserves its flavor as it cannot do if cooked in the oven or on top of the stove1 and there is far less waste of the material of each article than if it were suffered to go off in steam and aroma4 ,the most popular fuel of the day is undoubtedly gas1 since the cost of electric equipment puts it beyond the reach of most housekeepers of moderate means4 ,yet there are many parts of the country where all cookery must be done by coal or even by wood1 and where the only solace of the worker is that she has the comfort of the heat in winter and the benefits of slow cooking at all times4 ,for housekeepers who must buy their coal it is well to know that the most advantageous mixture for the average-sized range is a mixture of egg-coal and nut-coal1 in the proportion of equal parts of the red ash and the white ash4 ,the latter burns more slowly than the former1 while this gives a stronger fire and makes fewer cinders4 ,a fresh fire need not be made more than once a week if the housekeeper is careful to rake out the ashes at bedtime1 put on fresh coal1 open the draughts for ten or fifteen minutes or until the new coal is fairly kindled1 then close the draughts and leave the upper door of the stove open4 ,in the morning the draughts have only to be opened after the upper door has been closed and a little fresh coal put on as soon as the fire has begun to be red4 ,not until this has begun to burn well should a further small supply of coal be added4 ,this mode is much more economical of fuel and work than making a fresh fire every day4 ,,vii ,,the ,,home ,,without ,a ,,servant ,the housekeeper who undertakes to run her establishment without a servant is beset by certain disadvantages4 ,when she has had a bad night1 is suffering from indisposition of any kind1 or wishes to undertake some piece of work1 such as dressmaking1 for which she desires to have her time free1 it is inconvenient to feel that without her personal effort no part of the business of the house will be done1 that all responsibility as well as all performance falls upon her4 ,on the other hand1 great are the comforts of the woman who has no one but herself to do her work4 ,these should be considered1 since an enormously large proportion of ,american housekeepers employ no regular servant and many others call in assistance only for such toil as washing and ironing and heavy cleaning4 ,the woman who does not keep a maid can run her kitchen to suit herself and have things done as she prefers4 ,she need not be constantly worried because the cook neglects to line the garbage-pail with a newspaper or to put on the cover1 persistently leaves the refrigerator open in hot weather and will not save left-overs4 ,the mistress knows that the dishes are washed by an approved method1 since she does it herself1 and this position also enables her to have the utensils and general plenishing of the kitchen and pantry in the order she likes4 ,the same freedom obtains in other parts of the house4 ,there is no uncertainty as to whether towels and napkins are used in the prescribed routine2 no doubt if the beds are properly aired and made1 the corners of the rooms swept and the top shelves dusted1 sanitary precautions observed as to drains and similar niceties of care followed4 ,the woman who does her own work can be sure of an attention to details which she could not compel from a hireling except at the cost of close watchfulness and more or less nagging4 ,more than this1 the economies to be compassed in a house where no maid is kept far exceed the mere outlay for food which is required to supply an extra person4 ,no one but the mistress of the home will watch for small leaks1 and1 having bought judiciously1 will take pains that the saving thus practised is not lost by careless use of materials4 ,she will plan her meals so as to utilize remnants1 will see that the trifle which seems of no importance is put aside to combine with another apparently negligible quantity1 will guard worn-out household linens for other services than the rag-bag1 will watch for the first breaks in table-cloth or napkins and stop them with a wise stitch or two4 ,through it all she will possess the delightful sense of having her home to herself1 of knowing there is not a nook or a corner of it where she does not reign supreme1 and that her theories are put into practice from the top of the house to the bottom4 ,such delightful sensations as these are of course out of the question for the woman who undertakes housekeeping without a good working knowledge of how to conduct it4 ,the theories to which reference has been made may be the best of their kind1 but unless they are backed by the ability to do the things they describe there is likely to be trouble4 ,still1 the woman who has more book instruction in the line of housekeeping than actual experience can learn by doing and in time reach a point where her independence is a joy to her4 ,the best aid she can have in this endeavor is system1 the habit of doing each task at a certain hour and in a certain way1 and she need not consider the time wasted she bestows on planning out her routine so as to make it at once easy and efficient4 ,in a city apartment or a small house fitted with the latest improvements the way is much simplified4 ,if one can have a fire by striking a match and turning on the gas-stove1 is supplied with hot water by a means outside her own kitchen1 has milk1 ice1 meat1 and other provisions brought to the door of her pantry1 and no responsibility as to getting rid of ashes or garbage1 she may feel that her lines have fallen in pleasant places4 ,naturally1 a woman who lives in these conditions must direct her work in a very different way from that incumbent upon the dweller in a village or on a farm1 who must build and keep in her own fires for cooking and heating1 warm every drop of hot water that is used--often perhaps having to draw or pump it first--fill the lamps by which the house is lighted1 and do all the many other duties which are performed for the dweller in a city flat and taken by her for granted4 ,yet as much efficiency1 as delightful a life1 exist in these conditions as can be found in a home where the work is reduced to a minimum4 ,the housekeeper who must put up with inconveniences will generally find that they are offset by benefits which go far to counterbalance the drawbacks4 ,if the city housekeeper with all modern improvements at her command requires system in her work1 it is even more necessary for the one who must do without such aids4 ,at the same time she must secure every help she can4 ,when she can get one of the gasolene-stoves which1 if properly managed1 are hardly second to a gas-range in excellence1 or1 if lacking one of these1 she can secure a good oil-stove with an oven2 if she can provide herself with an oil hot-water-back or heater which will warm the water for cooking and bathing2 if she purchases all such aids as fireless cookers1 steamers1 hand vacuum-cleaners1 and other up-to-date appliances1 she will simplify her labor and at the same time