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diff --git a/old/sugst10.txt b/old/sugst10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..991db54 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/sugst10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5269 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Practical Suggestions for Mother and +Housewife, by Marion Mills Miller + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife + +Author: Marion Mills Miller + +Release Date: September, 2005 [EBook #8996] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on August 31, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR MOTHER *** + + + + +Produced by David Garcia, Charles Franks, +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + +Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife + +By MARION MILLS MILLER, Litt D. + +Edited by THEODORE WATERS + + + + +Contents + +CHAPTER I + +THE SINGLE WOMAN + +Her Freedom. Culture a desideratum in her choice of work. Daughters as +assistants of their fathers. In law. In medicine. As scientific farmers. +Preparation for speaking or writing. Steps in the career of a +journalist. The editor. The Advertising writer. The illustrator. +Designing book covers. Patterns. + +CHAPTER II + +THE SINGLE WOMAN + +Teaching. Teaching Women in Society. Parliamentary law. Games. +Book-reviewing. Manuscript-reading for publishers. Library work. +Teaching music and painting. Home study of professional housework. +The unmarried daughter at home. The woman in business. Her relation +to her employer. Securing an increase of salary. The woman of +independent means. Her civic and social duties. + +CHAPTER III + +THE WIFE + +Nature's intention in marriage. The woman's crime in marrying for +support. Her blunder in marrying an inefficient man for love. +The proper union. Mutual aid of husband and wife. Manipulating a husband. +By deceit. By tact. Confidence between man and wife. + +CHAPTER IV + +THE HOUSE + +Element in choice of a home. The city apartment. Furniture for a +temporary home. Couches. Rugs. Book-cases. The suburban and country +house. Economic considerations. Buying an old house. Building a new one. +Supervising the building. The woman's wishes. + +CHAPTER V + +THE HOUSE + +Essential parts of a house. Double use of rooms. Utility of piazzas. +Landscape gardening. Water supply. Water power. Illumination. Dangers +from gas. How to read a gas-meter. How to test kerosene. Care of lamps. +Use of candles. Making the best of the old house. + +CHAPTER VI + +FURNITURE AND DECORATION + +The qualities to be sought in furniture. Home-made furniture. Semi-made +furniture. Good furniture as an investment. Furnishing and decorating +the hall. The staircase. The parlor. Rugs and carpets. Oriental rugs. +Floors. Treatment of hardwood. Of other wood. How to stain a floor +covering. + +CHAPTER VII + +FURNITURE AND DECORATION + +The carpet square. Furniture for the parlor. Parlor decoration. The +piano. The library. Arrangement of books. The "Den." The living-room. +The dining-room. Bedrooms. How to make a bed. The guest chamber. +Window shades and blinds. + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE MOTHER + +Nursing the child. The mother's diet. Weaning. The nursing bottle. +Milk for the baby. The baby's table manners. His bath. Cleansing +his eyes and nose. Relief of colic. Care of the diaper. + +CHAPTER IX + +THE MOTHER + +The school child. Breakfast, Luncheon, Supper. Aiding the teacher +at home. Manual training. Utilizing the collecting mania. Physical +exercise. Intellectual exercise. Forming the bath habit. Teething. +Forming the toothbrush habit. Shoes for children. Dress. Hats. + +CHAPTER X + +CARE OF THE PERSON + +The mother's duty toward herself--Her dress. Etiquette and good manners. +The Golden Rule. Pride in personal appearance. The science of beauty +culture. Manicuring as a home employment. Recipes for toilet +preparations. Nail-biting. Fragile nails. White spots. Chapped hands. +Care of the skin. Facial massage. Recipes for skin lotions. Treatment +of facial blemishes and disorders. Care of the hair. Diseases of the +scalp and hair. Gray hair. Care of eyebrows and eyelashes. + +CHAPTER XI + +GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COOKING + +The prevalence of good receipts for all save meat dishes. Increased +cost of meat makes these desirable. No need to save expense by giving +up meat. The "Government Cook Book." Value of the cuts of meat. + +CHAPTER XII + +GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COOKING + +Texture and flavor of meat. General methods of cooking meat. Economies +in use of meat. + +CHAPTER XIII + +RECIPES FOR MEAT DISHES + +Trying out fat. Extending the flavor of meat. Meat stew. Meat dumplings. +Meat pies and similar dishes. Meat with starchy materials. Turkish +pilaf. Stew from cold roast. Meat with beans. Haricot of mutton. Meat +salads. Meat with eggs. Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. Corned beef +hash with poached eggs. Stuffing. Mock duck. Veal or beef birds. +Utilizing the cheaper cuts of meat. + +CHAPTER XIV + +RECIPES FOR MEAT DISHES + +Prolonged cooking at low heat. Stewed shin of beef. Boiled beef with +horseradish sauce. Stuffed heart. Braised beef, pot roast, and beef a la +mode. Hungarian goulash. Casserole cookery. Meat cooked with vinegar. +Sour beef. Sour beefsteak. Pounded meat. Farmer stew. Spanish beefsteak. +Chopped meat. Savory rolls. Developing flavor of meat. Retaining natural +flavors. Round steak on biscuits. Flavor of browned meat or fat. Salt +pork with milk gravy. "Salt-fish dinner." Sauces. Mock venison. + +CHAPTER XV + +HOUSEHOLD RECIPES + +Various recipes arranged alphabetically. + + + + + + +INTRODUCTION + +What a tribute to the worth of woman are the names by which she is +enshrined in common speech! What tender associations halo the names of +_wife, mother, sister_ and _daughter!_ It must never be forgotten +that the dearest, most sacred of these names, are, in origin, connected +with the dignity of service. In early speech the wife, or wife-man (woman) +was the "weaver," whose care it was to clothe the family, as it was the +husband's duty to "feed" it, or to provide the materials of sustenance. +The mother or matron was named from the most tender and sacred of human +functions, the nursing of the babe; the daughter from her original duty, +in the pastoral age, of milking the cows. The lady was so-called from the +social obligations entailed on the prosperous woman, of "loaf-giving," +or dispensing charity to the less fortunate. As dame, madame, madonna, +in the old days of aristocracy, she bore equal rank with the lord and +master, and carried down to our better democratic age the co-partnership +of civic and family rights and duties. + +Modern science and invention, civic and economic progress, the growth +of humanitarian ideas, and the approach to Christian unity, are all +combining to give woman and woman's work a central place in the social +order. The vast machinery of government, especially in the new +activities of the Agricultural and Labor Departments applied to +investigations and experiments into the questions of pure food, +household economy and employments suited to woman, is now directed more +than ever before to the uplifting of American homes and the assistance +of the homemakers. These researches are at the call of every housewife. +However, to save her the bewilderment of selection from so many useful +suggestions, and the digesting of voluminous directions, the fundamental +principles of food and household economy as published by the government +departments, are here presented, with the permission of the respective +authorities, together with many other suggestions of utilitarian +character which may assist the mother and housewife to a greater +fulfillment of her office in the uplift of the home. + + + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE SINGLE WOMAN + +Her Freedom--Culture a Desideratum in Her Choice of Work--Daughters +as Assistants of Their Fathers--In Law--In Medicine--As Scientific +Farmers--Preparation for Speaking or Writing--Steps in the Career +of a Journalist--The Editor--The Advertising Writer--The +Illustrator--Designing Book Covers--Patterns. + + She, keeping green + Love's lilies for the one unseen, + Counselling but her woman's heart, + Chose in all ways the better part. + BENJAMIN HATHAWAY--_By the Fireside._ + + +The question of celibacy is too large and complicated to be here +discussed in its moral and sociological aspects. It is a condition that +confronts us, must be accepted, and the best made of it. Whether by +economic compulsion or personal preference, it is a fact that a large +number of American men remain bachelors, and a corresponding number of +American women content themselves with a life of "single blessedness." +It is a tendency of modern life that marriage be deferred more and more +to a later period of maturity. Accordingly the period of spinsterhood is +an important one for consideration. It is a question of individual +mental attitude whether the period be viewed by the single woman as a +preparation for possible marriage, or as the determining of a permanent +condition of life. In either case the problem before her is to choose, +like Mr. Hathaway's heroine, "the better part." + +The single woman has an advantage over her married sister in freedom +of choice, of self-improvement, and service to others. Says George Eliot +of the wife, "A woman's lot is made for her by the love she accepts." +The "bachelor girl," on the other hand, has virtually all the liberty +of the man whom her name indicates that she emulates. + +To the unmarried woman, especially the one who may subsequently marry, +education in the broad sense of self-culture and development is of +primary importance. The question of being should take precedence over +doing, although not to the exclusion of the latter, for character is +best formed by action. But all her studies, occupations, even her +pastimes, should be pursued with the main purpose of making herself +the ideal woman, such an one as Wordsworth describes, one with: + + "The reason firm, the temperate will, + Endurance, foresight, strength and skill; + A perfect Woman, nobly planned + To warn, to comfort, and command; + And yet a Spirit still, and bright + With something of angelic light." + + +It is an obviously true, and therefore a trite observation, that no one, +woman or man, should consider that education (using the term broadly) +stopped with graduation from school or college. But the statement that +a grown person who has not settled down to some particular life work, +such as is often the case with a young unmarried woman, should continue +at least one serious _study,_ will not be so generally accepted or +acceptable. Yet in no other way may that mental discipline be obtained +which is necessary to the mature development of character. Neglect to +cultivate the ability to go down to the root of a subject, to observe +it in its relations, and to apply it practically, will inevitably lead +to superficial consideration of every subject, and even ignorance of the +fact that this is superficial consideration. As a practical result, the +person will drift through life rudderless, the sport of circumstance. +She will act by impulse and chance, and be continually at a loss how +to correct her errors. The shallowness with which women as a class are +charged is due to the fact that, their aim in life for a considerable +period not having been fixed by marriage or choice of a profession, they +do not substitute some definite interest for such remissness, and so +form the habit of intellectual laziness. + +The study which an unmarried and unemployed woman should pursue may be +anything worthy of thought, but preferably a practical