preserve the youth and strength that would be devoured by the adherence to the methods of her grandmother in a day when twentieth-century living is taken for granted on even the remote rural free-delivery route4 ,in addition to this she should study the art of sparing herself in other ways1 even of shirking when it is wise4 ,by this advice there is no implication that she should be careless of work that should be done or perform it in the wrong way4 ,but often duties can be postponed with no harm to anything except the housekeeper's supersensitive conscientiousness1 just as there are times when it is even wiser to leave the room unswept or undusted than to wear oneself down to absolute fatigue and the fretfulness or irritability such weariness connotes4 ,one of the first rules for the home-worker to lay down for herself is that no positive moral superiority is displayed by standing at one's occupations4 ,there is no reason except a custom better broken than preserved why a woman should not have a high stool or chair on which to sit while washing and drying dishes1 while preparing vegetables1 beating eggs1 creaming butter or flour1 and performing other such tasks1 as well as while ironing small pieces4 ,the stool or chair should also be accompanied by a hassock or footstool on which to rest the feet4 ,the fact that some of the old type of housekeepers will call the practice lazy does not in the least affect the common sense of the suggestion and the habit4 ,another means for rendering kitchen work agreeable is to have the right sort of utensils with which to accomplish it4 ,i have spoken of some of the conveniences already4 ,certain of them are high-priced1 but many of the aids to easy and pleasant cookery are inexpensive4 ,to have plenty of bowls and spoons1 the right kind of measuring-cups1 pans1 and pudding-dishes1 is as essential in its way as the purchase of a bread or cake mixer or a washing-machine4 ,too often housekeepers put up with the poor outfits they have and let a mistaken economy prevent their securing the right kind of tools4 ,nothing worth having is gained by washing dishes in a rusty and battered pan1 drying them on ragged towels1 any more than by serving your puddings in a chipped bake-dish or measuring ingredients in a leaky cup4 ,this is not real economy2 it is either slovenliness or sloth4 ,when a woman does her own work she can surely trust herself to take care of the articles she uses1 and she should not stint herself in buying those she needs4 ,also she should dress for the part of maid-of-all-work when she is filling that rle4 ,tightly fitting waists and long skirts should never be worn1 and wash frocks are the best1 since the material not only does not harbor odors of cooking as does a woolen fabric1 but the garment can be washed when it is soiled4 ,a shirtwaist and short skirt or a one-piece frock is the best uniform1 and always there should be a large and comprehensive apron with a high bib and shoulder-straps4 ,in addition to this it is well to have a couple of aprons supplied with sleeves1 which can be slipped on over an afternoon frock when getting dinner ready or when washing up afterward4 ,all the aprons should be long enough to come down well to the hem of the gown and should be of some pretty goods1 such as gingham or percale1 or one of the crinkly fabrics which do not need to be ironed after washing4 ,there is no reason why a woman who does her own work should not look attractive while she is at the process4 ,above all1 she should abjure curl-papers1 kid curlers1 and similar atrocities both while at her duties and when presiding at the breakfast-table for a family which should surely take away with them an agreeable mental picture of the mistress of the house4 ,if these adjuncts are actually necessary to render the wearer presentable later in the day1 she should at least conceal them under a pretty boudoir cap4 ,such a cap is advisable not only on account of the appearance1 but as a protection to the hair from smoke and steam4 ,after the morning meal is over the housekeeper may either put her dishes to soak in hot water1 leave her beds to air1 and go out to do her marketing1 or she may decide to postpone the purchasing until later in the day and despatch her household duties before she leaves the house4 ,often it seems wiser to go to market late in the morning1 or even in the afternoon1 and thus have the best part of the forenoon unbroken for domestic occupations4 ,the systematic housekeeper can usually plan her meals so that this plan can be followed without inconvenience4 ,in the well-kept flat there is not very much to do when there are only two in the family4 ,with so few in the house articles do not get out of place to any marked extent1 and when the windows have been opened in the chambers and living-room while breakfast was going on there is little to hinder the housekeeper from devoting only a short time to pushing furniture back into place1 running a carpet-sweeper over the floor1 and doing necessary dusting4 ,a bed or two must be made1 the bath-room put in order1 the dishes washed1 and the dining-room and kitchen set to rights2 but in the apartment where the woman does her own work there will be no accumulation of other persons' dirt to be removed4 ,when a whole house is occupied there is more to be done4 ,halls and stairs must be brushed1 perhaps front steps swept1 stoves looked after in winter1 and flies beaten out and rooms shaded in summer4 ,other duties will present themselves if there is more than a single floor to be kept in order--a floor on which are found kitchen1 pantry1 and dining-room as well as chambers and bath-room4 ,whether it be an apartment or a whole house1 the same order of work should be followed4 ,the morning should be the time applied to turning off any heavy or disagreeable work which has to be done4 ,cleaning1 sweeping1 dusting1 making ready of vegetables for dinner1 preparing the pudding or other dessert which is to be cooked later in the day1 should always be planned for the early hours of the day4 ,this is the time when the energies are at their best and freshest1 and it is also the period when interruptions are least likely4 ,in the afternoon one cannot be secure against callers or other demands upon leisure--to say nothing of the comfort one feels in knowing that the unpleasing portions of the day's toil are done and over with6 ,the young housekeeper who becomes absorbed in her new occupation sometimes slips into the fault of yielding herself to it too unreservedly4 ,when a woman really loves the work of cooking and planning1 of keeping her house in exquisite order and contriving to make supply and demand meet one another1 she is in danger of becoming given over to it4 ,her husband is not likely to be able to understand her attitude1 and although he may enjoy a well-kept home1 he will probably feel he desires something more in his wife than a domestic devotee4 ,against the danger of drifting into this position the young housekeeper should be on the alert4 ,no one else is as much interested as is she in the business of running her particular home1 and the sooner she appreciates this the better for her and the more agreeable for every one else4 ,at first she will possibly wish to talk of little else1 but after the very earliest novelty has worn off she should wake up to the perception that there are other things in the world besides her home4 ,she should see that she must keep herself in good mental condition as well as keep her house2 that the time is not wasted that she spends in reading1 in wise recreation1 especially in permitting herself a little rest each afternoon which will help preserve her freshness and vigor and put her into condition to make life pleasant for her husband when he comes home at night4 ,for this is as important a point as any other in housekeeping4 ,even a man who loves his home wearies of finding a worn-out wife at dinner every evening1 and of being confined for subjects of conversation to the round of the happenings connected with the butcher1 the baker1 and the grocer4 ,he likes a lively1 fresh wife awaiting him2 he enjoys being entertained after the hard toil of the day2 he is pleased when she is glad to go with him for a little outing or a mild dissipation4 ,to be in readiness for this is an object the housekeeper should have in view through the work of the day1 and she should resolutely cut out any additional labor which will interfere with her making the dwelling a home as well as a mere place to live in4 ,as a practical illustration of this let me commend the habit of letting the dinner-dishes wait to be washed until the next morning when there is something on hand with which this work would clash4 ,while it is undoubtedly agreeable to go to bed with the pleasant sensation that there are no 8hangovers0 in the way of undischarged duties1 it is often wiser to postpone a task than to perform it at the cost of hurry and flurry4 ,the dishes may be put in a pan with hot water and a little washing-powder1 and left until after breakfast the next day1 when they may be washed without haste or nervousness4 ,,viii ,,in ,,the ,,laundry ,whether or not a housekeeper expects to do her own washing and ironing1 she should know in every detail how it is to be done4 ,the occasion may not arise for her to put her hands into the wash-tub or to wield a flat-iron1 but she should understand the operations and know how to correct intelligently the errors of her laundress4 ,there has been a good deal said of the burden of laundry-work1 and yet ,i have known many women who preferred undertaking it themselves to trusting it to the charge of an ignorant or untrained washerwoman4 ,this is sometimes the only variety that can be secured in the country or in small places1 but the laundry1 which is the resource so often of dwellers in the city1 is frequently far more injurious to clothing than the treatment of the poorest laundress4 ,in such circumstances or when economy seems necessary the housekeeper who has the ability to do up the clothing of her family and the bed and table linen possesses a power which means not only comfort1 but saving of wear and tear as well as of money4 ,in the effort to provide the ,a-,b-,c of laundry-work a beginning must be made with directions for sorting and preparing the clothes for washing4 ,the first step is to separate towels and bed-linen from starched white garments and place them in different piles1 with flannels and stockings in a third gathering4 ,this should be done on the evening preceding wash-day1 as the labor is much lessened by putting the clothes into soak overnight4 ,the method--or lack of method--of the careless laundress is to throw those garments to be submitted to this preliminary treatment into a tub of warm water to which has been added some washing-powder or detersive and leave them thus all night4 ,instead of this the clothing should be looked over carefully1 dipping the worst-soiled portions into warm water and rubbing the spots well with laundry soap4 ,each garment should then be rolled up with the soaped side inward1 and all the rolls thus made packed down into a tub of lukewarm water to which has been added a small quantity of borax1 household ammonia1 or other equally good and harmless detersive4 ,just here it is well to make a slight digression on this subject4 ,i have already spoken of the injurious effects of washing-soda in laundry-work4 ,it cuts and perforates the linen on which it is used1 but it is so potent in taking out dirt that ,i have known laundresses to bring it with them in their pockets when its use was forbidden by a housekeeper4 ,washing-soda is possibly the most destructive of these agencies1 but there are others on the market1 sold as patented preparations1 which are hardly less harmful4 ,of a number of them it is true that they are helpful if used in moderation4 ,the trouble is that the unskilled worker is likely to imagine that where a little is good much would be better1 and to apply the powder or fluid with a liberality that has disastrous results4 ,even when borax or ammonia--probably the least deleterious of all detersives--is used1 it should be in small quantities when the clothing is to be left with it for any length of time4 ,therefore there should be very little put in the tub in which the raiment is to be soaked4 ,woolens1 cotton and wool1 or silk and wool1 colored clothes1 and stockings are not given this soaking1 but left to one side until the next morning4 ,when the actual washing begins flannels should have the first attention4 ,they should be given especial care1 since upon this depends their coming from the wash smooth and soft instead of thickened and rough4 ,soap should not be rubbed upon them unless there are badly soiled spots1 and then these should be soaped without applying soap to the rest of the garment4 ,a little ammonia should be added to the water in which they are washed1 and this should be lukewarm and made into suds by the addition of shaved soap before the flannels are put in4 ,they should not be rubbed on the board but between the hands1 with frequent dipping up and down in the water until they look clean4 ,the flannels are then squeezed between the hands until as much water as possible is gone from them1 when they are thrown for rinsing into water of the same temperature as that from which they were taken4 ,this is essential4 ,water which is either colder or hotter will thicken and shrink the flannels4 ,after a thorough rinsing they are again wrung out and hung to dry at once1 in the shade1 if an outdoor drying-place is used4 ,they look better if they are ironed while still slightly damp4 ,when both colored and white flannels are to be washed the latter should come second1 that specks of lint from them may not disfigure the colored articles4 ,the second water from the flannels will answer very well for the first washing of the other clothes4 ,it is not necessary to practise this economy in a flat furnished with hot water from the cellar1 but the fact is worth recalling when the supply of warm water is insufficient4 ,too many pieces should not be put into the tub at once1 as the clothes cannot be washed properly if crowded together1 and plenty of water is demanded to get them clean4 ,the water should be warm and the clothes which have been soaked overnight will require little rubbing on the board in order to make them clean4 ,it may be mentioned that clothing which is worn long enough to become badly soiled will need an amount of hard rubbing which will wear it out much sooner than garments that have been thrown into the wash before they are very dirty4 ,the boiler1 half full of cold water1 should be at hand4 ,colored clothes are never boiled1 and they may be washed separately if this seems more convenient4 ,after the soiled spots on the white clothes have been well soaped the pieces should be dropped into the boiler4 ,the addition of a tablespoonful of kerosene to the water is beneficial4 ,the boiler should be put on the stove and the water brought to a boil1 stirring the clothes up from the bottom with a clothes-stick from time to time4 ,the boiling should not continue long1 but the clothes be removed as soon as the water has fairly boiled4 ,too long on the fire yellows the clothing4 ,clean hot water should be at hand and into this each article should be dropped as it comes from the boiler4 ,careful rinsing is one of the secrets of having clothes a good color after washing4 ,each piece should be turned inside out to rinse it sufficiently4 ,the garments to be blued should be transferred from the rinsing water to cold water to which a few drops of bluing have been added4 ,judgment must be used in this addition or the clothing will be too blue4 ,a favorite trick of careless laundresses is to save themselves the scrubbing which would make the garments clean1 and cover their fault by making them very blue4 ,after the bluing the unstarched pieces may be wrung and hung out to dry4 ,the other pieces must be starched as will be directed a little further on4 ,the rinsing water in which the clothes were dipped after coming from the boiler will serve for the first washing of the colored garments4 ,as these need no bluing1 such of them as do not require starching may be rinsed and hung out at once to dry4 ,those that must be stiffened may be dipped into the starch1 wrung out1 well shaken1 and dried4 ,for boiled starch1 a half-cupful of the dry starch is needed in proportion to a quart of boiling water4 ,the starch is made to a paste with cold water1 the boiling water poured upon it1 and the mixture stirred over the fire until it is clear and smooth4 ,some laundresses insist upon boiling the starch an hour1 but good results may be gained with the preparation made as just directed4 ,this starch is of the right consistency for shirts1 aprons1 etc41 but it must be thinned to use for either table-linen or for delicate underwear until it is little thicker than single cream4 ,if shirt bosoms or cuffs or the cuffs of shirtwaists are to be stiffened1 raw starch must be added to the boiled4 ,raw starch is prepared by moistening a handful of the raw starch to a paste with a little cold water1 increasing the water until a quart of it has been used1 and stirring it with a piece of fine white soap4 ,the pieces which have already been passed through the boiled starch may be dipped into the raw starch for additional stiffening1 after the first starch has dried in them4 ,they are well moistened in the raw starch1 rolled up and left for half an hour or so1 and ironed while damp4 ,the quantity for which direction has just been made is rather large for a small family1 but the proportions may be used in smaller measure4 ,cheap soap and starch should never be employed2 they are an extravagance in the end4 ,the soap should be bought1 in a small family1 about a dozen cakes at a time and dried4 ,one cake is enough for a small wash1 unless left floating in the tub after its use is over4 ,all stains should be looked to before the clothes are washed at all4 ,fruit and wine stains1 like those from coffee and tea1 may be taken out by stretching the spotted part over a basin and pouring boiling water through the fabric4 ,the process should be repeated several times or until the stain is gone4 ,soap will often 8set0 a spot which would come out if washed in clear water4 ,fruit stains1 rust stains--such as iron-mold--and sometimes ink stains may be removed by wetting the spots with lemon-juice1 sprinkling salt upon this1 and laying the article in the sun4 ,the operation must be done more than once before the spot will come out entirely4 ,the same treatment will sometimes obliterate mildew stains1 but if these prove obstinate1 boiling in buttermilk the article marked will perhaps take them out4 ,turpentine will remove paint stains1 and oil marks must be washed with cold water and a good white soap4 ,grass stains are sometimes taken out by rubbing with butter and then washing this out4 ,all spots or stains are far harder to get rid of after they have once been put through the regular wash4 ,fine pieces of linen like doilies1 centerpieces1 embroidered and lace-trimmed handkerchiefs1 or very delicate lingerie underwear should never be washed with the ordinary clothing unless the housekeeper gives her special attention to them4 ,they should under no circumstances be rubbed on the wash-board1 but rubbed between the hands in a good suds made of warm water and a fine white soap1 and rinsed very carefully4 ,if they are to be stiffened at all the starch water through which they are passed should be no heavier than milk4 ,while still warm such articles should be pressed on the wrong side2 and if embroidered1 a thick woolen cloth must be laid under the ironing-sheet4 ,by this method the work on the article stands out well4 ,a little experience with ironing is worth more than instruction4 ,when the clothes have been well sprinkled and folded1 the work done evenly1 and each piece rolled up tightly when dampened1 a strong arm and steady1 smooth strokes will give good results2 but practice is needed to make the work entirely satisfactory4 ,experience will tell when the iron is the right heat4 ,for starched clothes a greater heat is needed than for flannels2 the iron must be tried on a piece of paper to make sure it is not too hot4 ,each piece pressed should be ironed until dry to make a smooth finish4 ,table and bed linen should be ironed lengthwise4 ,always the irons should be well wiped off before using1 and when not in service they should stand on end on a shelf4 ,never should they be left on the range when not in use2 this roughens the surface4 ,the electric iron is a great aid1 but this must be used with care or it will be short-circuited and burned out4 ,always the power must be turned off when the iron is laid aside for even a few minutes4 ,no advice as to laundry-work would be complete that did not speak a word relative to mending4 ,the woman who does her own work will be on the alert for breaks or thin places in any article and will lay pieces thus damaged to one side as they are pressed4 ,as a matter of course