subject at which, +if necessary, the woman is ready to earn her living. Many a family has +been saved from financial ruin by a daughter studying the business or +the profession of the father, and, upon his breakdown from ill-health, +becoming his right-hand assistant, or, in the case of his death, even +taking his place as the family bread-winner. In these days when farming +is becoming more and more a question of the farmer's management, and +less and less of his personal manual labor, a daughter in a farmer's +family already supplied with one or more housekeepers may, as +legitimately as a son, study the science of agriculture, or one of its +many branches, such as poultry-raising or dairying, and with as certain +a prospect of success. Ample literature of the most practical and +authoritative nature on every phase of farming may be secured from the +Department of Agriculture at Washington, and the various State +universities offer special mid-winter courses in agriculture available +for any one with a common-school education, as well as send lecturers +to the farmer's institutes throughout the State. + +To give examples of women who have made notable successes at farming +and its allied industries would be invidious, since there are so many +of them. + +Studies that look to the possibility of the student becoming a teacher +are preeminent in the development of mentality. The science of +psychology is the foundation of the art of pedagogy, and every woman, +particularly one who may some day be required to teach, should know the +operations of the mind, how it receives, retains, and may best apply +knowledge. An essential companion of this study is physiology, the +science of the nature and functions of the bodily organs, together with +its corollary, hygiene, the care of the health. From ancient times +psychology and physiology have been considered as equally associated and +of prime importance. "A sound mind in a sound body" is an old Latin +proverb. The need of every one to "know himself," both in mind and body, +was taught by the earliest "Wise Men" of Greece. The Roman emperor +Tiberius said that any one who had reached the age of thirty in +ignorance of his physical constitution was a fool, a thought that has +been modernized, with an unnecessary extension of the age, into the +proverb, "At forty a man is either a fool or a physician." + +The study of psychology is a basis for every employment or activity +which has to deal with enlightenment or persuasion of the public. +The person who would like to become a speaker or writer needs to begin +with it rather than with the study of elocution or rhetoric. The first +thing essential for him to know is himself; the second, his hearers or +readers--what is the order of progress in their enlightenment. Even +logical development of a subject is subsidiary to the practical +psychological order. Formal logic, the analysis of the process of +reasoning, is a cultural study rather than a practical one, save in +criticism both of one's own work and another's. More cultural, and at +the same time more practical, is the study of exact reasoning in the +form of some branch of mathematics. Abraham Lincoln, when he "rode the +circuit" as a lawyer, carried with him a geometry, which he studied at +every opportunity. To the mental training which it gave him was due his +success not only as a lawyer, but also as a political orator. Every one +of his speeches was as complete a demonstration of its theme as a +proposition in Euclid is of its theorem. Lincoln once said that +"demonstration" was the greatest word in the language. + +Delineation of character is the chief element of fiction, and herein +literary aspirants are particularly weak, especially the women, far more +of whom than men try their hand at short stories and novels, and who are +generally without that preliminary experience in journalism which most +of the male writers have undergone. It is not enough for a novelist to +"know life"; he must also know the literary aspect of life, must have +the imaginative power to select and adapt actual experiences +artistically. Young women who write are prone to record things "just as +they happened." This is a mistake. Aristotle laid down the fundamental +principle of creative work in his statement that the purpose of art is +to fulfil the incomplete designs of nature--that is, aid nature by using +her speech, yet telling her story the way she ought to have told it but +did not. This is his great doctrine of "poetic justice." + +The writing of children's stories is peculiarly the province of the +woman author, and here, because of her knowledge of the mind of the +child, she is apt to be most successful. The best of stories about +children and for children have been written by school-teachers. Of these +authors a notable instance was the late Myra Kelly, whose adaptations in +story form of her experiences as a teacher to the foreign population of +the "East Side" of New York will long remain as models of their kind. + +Journalism is a sufficient field in itself for a woman writer in which +to exercise her ability, as well as a preparation for creative literary +work. The natural way to enter it is by becoming the local correspondent +of one of the newspapers of the region. In this work good judgment in +the choice of items of news, variety in the manner of stating them, and +logical order in arranging and connecting them should be cultivated. +The writing of good, plain English, rather than "smart" journalese should +be the aim. Stale, vulgar and incorrect phrases, such as "Sundayed," and +"in our midst," should be avoided. There are two tests in selecting a +news item: (1) Will it interest readers? (2) Ought they to know it? +When by these tests an item is proved to be real news that demands +publication, it should be published regardless of a third consideration, +which is too often made a primary one: Will it please the persons +concerned? This consideration should have weight only in regard to the +manner of its statement. When the news is disagreeable to the parties +concerned, it should be told with all kindness and charity. Thus the +facts of a crime should be stated, who was arrested for it, etc.; but +there should be no positive statement of the guilt of the one arrested +until this has been legally proved. Many a publisher has had to pay +heavy damages because he has overlooked, or permitted to be published, +an unwarranted statement or opinion of a reporter or correspondent. +But even though there were no law against libel, the commandment against +bearing false witness holds in ethics. + +The woman at home may also become a contributor to the newspaper. Her +first articles should be statements of fact on practical subjects, such +as the results of her own or some neighbor's experiments in a household +matter of general interest, or reminiscences of matters of local history +that happen to be of current interest. Thus when a new church is +erected, the history of the old one may be properly told. Here the +amateur journalist may practise herself in interviewing people. + +After such a preparation as this, one may confidently enter the active +profession of journalism as a reporter, preferably upon the paper for +which she has been writing. Since in entering any profession opportunity +for improvement and advancement in it is the first consideration, the +young reporter should cheerfully accept the low salary that is paid +beginners. There is no discrimination on account of sex in the newspaper +world. Copy is paid for according to its amount and quality, regardless +of whether it was written by a woman or a man. Women labor here, as +elsewhere, under physical disabilities in comparison with men, and yet +in compensation they have the advantage over men in their special +adaptation to certain features of newspaper work, such as the +interviewing of women, writing household and fashion articles, etc. +There are more chances for this kind of special work in large cities, +and here the aspiring newspaper woman may go, when she has proved her +ability. + +Mrs. Ida Husted Harper, who stands in the front rank of newspaper women, +has tersely stated the duties a woman reporter must undertake and the +sacrifices she must make, as follows: "The woman who wishes to be a +newspaper reporter should ask herself if she is able to toil from eight +to fifteen hours of the day, seven days in the week; if she is willing +to take whatever assignment may be given; to go wherever sent, to +accomplish what she is delegated to do, at whatever risk, or rebuff, or +inconvenience; to brave all kinds of weather; to give up the frivolities +of dress that women love and confine herself to a plain serviceable +suit; to renounce practically the pleasures of social life; to put her +relations to others on a business basis; to subordinate personal desires +and eliminate the 'ego'; to be careful always to disarm prejudice +against and create an impression favorable to women in this occupation; +to expect no favors on account of sex; to submit her work to the same +standard by which a man's is judged." + +The salaries earned by women as reporters are, with a few notable +exceptions, not large. As low as $8 and $10 a week are paid to +beginners; from $15 to $25 a week is considered a fair salary, and $30 a +week an exceptionally good one for a woman who has not received +recognition as a thoroughly experienced reporter. + +It is from the ranks of newspaper women who have gone to the large +cities and made a name for themselves as capable reporters that the +editorial staffs of the magazines are recruited. As a rule they obtain +their introductions by magazine contributions chiefly of special +articles on subjects in which they have made themselves experts. +The salaries of these positions range from $25 a week for assistant +editors to $50 and upward for the heads of departments. + +Book publishers employ women of this class to edit and compile works +upon their specialties. Quite a number of women in New York earn several +thousand dollars a year each at such work, while continuing their +regular editorial labors. + +Many newspaper women drift naturally into advertising writing, which +is well-paid for when cleverly done. Since the goods chiefly advertised +are largely for women, women have the preference as writers of +advertisements. Then, too, manufacturers and advertising agents pay well +for ideas useful in promoting the commodities of themselves or their +clients. Here the woman at home may find out whether she has special +ability as an advertising writer, by thinking out new and catchy ideas +for the promotion of articles which she sees are widely advertised, +and mailing these to the manufacturers. It is well if she have artistic +ability, so that she may make designs of the ideas, though this is not +essential. + +It is the advertising columns of the newspapers and magazines, even more +than the reading matter, which give a demand for work in illustration. +To the woman who has talent rather than genius in drawing, illustration +and commercial art afford a far safer field, in respect to remuneration, +than the making of oil-paintings and water-colors. If ability in drawing +is conjoined with ability in designing and writing advertisements, +the earnings are more than doubled. Since payment for the individual +drawing is more customary than employing an artist at a fixed salary, +illustrating and the designing of advertisements can be done at home. +There are many young girls just out of the art-school who earn from +$25 to $50 a week by such "piece-work." + +Akin to this work is the designing of book-covers, for which publishers +pay from $15 to $25 each. + +Of a more mechanical nature is making the drawings for commercial +catalogues, and the prices paid are low, $9 a week being the rule for +beginners. Designers of patterns, etc., for various manufacturers +receive a similar amount at first. They may hope, after several years +of experience, to rise to $25 a week, or possibly $30 or $35. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE SINGLE WOMAN + +Teaching--Teaching Women in Society--Parliamentary +Law--Games--Book-reviewing--Manuscript-reading for Publishers--Library +Work--Teaching Music and Painting--Home Study of Professional +Housework--The Unmarried Daughter at Home--The Woman in Business--Her +Relation to Her Employer--Securing an Increase of Salary--The Woman of +Independent Means--Her Civic and Social Duties. + + +Teaching is a profession that is particularly the province of the +unmarried woman. The best teachers are those who have chosen it as their +life-work, and have therefore thoroughly prepared themselves for it. +A girl who takes a school position merely for the money that there is in +it, expecting to give it up in a year or so, when she hopes to marry, is +inflicting a grievous wrong on the children under her charge. There are +other remunerative employments where her lack of serious intention will +not be productive of lasting injury. Lack of preparation for teaching +generally goes with this lack of intention, doubling the injury. Against +this the examination for the school certificate is not always a +sufficient safeguard, since many girls are clever enough to "cram up" +sufficiently to pass the examination who have not had the perseverance +necessary to master the subjects they are to teach, not to speak of that +interest in the broad subject of pedagogy, without which the application +of its principles in teaching the various branches is certain to be +neglected. Enthusiasm in her profession, a whole-hearted interest in +each pupil as an individual personality should characterize every +teacher, for next to the mother, she plays the most important part in +the development of the coming generation. + +There is a general complaint that the salaries of school-teachers are +too low, measured by the rewards of persons of corresponding ability in +other professions. When, however, the certainty of pay and the virtual +assurance that the employment is for life if good service is rendered, +are considered, together with the respect accorded the teacher by the +community and the fact that her work necessarily tends to the +cultivation of her mind, the lot of the school-teacher must be reckoned +as one of the most favored. Americans are more prone than any other +people to spend money on education, and this spirit is ever increasing, +so that the school-teacher is more certain than the member of any other +profession that she will be rewarded worthily in the future. +The establishment of the Carnegie pension fund for retired college +professors is an indication of this growing spirit, as well as the +recent advance of the salaries of public school teachers in New York +City and elsewhere, in recognition of the increase in the cost of +living. + +To the bright woman who is interested in the study of civics, political +economy, and sociology, there is opportunity to earn a living at home +by organizing classes in these subjects among the club-women of her town. +Teachers of parliamentary law are in especial demand. The organization +of a mock congress for parliamentary practise is the most entertaining +as well as the most improving play in which women can join. There is +also a demand among women who seek an intellectual element in their +recreation for instruction in the games of bridge-whist, whist, and +chess. Bridge-whist is the most popular, largely because of the desire +to win money and valuable prizes at the game. Then, too, a greater +amount of time is spent at it than is legitimate for recreation. +For moral reasons, therefore, the teaching of it cannot be recommended. +Straight whist is also played occasionally for money, but this practise, +happily, is rapidly becoming obsolete. Chess, except among +professionals, is played purely for sport, and is therefore the best +of games to study. Unfortunately there is very little demand for +instruction in it by women; nevertheless, it is the best of all games +for cultivating the analytical power of the mind, a faculty in which +women, as a rule, are weak. + +This power may, with equal pleasure and greater profit, be gained by +paying special attention, in the reading of books and magazines, to +literary style and construction. The average reader assimilates only a +small percentage of what he reads. The careful thought which the author +puts into his manner of presentation, no less than into the matter, is +appreciated by very few of his readers, and by these only to a limited +extent. Especially is this true of fiction. If one wishes to become an +author, he should first cultivate this power of criticism, always +accompanying the study by exercises in reconstruction of faults in the +author read. Thus, wherever a sentence appears awkward in expression, +the reader should revise it; wherever there is a seeming error in the +logical development of a subject, or the psychological development of +a fictitious character, he should reconstruct it. Nothing is so helpful +to a writer as self-criticism. Thus Mrs. Humphrey Ward has recently +confessed that the happy ending of her "Lady Rose's Daughter" was +an artistic error, false to psychology, her heroine being doomed to +unhappiness by her character. After creating his characters, and placing +them in situations where their individuality has proper scope for +action, the author must let them work out their own salvation. +A thoroughly artistic work is marked throughout by the quality of +"the inevitable," and for this the reader should always be seeking. +There is no surer indication of shallowness than the desire to read +only about pleasant subjects and characters and events. It is akin +to the habit of ignoring the existence of everything disagreeable in +life, which Dickens has satirized in his character, Mr. Podsnap. +And "Podsnappery" exists among women even more than among men, +because of their more sensitive emotional nature. If women are to +join with men in making the world better, they must not blink at the +misery and vice about them, and the evil elements in human nature +and society which produce these. To be good and brave is better for +a grown woman than to be "sweet" and "innocent," in the limited sense +of these terms. A woman, like a man, should, "see life steadily, +and see it whole." + +The foundation of a critical habit in reading has a practical bearing, +inasmuch as it is a direct training for the positions of book-reviewer +and manuscript reader for magazine and book publishers. Since women read +more than men, the woman's view of a manuscript is often preferred by +publishers. Therefore there are more women than men in the position of +literary adviser. These are paid salaries ranging from $25 to $50 a +week. Manuscripts are read by the piece for from $3 to $5 each. Book +reviews are paid for at all prices, from the possession of the book +alone to the payment of a cent a word. It is best for the aspiring +critic to practice herself on book reviews first. In these she can with +profit display her power to analyze the artistic construction of books, +and so develop her abilities as a manuscript reader. + +The knowledge of books and the ability to digest their contents are +necessary to the making of a library worker, an employment which the +great increase in libraries, through the benefaction of Andrew Carnegie +and others, is offering to thousands of American women. The salaries are +low, but in considering entering upon the work, weight should be given +to the opportunities for literary knowledge and culture it affords and +its refined surroundings. The making of a descriptive catalogue of the +home library, using the card index system, forms an ideal test for the +young woman who is uncertain whether she has the taste and ability +required in this sort of work. To the student in the home, even though +she intends to follow some other vocation, such as teaching or writing, +such an inventory of her intellectual store-house will be invaluable. +It matters not how small the library is, for "intensive cultivation" +is as profitable in mental culture as in agriculture. + +Even such accomplishments as music and painting are most cultural when +pursued as if the intention of the student were to teach them. Knowledge +of technique and of the methods by which its difficulties are overcome +is the foundation of all appreciation of art. The only true connoisseur +is the one who can enter into the delight felt by the artist in creating +his work. Exercise leads to invention. The ancients well said that the +contortions of the sibyl generated her inspiration. Critics have been +sneeringly defined as "those who have failed in literature and art," +but this is not true of the greatest critics, who never carried their +creative work to the point of success simply because they had found a +better vocation in criticism before reaching such a point. What a loss +to the world it would have been had Ruskin developed into a painter, +even a great one, instead of the master interpreter and teacher of +painting that he did become! + +Household employments, such as cooking, needlework, etc., as vocations +for the unmarried woman, no less than the married, need only be +mentioned here, as their appropriateness for the girl at home is +obvious, and they are fully discussed elsewhere in this series. It +should be suggested, however, that the greater leisure of the unmarried +woman enables her to try experiments in these subjects while the married +housewife is too fully occupied by the routine of her duties to +undertake them. Indeed, if a woman become a notable cook after marriage, +it is often a sign that she is not a notable wife or mother. + +It is an old saying that, + + "My son's my son till he gets him a wife, + But my daughter's my daughter all her life." + + +By the common bond of sex, a daughter is her mother's natural companion +in sympathy, however separated from her in distance. Therefore, when she +lives at home, what a special obligation is there to be her mother's +comfort and dependence! Even though she acquire greater skill in +household affairs, she should still resign herself to the subordinate +place of assistant. + +The thought that she is becoming useless is the chief dread of a woman +who has been a managing worker all her life, and her daughter should +carefully avoid bringing this to her mind, indeed, should so act that +the ageing mother retains the management of the house, even though her +labors diminish. In respect to the direction of children, the elder +daughter should take a hint from the manner in which the school-teacher +supplements rather than supplants the mother in her care of the young +people, leading to a difference in the kind of regard which these feel +for them. The sister should always consider herself simply as the +eldest, most experienced of the children, and so the natural monitor +of the group, and, when necessary, the mediator with the parents. + +In a similar fashion the unmarried woman should act toward her neighbors +who are wives and mothers. In matters where the interests of children +and households are of chief concern she should resign the leadership to +the married women, and, after them, to the professional teachers. +Religious, social, and civic matters, wherein as a church member and a +citizen she is on an equal footing with wives and teachers, afford her +ample scope for exercising her instinct for leadership. + +Every unmarried woman who lives alone should, whether or not she possess +an income, have a vocation. Earnings and wages are not alone good in +themselves, but