it is well to make repairs before the washing is done1 when this is possible1 but many garments are far pleasanter to mend after laundering than before4 ,stockings do not gain enough harm by being washed before darning to offset the unpleasantness of having to mend them while they are still soiled4 ,when possible1 fine articles which have to be darned or carefully mended with a patch or by piecing are best repaired before they are ironed4 ,after they have been washed they can be put aside until the housekeeper has time to mend them properly1 and they can then have an iron run over them and the mended spot smoothed4 ,the life of fine table-linen can be prolonged indefinitely by attention to the first break in the hemstitching1 the first wear of a thread in the fabric1 the first hole in lace4 ,after the material once begins to go1 even long and careful mending will scarcely save it1 but watchfulness for the earliest symptoms of wear will postpone the evil day4 ,,ix ,,when ,,company ,,comes ,elaborate entertaining should not be undertaken by a young couple of moderate means4 ,hospitality should be a matter of course1 but never on a scale that makes it a burden to carry out at the time or to pay for afterward4 ,perhaps the best and in many respects the most agreeable form of hospitality is that which calls in the occasional guest to an informal meal--a sort of improvised party4 ,the husband asks a crony to dine on a certain night1 the wife invites a friend to meet him4 ,little change is made in the family meal--perhaps a salad added as well as a sweet1 or more unusual items ordered1 or a special dessert prepared1 but nothing which would bring the repast into the line of a dinner-party4 ,there is no state and ceremony and everything is pleasant and jolly4 ,such little dinners are among the most charming forms of entertainment that can be achieved by young people of moderate means4 ,when it seems well to widen the circle of invited guests1 all to be done is to increase the provision made without departing from the simplicity which is one of the features of this kind of entertaining4 ,in the properly regulated home1 where the observances of polite society are followed as much when the family is alone as when there is company1 guests have no terrors4 ,when the unexpected visitor arrives the table is found spread for two in the same style that it would be for ten4 ,the napery is fresh and well laundered2 the silver1 glass1 and china are shining--clean and arranged in correct order--the knife at the right of the plate with the soup or bouillon spoon1 the fork at the left with the napkin2 the bread-and-butter plate1 with its slice of bread or roll and the butter-ball1 near the fork1 to correspond with the water-glass on the other side4 ,in such a home the maid is taught to follow the orderly sequence of courses1 changing the plates and crumbing the table with as much pains for one as for half a dozen4 ,little by little she becomes accustomed to the routine1 so that when a more formal entertainment is planned her work seems to her merely an amplification of that to which she has grown wonted4 ,at the same time a warning should be uttered to the housekeeper of small mnage against attempting to ape the hospitality of those whose incomes far exceed her own4 ,pretense is always absurd1 and the woman who undertakes to imitate the style of the wealthy and fashionable hostess only renders herself ridiculous without in the least impressing those with whom she is striving to compete4 ,such entertaining strains her income and is in reality far inferior to the little parties she might give that would possess a merit all their own4 ,the hostess who aspires to give dinners should make them small1 in the first place4 ,six is an excellent number--four besides the man and woman of the house--and it is rarely safe for the beginner to have more than eight all told1 unless she is prepared to hire extra service4 ,fully as much attention should be bestowed upon the selection of the guests as upon the items of the bill of fare4 ,friends may be unexceptionable taken alone or in their own environment who do not mix with those from another circle1 and in these conditions even the most delightful develop unexpected powers of boring and being bored4 ,to get the right persons together at a dinner and to seat them in the proper combinations requires a good deal of social skill1 and for this reason it is better for the tyro in entertaining to start with small parties and only work up to the larger affairs as she becomes more accustomed to exercising general hospitality4 ,experiments in food should never be tried on company4 ,only those articles should be served which the maid has proved her ability to prepare perfectly and to serve correctly4 ,when innovations are to be presented it should be in the privacy of the family circle4 ,a dinner that is confined to a few courses should be remarkable rather for their excellence than for their unusual character or for their costliness4 ,i have known housekeepers who won themselves a reputation for their dinners when the items of these were of the simplest character1 but were beautifully cooked and served with a touch of unusualness which redeemed them from the commonplace4 ,again let me warn the hostess against attempting too much on such occasions4 ,in any establishment not supplied with a corps of trained servants a great deal of the work of even the quietest dinner falls upon the hostess4 ,to her it comes to see that the table is set1 the many small and fussy details looked after2 generally she must give the final touches of seasoning or blending to soup1 sauces1 and salad-dressing4 ,it is no wonder if sometimes she comes to the table too tired either to enjoy the food or to lead the talk of the board and play the part so important for a hostess who desires to have her guests enjoy their evening4 ,such fatigue is not necessary if the rules ,i have laid down are followed4 ,if1 for example1 the cook can make an unapproachable tomato or oyster bisque2 if she can roast a leg of lamb so that it will melt in the mouth1 prepare candied sweet-potatoes to tempt an epicure1 and spinach with the knack of a ,french chef2 if there is some special sweet dish for which she has made herself famous1 whether this be a prune souffl with whipped cream1 or a frozen mousse or ice--then let the hostess confine herself to these items for her company dinners until her maid has acquired further accomplishments4 ,what difference does it make if precisely the same dinner was served to a knot of friends last week8 ,the guests are different this time1 even if the dishes are unchanged1 and these are good enough to stand repetition though they appear half a dozen times in succession6 ,in a neighborhood where dinner is usually served in the middle of the day and the period for social festivity is in the evening1 supper may take the place of dinner and be no less attractive4 ,when this is the case1 ,i would advise the hostess to adopt some specialty and stick to it1 with only a few