are an additional gratification, in that they supply a +proof that the earner's service is of worth to the world. Some day, when +social conditions are so adjusted that economic competition is really +free, and wealth cannot be obtained save by service, money will be a +proper measure of standing in the community. It is all the more a duty +now, both to herself, her class, and to society, that the woman who +works should contend to the last cent for her part of the wealth that is +created by the business in which she is engaged. Where her work is equal +to a man's, she should contend for wages equal to his; where it is +inferior, she should be willing to accept less; where superior, she +should demand more. In these matters women are apt to be either too +complaisant or too clamorous. They should first be sure that they are +justified in their claims, and then, if right, be firm in their demands, +and, if wrong, be resigned to abandon them. The law of supply and demand +acting in the labor market allots wages between workers with natural +justice--certainly more equitably than the interested opinion either +of employer or employee. + +It will be seen that the woman in business needs to study the +fundamental elements of political economy even more than the housewife. +Books and magazines are filled with superficial, obvious advice as to +the way in which women as employees should conduct themselves toward +their employers and fellow workers, but rarely is there a hint given +of the actual rights and obligations of these relations, upon which +the proper conduct is based. + +Employment is a business contract between employer and employee, in +which there is no legal or moral obligation for either party to exceed +the terms. Owing to an over-supply of labor, wages may be exceedingly +low, even down to the starvation point, but for this condition the +employer, if he be not also a monopolist, is not responsible. Indeed, +as employer, his presence in the labor market as an element of demand +raises the market wage. In fact, it is only by his increasing his +business that he can raise wages. If he pay more to his employees than +he needs to, or is profitable for him, this increase is not real wages, +but a gratuity, something no self-respecting person likes to take. Some +other class in society created this condition, and it is this class that +the low-paid workers should blame, and, as citizens, take measures +against, not the employers. Indeed, they should consider these as their +natural allies in making better economic conditions. + +Accordingly, the woman in business should have sympathy for her +employer, who owing to the prevalent condition of shackled competition +has troubles of his own. She should aid him by loyal, efficient work, +thus, and only thus, establishing a moral claim upon him to recognize +her loyalty in kind. Personal relations, except of this nature, should +not be sought by the employee, particularly if she is a woman. Outside +of the office or shop she may meet and treat her employer as a fellow +citizen and member of society, under the common rights of citizenship +and the proper social rules, but in business hours she should obey the +strict ethics of business. Thus she may don what dress she will when +her work is done, adopt all the eccentricities of fashion she pleases, +but she should wear with cheerfulness, and even pride, the simple dress +prescribed, for good and sufficient reasons, as her working costume. +Even when no such regulations are made, her good sense and taste should +lead her to adopt a modest, practical working dress, simple mode of +arranging the hair, etc. This is always agreeable to customers, and it +is by pleasing these she best pleases her employer. + +Stenographers and secretaries have a special obligation to keep sacred +the confidences of their employers. If they find that in so doing they +are made instruments in perpetrating frauds on other business men, +or the community in general, they have no right to expose these. +Their only proper course is to resign their positions, holding sacred, +however, the knowledge gained while acting as employees. It is only when +formally relieved of this obligation by legal compulsion to testify in +court that they may reveal this knowledge. + +While it is the custom of an employer to demand references of the +employee, and not give them for himself, the only safe course for a +woman seeking employment is to look into the character of the man for +whom she is to work, and the nature of his business. This she may do +indirectly in the case of character, and directly in the case of nature +of business. If the employer refuses to impart this, saying, "Your work +will be to do whatever I ask you," it is a blind, and therefore +dangerous contract into which you are entering, and you should withdraw +from it in time. + +When an employee has proved her efficiency, and has seen that it is +producing an amount of returns to the business of which she is not +receiving her proportionate share, it is her right and duty to ask for +an increase in wages. If she fails to receive this, she should +investigate the conditions in the labor market of her class, and guide +her action accordingly. If she finds that there is a demand for workers +of her ability at the higher wage, she should again proffer her request +to her employer, with a statement of this fact. If he still refuses the +increase, she should resign her position, upon proper notice, and seek +employment elsewhere. + +When the unmarried woman employs herself in free service for the public +good there will be no need for her to contend for the proper returns, +which will be the love and respect of the community, given her in full +measure. In comparison with these rewards, the honors of club president +and society leader, for which many women contend with a rivalry that +surpasses in bitterness contests for political honors among men, are +mean and empty. The words of the Master to His disciples, that he who +would be first among them should be servant to his fellows, should be +taken to heart by American women, before whom are opening new and vast +opportunities for the display of pride and ambition no less than for +modest, faithful service. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE WIFE + +Nature's Intention in Marriage--The Woman's Crime in Marrying for +Support--Her Blunder in Marrying an Inefficient Man for Love--The +Proper Union--Mutual Aid of Husband and Wife--Manipulating a Husband--By +Deceit--By Tact--Confidence Between Man and Wife. + + "Her very soul is in home, and in the discharge of all those quiet + virtues of which home is the centre. Her husband will be to her the + object of all her care, solicitude and affection. She will see nothing + but by him, and through him. If he is a man of sense and virtue, she + will sympathize in his sorrows, divert his fatigue, and share his + pleasures. If she becomes the property of a churlish or negligent + husband, she will suit his taste also, for she will not long survive + his unkindness."--SIR WALTER SCOTT--_Waverley._ + + +Marriage is the crown of woman's life, a dignity that is all the more +honorable because it is of general expectation and realization. There +is a presumption that the unmarried woman has missed the central and +significant reason for her existence, the perpetuation and nurture of +the race, and that the burden is upon her for compensating society by +other services for this lost opportunity. Marriage for a woman means +attainment first and fulfilment after, the reward given in advance of +labor, and therefore entailing a special moral obligation that it be +justified in its fruits. Nature gives the future mother peace of mind, +rest from doubt as to career and from responsibility as to breadwinning, +in order that she may tranquilly devote herself to her special function +as the maker of the home. + +The fact that in the normal home the wife is relieved from the necessity +of earning the living of the home sometimes has the effect of making her +careless about expenditure. The thoughtless wife, and here thoughtless +means selfish, assumes that the problem of providing is "up to" the +husband and takes no care to aid him in its solution. If the suggestion +of her being a burden to him ever does cross her mind, she is ready to +excuse herself by consolatory sayings such as "Two can live cheaper than +one," the truth of which, though universal when every wife was a +producer of such things as clothing that are now bought is now the case +only in agricultural homes, and even there has lost a great deal of its +force. Men do not marry now, as they once did, for economic reasons, +but rather in spite of them, for the higher rewards of love and +companionship of wife and children, and this the wife should recognize +by giving her husband the things for which he has made his economic +sacrifice. In the old days a man who did not marry paid for his liberty +by loss of physical comfort and wealth. Thus Hesiod, one of the earliest +Greek poets, in his Farmer's Almanac called "Works and Days," coupled +the marrying of a wife with the purchase of a yoke of oxen and a plow +as the first things needful in beginning to farm, and this in despite +of the fact that he was a woman-hater. + +Now it is the woman who is tempted to marry for economic reasons, to +be certain of material support while she exercises herself in those +household avocations and social pleasures which constitute the main +activities of women. This is a legitimate consideration only when the +interest of the man is also taken into account. Marriage to a man whom +she does not love is a crime for any woman; giving falsely the offerings +of love for material things is harlotry even though legitimated by vows +and ceremonies. + +On the other hand, marriage for love to a man who cannot support her is +a sad mistake for a woman who is not able or willing to take the place +of breadwinner, for such a union defeats its own purpose. Therefore, +in kindness to the man as well as to herself, such a woman should satisfy +herself that he can support her, not necessarily in "the style to which +she has been accustomed," but in the style necessary for her to perform +the duties of homemaker and mother. Those marriages are the happiest +where a wife can also enter into sympathy with her husband's business +ambitions in particular and ideals of life in general. Here she is +peculiarly his helpmate. He can hire a housekeeper, but not a companion +of his bosom. + +A girl properly reared will naturally be drawn to a man complementary +to her in character--not "opposite," as is so often said. Opposition +implies antagonism, which would be the ruin of home life. The term +complementary implies similarity in the main elements of character with +adaptable differences. Good qualities, such as strength and delicacy, +may complement each other, but not evil and good qualities, such as +brutality and tenderness. As Scott says in the quotation at the head +of this chapter, a tender wife may suit the taste of a churlish husband, +but only by not long surviving his unkindness. While such opposition may +not result in actual death, it certainly leads to the demise of all that +makes life worth living. + +A woman should not expect to find a perfect husband. Indeed, her chief +usefulness to him will be in her strengthening his weak points, and +cultivating his right inclinations until they are confirmed habits. +Yet in this work she should realize the imperfections in herself, and +respond to the similar aid he gives her by his example and suggestions. +Mutual aid is the great bond of marriage, as it is of all human +relations. + +Women, from their weaker condition, have from ages past been trained to +gain their desires from men by indirection. In the