variations4 ,for instance1 ,i know one housekeeper who was transplanted from the ,south to another section of the country1 and who there became famous for the meals she served from her mother's cook-book4 ,fried chicken with cream gravy1 ,southern sweet-potatoes1 beaten biscuit1 ,sally ,lunn1 waffles1 fried oysters1 batter-bread1 syllabubs1 were among the dainties she offered her appreciative guests4 ,not that she had all these at one time1 but she rang the changes on them1 to the delectation of the company4 ,another woman ,i know who was born and raised in ,new ,england made a success much farther south than this by feasting her friends on such delicacies as genuine baked beans1 cooked in a bean-pot 7she made the fireless cooker take the place of the ancient brick oven71 ,boston brown bread--she called it 8rye 'n' ,injun0--fried pork with cream gravy1 even creamed codfish and boiled potatoes1 made to taste as no one had ever before dreamed such things could taste4 ,of course doughnuts and coffee were included in her menus1 and pumpkin-pies and other dishes of that sort4 ,it was amusing and1 in a way1 pathetic to see the joy of the exiles from ,new ,england before whom were placed the viands they had been used to in the long-ago4 ,the simplicity of the provision should not be made an excuse for departing from the orthodox methods of service4 ,a supper such as ,i have described can be served with as much daintiness as a formal dinner1 and the courses should follow one another in as orderly a style4 ,as strict in the lines of its etiquette as a dinner is the lunch1 where usually women are the only guests4 ,such a meal as this may also be limited in its items4 ,it may begin with bouillon or soup in cups and1 without pausing for an entre1 may go directly on to a solid course1 such as chicken in some form1 chops1 cutlets1 and the like1 with a vegetable or two2 this be followed by a salad with crackers and cheese1 and the meal wind up with a sweet of light character1 and coffee4 ,when one has a well-enough trained maid to introduce such an entre as oyster pts1 crab meat au gratin1 eggs la ,bndictine1 or something of the kind1 and can reconcile the extra cost to her economical conscience1 the guests will probably enjoy the additional provision1 but no hostess can feel she is guilty of social stinginess if she omits these features and follows the simpler lines4 ,the same caution may be given here as with the dinner--to introduce no novelties for the first time4 ,use the family as an experiment station before presenting the new dishes or the untried fashion of serving them to outsiders4 ,like the luncheon is the breakfast-party1 with this difference--that men are frequently invited to the latter1 while they are seldom at the formal luncheon4 ,for such a breakfast1 to be served at twelve-thirty or one1 the first item may be fruit2 the soup may be omitted and the meat course1 consisting of some such dish as broiled or fried chicken1 chops or steak or fish1 should be accompanied by a good hot bread as well as by potatoes daintily cooked2 and coffee in large cups may be served the same time4 ,a sweet to wind up a meal like this is rather out of place unless it takes the form of waffles or griddle-cakes of a delicate variety with maple syrup or honey4 ,sometimes the breakfast concludes as it began1 with fruit1 although of a different kind from that with which the meal opened4 ,when oranges or grapefruit prelude the repast1 grapes1 etc41 may end it4 ,all these affairs ,i have mentioned are for a small number4 ,the afternoon tea is the best method of entertaining guests on a larger scale1 and with a minimum of expense4 ,i do not need to go here into the details of sending out cards for such an affair4 ,whether the tea be a single one1 given for the amiable purpose of wiping out social obligations1 or as a means of introducing a visitor to the local friends of the hostess2 or a series of three or four afternoons1 the method followed is the same and the guest who comes expects nothing beyond a light refreshment4 ,at the more elaborate affairs of this sort coffee or chocolate may be served as well as tea1 or a bowl of punch offered4 ,the edible provisions are always practically the same and cover a range of sandwiches of different kinds--piquant1 solid1 and sweet--varied by toast buttered plain or sprinkled with cinnamon1 hot scones1 small buttered biscuit and similar cates1 followed by cakes of various kinds1 plain or fancy1 and in some cases bonbons and salted nuts4 ,the last are not really necessary4 ,at such a tea as this1 if it comprise more than a few intimates1 the maid is usually in attendance to open the door1 direct the guests to the drawing-room1 bring hot tea or hot water when needed1 remove soiled cups and perhaps pass the food4 ,in the latter service the hostess may have the aid of her friends1 who usually appreciate the honor of being asked to 8pour0 or to help act as hostesses in introducing new-comers1 looking after the comfort of strangers and making sure that no one is neglected in the distribution of refreshments4 ,thus far reference has been made to hospitality exercised in the home where a maid is kept4 ,far more numerous are those establishments in which no regular service is employed4 ,even in these one's friends may be entertained as delightfully1 if not as formally1 as in the houses supplied with hired domestics4 ,the regulation dinner is practically out of the question1 and it is wiser not to attempt it4 ,but merry informal suppers1 luncheons1 and breakfasts can be compassed and often these are greater successes than those parties given under the supervision of a staff of trained servants4 ,the main point to be guarded against is the attempt at anything which cannot be put through well4 ,as soon as struggle is made to do the impossible the effort becomes not only a burden to the host and hostess1 but a sort of nightmare to the guests4 ,better have a roast-oyster party in the kitchen1 where selected members of the company do the cooking over the gas-stove1 while others take upon themselves the responsibility of serving the eaters1 and the whole affair is a jolly picnic1 than to endeavor to manage a stately function with insufficient aid and appurtenances4 ,the same sort of informality may mark the afternoon-tea party in the home where no maid is kept4 ,all the making ready can be done in advance1 the sandwiches cut and piled1 the cakes arranged1 the china and tea equipage set out1 so that nothing is needed but to start the kettle to boiling and make the tea when it is needed4 ,a friend will preside at the tea-table1 other friends will look after other details and leave the hostess free to welcome and entertain her guests4 ,such a party as this is one of the pleasantest1 least costly1 and generally satisfactory ways of gathering one's friends about one for a social hour or two4 ,the hostess of small means and no maid should concentrate upon some such line of entertaining as this and stick to it4 ,she should aspire to become known for her merry