worst form, this +appears as deceit; in the best, as tact. Laying aside the moral aspect, +deceit is always unwise in a wife, since, in time, it defeats its own +end. Many a woman thinks that she is deceiving her husband, since she +wins her points, when he thoroughly recognizes her machinations, and +accedes to them without contest simply for peace in the household, +acquiring a feeling of moral superiority to her which, though it may be +tolerant, is nevertheless contemptuous. But when she employs loving +tact, especially in the improvement of her husband's habits and traits, +even though he realizes it, he is at heart grateful for it, and proud +of his wife's superiority in these points. + +In those matters where the characters of husband and wife are strong +enough to permit frankness, this should always be employed. In all the +grave problems of life there should be perfect confidence between the +pair who have taken the solemn vows of wedlock. Any third party that +enjoys a superior confidence with one of them, whether relative or +friend, even the pastor or family physician, is the man invoked against +in the marriage charge, who "puts them asunder." Where unhappily the +husband is irreligious and the wife is forced to seek confidential help +and consolation of her spiritual adviser, she should strictly limit +these to religious matters, else she will grow apart from her husband. +George Moore, in his collection of stories entitled, "The Untilled +Field," presents the propensity of women in Ireland to run to the priest +for guidance on every question, as the chief cause of their domestic +tragedies. In America the family physician is as apt as the pastor to be +made the recipient of such confidences, with evil results where he is +not wise enough to advise that the husband is the proper person to whom +the wife should go. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE HOUSE + +Elements in Choice of a Home--The City Apartment--Furniture for a +Temporary Home--Couches--Rugs--Bookcases--The Suburban and Country +House--Economic Considerations--Buying an Old House--Building a New +One--Supervising the Building--The Woman's Wishes. + + Of love, of joy, of peace and plenty: where, + Supporting and supported, polished friends + And dear relations mingle into bliss. + JAMES THOMSON--_The Seasons_ + + +When husband and wife are truly mated, they form a co-partnership in the +building of the home. In this work the man, occupied with his business, +must leave a large part of the direction, even in material things, +to the woman. And these material things are of primary consideration, +as they are apt to be in every problem of life. The happiness of home +is immediately and always dependent on the kind of a house used for +dwelling and its equipment for utility and comfort. + +The first thing to be considered is the location of the home. The choice +of a good neighborhood, from both social and sanitary viewpoints, is +essential. Good neighbors are almost as necessary as good air and good +drainage. Even before the children have come, it is a limitation on the +function of a home for husband and wife to be forced to seek social life +entirely outside the neighborhood. If charity (that is, loving, helpful +associations) begins at home, it certainly does not stop at the +threshold, or leap therefrom over those nearest us. The best citizens +are those who take a human interest in the people of their street, or +ward, or village, for influence in civic reform is dependent on +neighborliness. + +Children are good citizens in this respect by nature. Limited to +association with children of the neighborhood, they form an affection +for their playmates, which may lead to good or evil results, as these +playmates are moral or vicious in their tendencies. Therefore, at the +formative period of character children should be guarded from the +debasing influences of improper companions, as well as such institutions +as saloons and low dance-halls which are generally found to be the local +causes of bad neighbors. + +Of course, a neighborhood should be selected where there are good public +schools, churches, and allied institutions for education and culture. +It is always a loss to a child in this democratic country to be educated +in a private school, and yet, especially in cities, careful parents are +often compelled to resort to private instruction for their girls and +boys because of the lack of refining influences in the public schools. +This is why it is often better for families, when the father works in +the city, to live in the suburbs, where, as a rule, the best public +schools are to be found. + +But it may not be feasible to live out of the city, especially in the +first years of married life, and therefore the home life must begin in +an apartment. The same sanitary considerations that obtain in choice of +a neighborhood are essential in the choice of a flat. Good air, light, +space, proper plumbing, and general cleanness are to be sought. Owing +to the general demand for these advantages, and a limited supply of +them which is due to economic conditions prevailing in our cities, they +unfortunately require money, therefore, the flat-seeker is compelled to +do the best he can with that part of his income which he may safely +appropriate for rent. As a rule, this amount is not more than one-fourth +of income. + +When an apartment house has been properly built, and the walls are +settled and the plastering dry, it generally comes up to the standard +of comfort and health. Here the latest improvements in plumbing will +be apt to be found, and there will be no danger of vermin. Then, too, +a concession is more apt to be made by the landlord, who is anxious to +secure tenants, by remission of a month's or a fortnight's rent, to be +taken out after the first month. The landlord of such a house is also +readier than the owner of an old one to make decorations, and even +alterations, to suit the taste of the tenant. + +The walls in the kitchen should be painted rather than papered, and +other parts of the flat designed primarily for utility. Since light is +the great desideratum, the paint, as a rule, should be light in color, +though soft and tinted in tone for restfulness to the eye. Where +wallpaper is used, it should have the same characteristics. Fanciful +designs should be avoided. Indeed, plain paper forms the best base for +artistic color schemes in the decoration of rooms, the variety in which +is best obtained by the choice of furniture and pictures and other wall +ornaments. + +When there is a prospect that living in apartments will be only a +temporary arrangement, the furniture should be chosen with a view to its +adaptability for a house. Thus folding-beds should be avoided, and other +articles that gain space by complexity, however ingenious. Simplicity is +the quality to be desired. Thus if the exigency of space requires that a +living room by day be converted into a sleeping room, a couch should be +bought for it, instead of a folding bed. It will then serve the purpose +of a sofa as well as a bed. If it is a box couch, further economy will +be gained by its use as a place to store the bedclothes. But the +simplest of all arrangements is a divan bed, formed of springs and +mattress alone, and supported on legs nailed to the corners of the +spring-frame. Over it a cover should be thrown during the day, and the +pillows in use, if there is not room for them elsewhere, should be +slipped into covers harmonious in color with the couch drapery. Such +a reclining and sleeping couch may also be used in bedrooms, although +an iron or brass bedstead gives an appearance of neatness and personal +privacy that is desirable in such chambers. + +Where there is lack of closet space and lockers, trunks can be utilized +in a flat for storing things. Steamer trunks that can be placed beneath +the beds and couches are therefore the best kind to buy. They can also +be readily converted into window seats by making pads of cotton batting +to fit the tops, and placing over them covers and pillow cushions +harmonious with the decoration of the room. Long flat "wardrobe trunks" +are sold, which contain at one end rods for hanging clothes, so that, +when stood up on the other end against the wall they serve as wardrobes. +They always look, however, like makeshifts, and so are more useful in +travelling than in the home. + +Rugs are more desirable than carpets in a city apartment, since they can +be more readily cleaned, and, in case of moving to another flat or a +house in the suburbs, will be more adaptable to the new situation. + +Bookcases in a temporary home should be of the unit system, where each +shelf is a separate box enabling the books to be moved without +repacking, and permitting rearrangement to suit the new situation, or +the acquisition of new books. Where, however, the lower part of wall +space is desired to give room for articles of furniture such as couches, +shelves can be built, beginning at four and one-half or five feet above +the floor. Mr. Edwin Markham, the poet, whose home overflows with books, +has greatly economized space by building for them a broad lower shelf, +about eighteen inches wide, and, three inches above this, another shelf +twelve inches wide, and, three inches above this, a third six inches +wide. When these are filled with books the titles of all are exposed, +and, by taking out the volume or two immediately in front, a volume on +one of the back shelves is readily obtained. Thus, by walking about his +room, Mr. Markham can look with level eyes for the book he wants, and +procure it without recourse to a chair or stepladder. This plan of +banking books also lends itself to a decorative arrangement of them. + +Except in matters such as these, where economy is imperative, the +furnishing of a city apartment does not differ essentially from that of +a house, and the reader is therefore referred to the discussion of this +in the following pages. + +The suburban, village, or country home differs from the city apartment, +or even city house, in that it has been built without the primary +consideration of space. It is separated from other houses, even though +by the narrowest space of green lawn, that gives a house the +individuality and independence without which it is hard for it to gather +the associations of home. Even when a detached house is found in a city, +its architecture is generally hampered by its adaptation to its narrow +grounds. It rarely has that rounded development of character which is +as desirable in a home as in a person. + +In selecting a rented home in the suburbs, the cost of the husband's +transportation to and from the city should be added to the rent to keep +this within the proper ratio to income, just as the difference in price +of provisions should be considered in that portion allotted to food. +Provisions, even country produce, are often dearer in suburban +communities than in the city, and less saving can be made by close +marketing, because the farmers and gardeners find it more profitable to +send their produce to the center of greatest demand, and therefore of +readiest sale, even though it costs more for transportation than to the +smaller markets near by. So suburban grocers and provision men are wont +to buy in the city markets, and add the cost of transportation back from +the city, and an additional profit for the transaction, to the price to +the consumer. + +Owing to the close competition for householders among real-estate men, +it is now almost as easy to purchase a suburban home as it is to rent +one, and it is therefore advisable to do this. The interest on purchase, +and the fixed charges of taxes, insurance, water rent, etc., should be +counted as rent, but a higher percentage of income may be safely +allotted to these than to rent