afternoon teas1 her pleasant ,sunday-night suppers1 her gay and informal after-theater spreads1 where the chafing-dish is the principal feature and where her guests are so well amused that they think far less of the simple food put before them than they do of the good-fellowship they have enjoyed4 ,formal entertaining may have to be foregone1 but the substitutes she offers are more genuinely satisfactory both to the guests who share them and to the host and hostess who have to pay for them6 ,x ,,the ,,child ,,in ,,the ,,house ,with the introduction of a baby into an establishment the whole general management of the place is changed4 ,that is to say1 it is changed for a while4 ,a serious mistake is made when even so important an event as the arrival of a new member of the family is permitted to cause a permanent alteration in the conduct of the home4 ,the most devoted of husbands and fathers will yield his position as first-and-foremost for a while to the latest advent2 will take it for granted that his wife shall be absorbed in the needs of the baby1 shall have no conversation but that which deals with its joys and woes1 its accidents and accomplishments2 but eventually any man worth a row of pins will recollect that after all he was a human being1 a husband1 and a householder before he was a parent1 and will claim a few of the rights coming to him in those capacities4 ,the prospective mother who grasps this truth and puts it into practical service after the baby comes is much more likely to make a success of her wifehood and matronhood than the one who is all mother and nothing else4 ,if the child is well and is properly trained there is no reason why it should not be a satisfactory member of society and a joy to the household and to all about it instead of a nuisance to every one except its most devoted parent4 ,a great deal more of the comfort of the child and its future good habits is settled within the first month of its life than is suspected by those who have had little to do with the care of babies4 ,if it is started with regular habits of eating and sleeping1 is from the beginning accustomed to lie in its cradle or crib instead of being held in the arms constantly and lifted and rocked at its first whimper1 it takes such treatment for granted and forms no habit of making demands for that which is difficult for the attendant always to supply and does no good to the child to receive4 ,with a delicate or sickly babe the same strict rules cannot be enforced as with a healthy infant1 and yet even a puny child is better off if kept to a steady regimen than if fed1 taken up1 and put down at uncertain intervals1 and allowed to accumulate a crop of irregular fashions of eating and sleeping4 ,sometimes the struggle to implant a sense of law and order is a difficult undertaking when the ill health of the child or the carelessness of the first nurse has brought it into bad ways1 but persistence in the effort is worth while for the sake of the comfort success is bound to bring later to all concerned4 ,the periods of feeding are determined by the doctor1 to begin with1 and the space between them is gradually widened as the child grows older4 ,the system which should be the guide of the housekeeper in her home has as large a field of usefulness applied to children as anywhere else4 ,the baby should be washed and dressed at a regular hour2 the time for its meals and its outing should be invariable2 the hour for undressing it1 washing it1 and making it ready for bed should never vary except in cases of rare exigency4 ,if it is a healthy child it will fall naturally into the habit of taking a morning nap after the bath and the meal1 of waking at a certain time1 and then of lying comfortably in the bed or on a couch or in its carriage with no wails to be lifted and walked with4 ,modern medical science has declared that the less handling a little baby receives the better for it1 and that for some months its growth should be in most respects as much like that of a vegetable as possible4 ,as the child gets older and begins to use its limbs it will be good for it to be exercised rather more1 but nature is a pretty safe guide to follow in this respect4 ,the baby who is well and normal is not slow to show its growth and progress1 and it is far wiser for the parent to be led by these than to attempt to hurry development either of body or of mind4 ,the child will assert itself soon enough1 and so decidedly as to leave no room for doubt as to its proclivities4 ,possibly it may sound a trifle absurd to say that from the first the child should have the habit of obedience implanted1 yet this is no absurdity1 but a serious and important fact4 ,at an astonishingly early age the infant endeavors to pit its small will against that of its seniors1 and the initial step in revolt is promptly followed by others unless the attempt is checked at once4 ,neither time nor place is sufficient here to go into the reasons why the training of a child in obedience1 even at the cost of suffering and punishment1 is not the exercise over the weak of the tyranny of the strong1 but the display of superior wisdom for the benefit of the inexperienced4 ,it is enough to remind those who think that a child should be allowed to grow up naturally1 unrestrained by rule and severity1 when severity is required to enforce discipline1 that all through life the human being must conform to constituted authority as exemplified in the laws of health1 of the state1 of teachers and employers1 of morality1 of religion4 ,in view of this the sooner the child learns to defer to those in whose charge it is the better for it later on1 the less cruel the lessons life holds in store for it4 ,apart from this there can be no doubt that the well-trained child is actually happier than the one with no law but its own whim4 ,also it is much pleasanter company than the self-willed1 undisciplined infant who follows its own sweet will regardless of the comfort or preference of others4 ,the same kind of regimen established for a child in babyhood should be pursued when it grows older and begins to share more actively in the life of the household4 ,the mistaken custom of permitting a child to keep the same hours1 eat the same diet1 and follow practically the same life as its elders cannot be sufficiently condemned4 ,the habit of going to bed early after a light meal1 of having the heaviest repast in the middle of the day1 of partaking of such food as is particularly suited to the needs of a growing child1 of being debarred rich and indigestible articles of diet1 of having postponed until more advanced years exciting amusements and pursuits instead of being hurried into them while hardly out of infancy1 should all be enforced4 ,a child is not a miniature man or woman1 but an immature human being who must develop naturally1 as plants grow1 and is wronged by being forced into premature bloom or fruition1 mentally or emotionally as much as physically4 ,the child's food should be carefully considered by the mother and she should not regard