proper, since the purchase is also an +investment. As a rule, the increase of land value near a growing city +will considerably exceed the diminution in the value of the +improvements. Indeed, owing to the constant advance of cost of building +material in recent years, there is often enhancement rather than +depreciation in the house value. + +For these economic reasons it is advisable to buy an old house when +its cost is less than the cost of constructing a new one of the same +desirability. The home-seeker, however, should curb his propensity to +make extensive alterations, for, one leading to another, he will find +at the end (if he ever reaches it) that he has virtually built a new +house at a cost greater than he could afford. + +On the other hand, he should avoid those houses built on speculation to +sell. In these a showy appearance is gained at the expense of durability +of construction, and the purchaser will find that he must pay in +plumbing, coal bills, and general repairs an amount he had not +calculated upon as interest on the home, for, unless he rebuilds the +house at ruinous expense, these will be annual charges. + +The most satisfactory way, and the one leading to great enjoyment in +satisfying the "nest-building" instinct which possesses newly mated +people no less than birds, is for the owners themselves to plan and +superintend the building of the home. There is an infinite variety of +architectural plans spread before the homeseeker in books and magazines. +An examination of these will be of great value to him in clarifying his +hazy ideas, but he should not settle upon any one of them without expert +opinion. He should employ a local architect, or at least a builder with +practical architectural ideas, to examine every feature of the plan +selected as nearest the homeseeker's ideal, and revise it according +to local conditions, cost and availability of material, etc. Money is +always well spent that relieves one of responsibility, enabling him to +say thereafter, "Well, I did every thing I could to have the thing done +properly." + +The woman's wish should be paramount in planning the building. The home +is her workshop, and she should have every convenience she requires to +do her work properly. Things that appear of minor importance to a man, +the architect and builder no less than her husband, are to her most +vital. What pockets are to a man or business woman in clothes, closets +and shelves are to a woman in her house, and yet she usually has to +fight for them with the architect as the business woman does for pockets +with her dressmaker. Unless she has worked out the practicability of her +ideas, however, she will be at a great disadvantage with the experts, +and therefore it is wise for her to make herself as familiar as possible +with the main principles of building and the special details of the +improvements she desires, especially as this knowledge will be of great +use in seeing that the work is done as ordered. Where she has not +acquired this knowledge, and the husband is either incompetent or not +free to undertake this supervision, it is well to employ a contractor, +arranging for thorough, satisfactory work, and holding him strictly to +the contract. + +The prime requisite in a house is that it be adapted for home life, be +a comfortable place in which to sleep, cook, eat, rest and read, talk +and laugh, and play and pray; in a word, in which to do all the work that +enables these necessities and pleasures to be obtained. Next to the +comfort of the family comes that of the outside world. It is desirable, +though not essential, that the home contain facilities for entertaining. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE HOUSE + +Essential Parts of a House--Double Use of Rooms--Utility of +Piazzas--Landscape Gardening--Water-supply--Water-power--Illumination +--Dangers from Gas--How to Read a Gas-meter--How to Test Kerosene +--Care of Lamps--Use of Candles--Making the Best of the Old House. + +The parts that are desirable in a well-ordered house may be enumerated +as follows: Cellar, the kitchen, the storehouse, the pantry, the +laundry, the dining-room, the living or sitting-room, the lavatory, +the parlor, the hall, the library, the nursery, the sewing-room, +the bedrooms, including guest chamber, the attic, the piazzas. + +Where economy of space must be practiced, storehouse and pantry may be +combined, and nursery and sewing-room; and one of the family bedrooms +may be devoted to the use of the occasional guest. The hall may be +thrown into the parlor. The parlor may be properly converted into a +library and music room, although when the father is of retiring literary +tastes, he should have a "den" of his own, where he may read and smoke +in peace. + +The parlor is too often wasted space in a house. As the "best room," +and very often the largest room, it is reserved for reception of guests, +weddings, and funerals, and at other times shut up in gloomy grandeur +from the family, except, perhaps, as the place of banishment for a +naughty child. Except when used as a library and music room, it should +be one of the smallest in the house, and may, indeed, be entirely +dispensed with. The family living-room is not an improper place in +which to receive a guest, especially one whom it is desired should +"feel at home." + +Of the rooms for the family, the nursery is the best to dispense with, +the very young children being kept under the mother's oversight in her +sewing-room, or the attic, or a loft in an out-building being fitted up +for the elder ones as a play-room. In the case of the loft, it is well +to equip it as a simple gymnasium. + +It is mistaken economy to use the living-room as a dining-room, since +this interferes with the orderly work of the house, no less than with +the comfort of the family. It may with propriety, however, be made also +the sewing-room, and, in general, the mother's managerial office. Here +she should keep her desk and her household account-books, and meet the +tradesmen and other business callers. It is also more suited than the +parlor for use as a family reading-room and working library. Disorder +that betokens use, such as magazines on the center-table, or of papers +on the desk, is here not inappropriate. Indeed, it gives a homelike +appearance even to the social guest. + +China and glassware and silver arranged in proper array in wall closets, +cabinets, and sideboards are the most appropriate decorations of the +dining-room. It is not at all necessary that there should be pictures +on the wall of game, fruit and flowers, or "still life" studies of +vegetables and kitchen utensils. Indeed, these have become so expected +that a change is quite a relief to a guest, who would welcome even the +death's head that was the invariable ornament of the Egyptian feasts. +Any pictures which are lively and cheerful in suggestion are suitable. +Those that have a story to tell or a lesson to point are never out of +place in a room frequented by children. + +For convenience the table-linen should be kept in drawers or lockers +built beneath the shelves containing the china. A butler's pantry is +not an essential when such arrangements as these are made. + +The kitchen, pantry, storeroom, and laundry form, as it were, the +"factory" of the house, with the range as the central "engine." +Accordingly they should be planned with respect to each other to save +steps. Fortunately this means also saving expense in construction. +Architects have been most ingenious as well as practical in perfecting +these arrangements, and the housebuilder, therefore, needs no advice +from us. + +It cannot be too much emphasized, however, that the cellar is, from the +standpoints of sanitation and comfort, the most important part of the +house. There should be no attempt to save expense by limiting its proper +size, materials for walls, windows for ventilation, drainage, etc., +for money so saved will inevitably be paid out many times over in coal +bills, doctor's fees, and, perhaps, undertaker's bills. A dry cellar +must be secured at all costs, for the air from it permeates the whole +house. Where this is damp, it leads not alone to disease among the +inmates, but to the disintegration of the house itself, through what +is called "dry rot," but is paradoxically the result of dampness. +Edgar Allan Poe, in his weird story, "The Fall of the House of Usher," +has given a mystical interpretation of the dissolution of an old homestead +which really has a scientific explanation that might be found in the +cellar. + +The proper floor of a cellar is a layer of broken stones in which tile +drains are laid, having outlets into a common drain, and over which a +layer of concrete is placed, The walls, of plastered stone, brick, +or concrete, should rise above the ground far enough to permit small +windows, and prevent the admission of surface water from rain or snow. +These windows should open from within, upward, and there should be hooks +on the ceiling to keep them open for ventilation. + +Where a house is heated by a furnace, the style of this should be +selected with great care, special regard being had to the economy of +fuel. The systems of steam-heating, hot-water heating, or hot-air +heating have each their merits, depending on the location of the house +and the climate of the region. The cellar can also be used as a +storeroom for those things not affected by the heat of the furnace, +such as perishable food requiring an ice-box or a cool place, vegetables, +especially those with a penetrating odor; apples, canned fruit and +goods, etc., should be kept here, and barrels of commodities, such as +vinegar, that are bought in large quantities. Shelves should be built on +the walls and hooks hung on the rafters to increase the facilities for +storage. Articles hung upon the hooks should be tied in paper bags. +It is well to have the cellar ceiled, to keep out the dust of the house +and reduce the risk of fire. Here, of course, is the natural place for +the coal-bin, and, when there are no out-buildings, the man's workshop. +The laundry may also be placed in the cellar, and, in stormy weather, +the clothes hung there to dry. In the country the cellar is a good place +in which to build an ice-vault. + +The kitchen should, of course, be airy and sunny. The sink should be +placed near a south window, if possible, to prevent freezing of pipes. +An iron sink is more cleanly than a wooden one, and cheaper than +porcelain and copper. It should have a platform with room for two +dishpans, and a drying shelf, raised at one end to permit drainage. +Where economy of space is essential, this shelf may be removable, +permitting the use for other things of the table beneath. + +Two other tables are necessary in a proper kitchen equipment, one +covered with zinc for a work-table, set near the range, and the other +a plain table set near the dining-room, for the prepared dishes. There +should be three lights, lamps in brackets, gas-jets, or electric bulbs, +near the sink, range and food-table respectively. The refrigerator +should be put outside the kitchen, in some such place as a sheltered +part of the back piazza. Commodities such as tea and coffee, not +requiring ice, should be kept in covered jars, preferably earthen, +on a dresser or shelf, where the bread-box may also stand. There should +be a kitchen closet for the flour-barrel and sugar-box, which should be +covered for further protection from dust, flies, dampness, etc., and for +the canned goods in immediate requisition. + +The stove or range should be selected with reference on the one hand to +the amount of cooking to be done for the family, and on the other to the +saving of fuel. Where there is a water supply, of course there should be +a boiler connected with the range. This should be large enough to assure +a sufficient supply of hot water for the house. There should be a shelf +near the range for such articles as the pepper-box and salt-box which +are in constant use in cooking, and hooks should be near at hand for +hanging up the poker, lid-lifter, and a coarse towel for use in taking +pans from the oven. Other shelves and hooks, of course, should be put +in for the various utensils necessary in the kitchen. + +The floor of the kitchen should be covered with a good quality of +linoleum. A perforated rubber mat may be placed at the sink, although +this is not necessary. In fact, it is a better plan for the woman in the +kitchen, as indeed elsewhere, to get rubber heels for her shoes. The +Arabs have a proverb that to him who is shod it is as if the whole world +were covered with leather, and rubber heels similarly cause every floor +in the house, whether bare or carpeted, to be equally easy to the feet +of the busy housewife. + +The laundry should be supplied with two tubs, an ironing-table, +an ironing-board, and a stove for the boiler and the irons. The +ironing-board should be supported upon two "horses" of the height +of the table. The table should be supplied with an iron-rest. + +In a well-planned house there should be separate bedrooms for every +inmate except the very small children. It is quite an economy in the +care of the house that each child, at as early an age as possible, +should have its own room and be taught to take care of it. Since the +room is designed primarily for sleeping, care should be taken that the +bed be placed in such a position that the light falls from behind the +sleeper's head. The dresser should be so placed that the light falls on +the face of the occupant of the room when he is looking into the mirror. +Even at the expense of space in the bedroom proper, there should be a +large closet in every sleeping-room. The deeper the closet the better, +for, by using rods attached to the back of the closet and projecting +through its width, whereon clothes-hangers may be strung, far more room +will be obtained for clothes than where hooks and nails are employed. By +the use of these clothes-hangers, too, suits and dresses may be kept in +much better order. The top of the closet may be occupied by one broad, +high shelf, whereon hats and bonnets may be kept in their proper +receptacles. Shoes should be kept in a drawer at the bottom of the +closet, rather than thrown on the floor beneath the dresser. It is a +mistake to substitute a curtain for the door of the closet, since it is +of the first importance to keep the clothing free from dust. + +Shelves are better than closets for the keeping of the bed linen. It is +a handy thing to have a separate linen closet in the house, but this is +not essential. The sewing-room of the mother is a suitable place for +keeping the linen. Shelves are preferable to closets for this purpose. +There should also be a medicine closet or locker in the mother's room +which will be handy in case of sudden illness among the children. + +In view of the importance of sanitation, more thought than is ordinarily +allotted to it should be given to the lavatory. Where there is room to +spare, it is best to have the bath separate from the toilet, in order to +prevent inconvenience in use. There should be a basin and toilet upon +the ground floor, and a bathroom and toilet upon the sleeping floor. +The walls of the lavatory should be tiled, or, if this is too expensive, +they should be covered with water-proof paper. All toilet arrangements +should be systematically kept clean, and the necessary supplies at all +times provided. + +Piazzas may be made to add no less to the utility than to the beauty and +comfort of the house. A lower back piazza, covered with vines, is the +ideal place in summer for eating and such heating labors as ironing. +When thoroughly secured from intrusion, an upper balcony furnishes the +best of sleeping quarters for one wise and brave enough to scout the +superstition of the bad effects of night air. Many persons of delicate +health, even consumptives, have been restored to vigorous strength by +sleeping in such a place, not only in summer but throughout the winter, +save in beating storms. + +Closely conjoined with forethought for utility in the planning of +a house is forethought for beauty. It is well to have an artistic +imagination in visualizing, as it were, the "hominess" of the house +as it will appear after its rawness has been mellowed by time, and its +forms have been endeared by association. This imagination is specially +essential in the planting of trees, arrangement of flower gardens, +the choice of the kind of enclosure, whether hedge or fence, and, +in general, all that is known under the name of landscape gardening. + +The housekeeper's work is greatly dependent upon the kind of water +supply available for the house. In cities and towns the kind of supply +is fixed for her, but in the country she is afforded her freedom of +choice. She has a choice of water from wells or springs, which is more +or less "hard," that is, impregnated with lime, and water collected from +rain or melting snow. For household purposes rainwater is the more +desirable, and, when properly filtered and kept in clean cisterns +protected from the larvae of mosquitoes and other disease-bearing +insects, it is also the best for drinking purposes. To one accustomed +to drinking hard water from a well or spring, rain water is a little +unpalatable, but after he is accustomed to its use he will prefer it. +It is always wise to secure an analysis of the drinking water of the +house, since water reputed pure because of its clearness and coldness +is as apt as any other to be contaminated. Where soft water is not +available for household use, hard water may be softened by the addition +to it of pearline or soda, or by boiling, in the latter case the lime +in it being precipitated to the bottom of the kettle or boiler. + +When well water is used for drinking some knowledge of the geology of +the home grounds is essential. Thus, because the top of a well is on +higher ground than the cess-pool is no reason for assuming that the +contents of the latter may not seep into the water, for the inclination +of the strata of the rocks may be in a contrary direction to that of +the surface of the ground. + +When filters and strainers are used they should be carefully cleaned at +regular intervals, since if they are permitted to accumulate impurities +they become a source of contamination instead of its remedy. Every once +in a while the housekeeper should take off the strainers from the +faucets and boil them. + +There are many excellent systems for obtaining water power for the house +in the country, each of which has its special advantages. The pumping of +water to a tank at the top of the house by a windmill is that most +commonly used. This is the cheapest method, but the most unsightly. +Small kerosene or hot-air engines may be employed for the power at very +slight cost, and will prove useful for other purposes, such as sawing +wood or even operating the sewing-machines. Owing to the many inventions +for isolated lighting plants by acetylene and other kinds of gas, +dwellers in the country have virtually as free a choice of illumination +as the people in towns and cities. + +Great caution is necessary in the use of any form of illuminating gas, +since all produce asphyxiation. Accordingly, all gas fixtures of the +house should be regularly inspected to see that there is no escape of +the subtile, destructive fluid. The odor of escaping gas which is so +unpleasant is really a blessing, in that it informs the householder of +his danger. A cock that turns completely around and, after extinguishing +the light, permits the escape of the gas, is more dangerous than a +poisonous serpent. Yet there may be nothing radically wrong with this +fixture, and the use of the screwdriver may make it as good as new. +Gas should never be turned low when there is a draught in the room, +nor allowed to burn near hanging draperies. Care should always be taken +in turning out a gas-stove or a drop-light to do so at the fixture and +not at the burner. This is not alone safer, but it keeps the rubber tube +from acquiring a disagreeable odor from the gas that has been left in it. + +Great economy in the consumption of gas may be secured by the use of +Welsbach and other incandescent burners. Where these are not employed, +care should be taken to select the most economical kind of gas tips, +and to see that when these become impaired by use they are replaced. + +In the large cities there is constant complaint of defective gas-meters, +so much so that inspectors have been appointed to correct this abuse. +It has been found, however, that many complaints have been unfounded +because the housewives were not able properly to read the meter. +Directions how to do this will therefore be found useful. A gas-meter +has three dials marking tip to 100,000 feet, 10,000 feet, and 1,000 feet +respectively. The figures on the second dial are arranged in opposite +order from those on the first and third dials, and this often leads to +an error in reckoning. However, there should be no trouble in setting +down the figures indicated by the pointer on each dial. We first set +down the figure indicated upon the first dial in the units place of a +period of three places, then that indicated upon the second dial in the +tens place, and then that indicated upon the third dial in the hundreds +place. To these we add two ciphers, to obtain the number of feet of gas +that has been burned since the meter was set at zero on the three dials. +From this number we subtract the total of feet burned at the time when +the preceding gas bill was rendered. This is generally called on the +bill "present state of meter." The result of the subtraction will be +the amount of gas that has been burned since the last bill was rendered. +For example: + + 95,300, amount indicated on dial. + 82,700, amount marked "present state of meter" on preceding gas bill. + ------ + 12,600, amount of gas for which current bill is rendered. + + +Equal care must be exercised when kerosene is used for illumination, +since, while it is not so dangerous directly to life, it is the chief +source of the destruction of property. Accordingly the nature of +kerosene and the way it illuminates is a profitable subject of study if +we would prevent destructive fires. Really, we do not burn the oil, but +the gas that arises from the oil when liberated by the burning wick and +becomes incandescent when fed by the oxygen of the air. While kerosene +requires a high temperature for combustion, it is closely related to +other products of coal oil, such as naphtha and gasoline, which become +inflammable at a low heat and are therefore very dangerous. Since the +cheap grades of kerosene approach these products in quality, care should +be taken to see that it is of high "proof" in order to prevent +explosions. The proof required of kerosene differs in various States; +that in some is as low as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, that is, the +temperature at which the oil will give off vapors that will ignite. +This is too low a proof, for such a degree of temperature is quite common +in the household. It is safe only to use that kerosene which is at least +140 degrees proof, for then, even though the oil is spilled, there is +little danger that it will ignite except in the immediate presence of +flame. There is no danger at all in soaking wood with this kind of oil +in a stove or grate wherein the fire has gone out. + +To test kerosene, put a thermometer into a cup partially filled with +cold water, and add boiling water until the mercury stands at 130 +degrees Fahrenheit. Then take out the thermometer and pour two +teaspoonfuls