the time wasted she bestows in studying food values and devising the best sort of diet for the nursery4 ,not until the first teeth begin to come should starchy food of any sort be given1 and then with caution4 ,until the saliva flows freely to help digest starch1 bread in any form1 crackers1 etc41 should be withheld4 ,as the child reaches the stage where solid food is allowed this should continue to be simple in character4 ,a child does not have the longing for variety common to more sophisticated palates4 ,for the breakfast of the child of two or more years of age a cereal1 well cooked1 with plenty of milk1 should be given4 ,sugar should not accompany it4 ,when sweet is desirable1 as it often is1 it should be taken in some other way than as an adjunct to a regular article of diet4 ,with the cereal and milk the child seldom needs anything more1 but if the consumption of the porridge is not sufficient1 a soft-boiled egg or a poached egg may be supplied1 with a little toast4 ,milk should be the drink4 ,in the middle of the morning a supplementary meal may be taken1 and this may consist of a piece of bread and butter and a glass of milk4 ,whole-wheat bread is better than that made from the bolted flour4 ,when there is a tendency to constipation ,graham bread is good4 ,at noon the substantial provision of the day is to be served and a cup of soup may begin the dinner1 followed by a very small piece of steak or chop cut up fine1 or by an egg1 if one has not been taken at breakfast1 a baked potato1 well mashed1 with butter or cream and salt upon it4 ,rice is also excellent when served with plenty of good butter4 ,a plain sweet1 like stewed fruit1 a milk pudding1 one of rice1 of arrowroot1 tapioca1 or a custard1 will answer4 ,milk may again be drunk unless the child has eaten a meat soup or broth and meat besides4 ,generally the little one who has taken so substantial a meal as this at noon will need nothing more until supper-time1 when bread and milk1 crackers and milk1 or something of the sort may be provided2 or bread and a good plain jam or stewed fruit1 like prunes or apple-sauce1 with a glass of milk4 ,after this comes the child's bed-time1 and it should be put to sleep in a quiet room1 alone1 with the door open if symptoms of nervousness declare themselves1 but without a nurse or other attendant4 ,this may sound hard-hearted1 but the child who is accustomed to such solitude from infancy will not feel it an infliction1 and the saving of inconvenience to the parents in the habit of going to sleep unattended is incalculable4 ,the good manners of the child should receive early consideration4 ,the habit of courtesy implanted in infancy gives a finish of manner in later life that no surface polish can impart4 ,it is as easy for a little boy and girl to be taught to rise when elders come into the room1 to take their turn at the table1 to handle a knife1 fork1 and spoon properly1 to eat in a decent fashion1 to say1 8,thank you10 8,if you please10 and the like1 and to show the thoughtfulness for the feelings and comfort of others which is the foundation of all good breeding1 as it is to let the youngsters grow up as they will and hammer superficial manners into them when they are older4 ,the good old rule that 8children should be seen and not heard0 is sadly in need of a revival in many homes1 and parents cannot wonder at the unpopularity of their offspring when they reflect upon the disagreeable qualities these often possess4 ,all this does not mean that children should constantly be snubbed and repressed until individuality and initiative are crushed out of them4 ,in most children these characteristics are strong and triumphant4 ,but a certain measure of deference to elders should be inculcated--a respect which will prevent a child from interrupting the conversation of his seniors1 a regard for the conventions which1 after all1 have more to do with peace and amity in the family than many of us are willing to admit4 ,as the child grows older and begins school and kindergarten1 other children will be associated with him1 and from them he will learn many things it would never occur to his parents to teach him4 ,sometimes it seems as though the least that children acquire at school is their regular lessons4 ,these become almost a side issue4 ,the influence of the strange boy or girl often carries more weight with a child than all the precepts of father1 mother1 and teacher4 ,part of this effect is transitory1 but much of it sticks through life2 and while the children are little more than babies it becomes incumbent upon the parents--by which is usually meant the mother--to strengthen the bond between herself and her child so that she may the more effectually offset the outside forces that sway him4 ,the sooner the mother recognizes that this is her lifelong 8job0 and a most important one1 the better for all concerned4 ,the mere animal care of the child any competent nurse could bestow1 and sometimes it seems as if the charge of a specialist who understood the ins and outs of dietetics and was able to study the child's constitution impersonally might perhaps be better than the attention received from the average parent4 ,with regard to the question of instruction in book learning there is little doubt that a well-qualified teacher is far more capable than the most devoted father or mother4 ,all such duties as these can be delegated to those who are trained and paid for the work4 ,when it comes to the companionship1 however1 it is another matter4 ,here is something only the mother can give4 ,it is 8up to her0 to study the ins and outs of her child's nature2 to know where and how to bring pressure in order to counterbalance another influence2 to make herself so one with him that he turns to her instinctively1 with complete confidence in her ability to meet his need2 to be so close in his intimacy that she grasps his thoughts almost before they are formulated2 to persuade him unconsciously to rely upon her judgment1 her companionship1 her understanding to an extent that will hold him in temptation and move him to range himself on the side of right against wrong4 ,of course it is not always easy4 ,the mother does not resign her own individuality by the mere fact of motherhood2 she does not lay aside her special interests when she takes up those of her child4 ,yet if she lets him suspect that anything comes ahead of his well-being in her heart she makes a fatal mistake2 she starts the rift between them which may widen into a chasm not to be bridged by all her agony and tears4 ,it may sometimes be hard to yield up one's own will and preference in this way1 and yet the mother gets her pay as she goes along1 and her labor brings its reward in a fashion unequaled in any other vocation in the universe4 ,nothing in the whole world pays so well as being a mother6 ,,the ,,end ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,italics are shown thus3 sloping4 ,variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained4 ,perceived typographical errors have been changed4