of kerosene into the cup and pass over it the flame of +a candle. If the oil ignites, it is unsafe. + +In order to prevent the flame from running down into the lamp and +causing an explosion, the wick should be soft, filling the burner +completely. The highest efficiency in the form of illumination is +obtained by round burners, especially those in lamps which admit air +to the inside of the wick and so induce the largest possible amount +of combustion. Such a lamp produces quite a high degree of heat, and +will answer the purpose of an oil-stove in a small room. + +Contrary to the popular idea, wicks should be carefully trimmed with +scissors rather than with a match or other instrument. In extinguishing +a lamp one should first turn down the wick and blow across the chimney, +never down the chimney. + +Owing to the fact that the wick is constantly bringing up oil by +capillary attraction, whether it is lighted or unlighted, lamps in which +the wicks have not been cared are kept continually greasy. In fact, +a lamp that is greasy or that gives out a bad odor is one that has not +been properly cared. With due attention, lamps are as clean and handy +a means of illumination as any other form. + +Candles, that are now used chiefly for decorative purposes, may still be +practically employed for carrying light about the house. The danger from +a falling candle carried by a child up to bed is not nearly so great as +that which may result from either spilt oil from a broken lamp or the +cutting glass of its chimney. + +To those who live in an old house, all the foregoing advice should prove +a source of helpfulness in making the best of the old home, rather than +of dissatisfaction with its seeming shortcomings. There are many simple, +inexpensive ways of making it conform to the model house. Expense need +only be incurred in sanitary improvement, such as the better drainage of +the cellar, enabling it to be utilized for purposes which now crowd the +"work-rooms" of the home, and the alterations of the windows to permit +better lighting and ventilation. Very often a room can be made to +exchange purposes by a simple transference of furniture, thus saving the +housekeeper steps. A woodhouse can be converted into a summer kitchen, +and the old one, during this season, used as a dining-room, though it +may be found even pleasanter to eat out of doors under an arbor or on +a wide piazza. A porch may be partitioned off into a laundry, and the +attic ceiled and partitioned for use as a bedroom. Very often an old +boxed-off stairway, built in the days when it was thought unseemly to +show a connection with the upper bedrooms, can be relieved of its door +and walls, to the increase of space in the lower room, and of the beauty +of its appearance. Indeed, as a rule, there are too many doors in an old +house. Some of these can be altered into open arched entrances, making +one large commodious room out of two little inconvenient ones. Unused +out-buildings can be turned into playrooms for the children, and even +sleeping quarters. All these are changes that make for the beauty no +less than the utility of home, as proved by the fact that many artists, +especially those who have studied abroad where old country houses are +more or less of this unconventional character, go into the country and +alter in this fashion old and even abandoned houses into houses admired +for their charming individuality. Illustrations of such "hermitages" +frequently appear in the magazines, and may be studied for suggestions. +Sometimes the alteration is of the exterior only. The repainting in a +proper color, or the simple creosote staining of a weather-beaten house, +with the addition of a rustic porch or the breaking of a corner bedroom +into a balcony, will sometimes so transform an old house that it looks +as if it were a new creation. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +FURNITURE AND DECORATION + +The Qualities to Be Sought in Furniture--Home-made Furniture--Semi-made +Furniture--Good Furniture as an Investment--Furnishing and Decorating +the Hall--The Staircase--The Parlor--Rugs and Carpets--Oriental +Rugs--Floors--Treatment of Hardwood--Of Other Wood--How to Stain a +Floor--Filling as a Floor Covering. + + Necessity invented stools, + Convenience next suggested elbow-chairs, + And Luxury the accomplished sofa last. + + WILLIAM COWPER--_The Task._ + + +Utility, comfort and elegance are, as Cowper shows, the three successive +purposes for which furniture was designed. And to-day the order of +development remains also the order of importance. The first things to be +desired in any article of furniture are durability and simple +application to its purpose. These being found, a person naturally looks +to see if the use of them will contribute to his physical pleasure as +well as his convenience, that the back of a chair is the right height +and curvature to fit his back, and the seat is not so deep as to strain +his legs; that the table or desk is one he can spread his legs under in +natural fashion, and rest his elbows upon with ease; in short, that the +furniture conforms to his bodily requirements, as the chair and bed of +the "wee teenty bear" suited exactly the little old woman of Southey's +tale. Last of all, the aesthetic pleasure, the appreciation of beauty +by the mind, decides the choice in cases of equal utility and comfort. +The artistic considerations are so many that furniture has become a branch +of art, like sculpture or painting, with a large literature and history +of its own. + +Since most authorities on the subject largely ignore the questions of +utility and comfort, devoting themselves to the questions of aesthetic +style, it will be useful to our purpose here to confine the discussion +to the neglected qualities. As a rule, a durable, useful, and +comfortable article is a beautiful one. At least it has the beauty +of "grace," by which terms the old writers on aesthetics characterized +perfect adaptation to purpose, and the beauty of what they called +"homeliness," or, as we would now say, since this term has been +perverted, of "hominess," the suggestion of adding to the pleasure +of the household. + +The quality of "hominess" is greatly increased in an article of +furniture by a frank look or "home-made" appearance. There is no more +delightful occupation for the leisure hours of a man or woman, and no +more useful training for a boy or girl, than the making of simple +articles of home furniture. Really, the first article of furniture which +should be brought into the house is a well-equipped tool-chest, and the +first room which should be fitted up is the workshop. A vast amount of +labor will be saved thereby in unpacking, adjusting, repairing, and +polishing the old and the new household articles, so that life in the +new home be begun under the favorable auspices of the great household +deity, the Goddess of Order. When it is further considered that often +small repairs made by a carpenter cost more than a new article, the +tool-chest will be valued by the family as a most profitable investment. + +If it is not possible to procure the proper materials and tools for +making the entire article, some part of the work, the shaping, and +certainly the staining and polishing, can be done at home. If the +visitor does not recognize the home quality in such an article, +the maker does, and will always have a pride and affection for it. + +Many furniture manufacturers give in their catalogues designs of +semi-made or "knock together" furniture, that is, the parts of tables, +chairs, etc., cut out and planed, which it is intended that the +purchaser put together himself. These, as a rule, are made of good +material befitting the hand workmanship which will be put upon them, +and are offered at a considerable reduction from the price asked for +ready-made furniture of the same material. + +Furniture stains of excellent quality are found in every hardware store +and paint shop, which can easily be applied by the merest amateur. + +It is never wise to buy flimsy furniture, however cheap. As a rule, +there is too much furniture in the American home. It is better to get +along with a few good, durable articles, even though a little expensive, +than with a profusion of inferior ones. These soon reveal their "cheap +and nasty qualities," are in constant need of repair, and quickly +descend from the place of honor in the parlor to be endured a while in +the living room, then abused in the kitchen, and, finally, burnt as +fuel. Good wood and leather, however, are long in becoming shabby, +and even then require only a little attention to be restored to good +condition. When it is considered that in furniture there is virtually no +monopoly of design or invention, and one therefore pays for material and +labor alone, and competition has reduced these to the lowest terms, the +purchaser is certain to get the worth of his money when he pays a higher +price for durable material and honest workmanship. When it is further +recalled that our chief heirlooms from the former generations are tables +and chairs and bureaus, it will appear that it is our duty to hand down +to our children furniture of similar durability and honest quality. +Therefore, money spent for good furniture may be considered as a +permanent investment whose returns are comfort and satisfaction in +the present, and loving remembrance in the days to come. + +So often is the artistic beauty of a house destroyed by a bad selection +and arrangement of furniture and choice of inharmonious decorations, +that many architects are coming to advise, and even dictate, the style +of everything that goes into the house. Thus Colonial furniture is +prescribed for a residence in Colonial style, Mission furniture for +Mission architecture, etc. There is a corresponding movement among +makers of artistic furniture to plan houses suited to their particular +styles. Thus "Craftsman" houses and "Craftsman" furniture are designed +by the same business interest. + +Since, however, the average American home is something of a composite +in architectural design, the housekeeper may be permitted to exercise +her taste in making selections from the infinite variety of styles +of furniture that are offered her by the manufacturers of the country. +It is advisable, however, that the furniture in each room be in harmony. + +Let us briefly examine the articles of furniture and styles of +decoration appropriate for the several rooms. + +The hall, now often the smallest, most ill-considered part of the house, +was once its chief glory. In the old days in England, and, indeed, +in America, the word was used as synonymous with the mansion, as +Bracebridge Hall, Haddon Hall, etc. It was the largest apartment, +the center of family and social life. Here the inmates and their guests +feasted and danced and sang. Gradually it was divided off into rooms for +specific purposes, until now in general practice it has narrowed down +to a mere vestibule or entrance to the other rooms, with only those +articles of furniture in it which are useful to the one coming in or +going out of the house, combination stands with mirror, pins for hanging +up hats and overcoats, umbrella holder, a chair or so, or a settee for +the guest awaiting reception, etc. Often the chair or settee is of the +most uncomfortable design, conspiring with the narrow quarters to make +the visitor's impression of the house and its inmates a very +disagreeable one. If space is lacking to make the hall a comfortable and +pleasing room, it should be abolished, and the visitor, if a social one, +taken at once to the parlor, and if a business one, to the living-room. + +Where, however, size permits it, the hall should be made the most +attractive part of the house. Here is the proper place for a +"Grandfather's Clock," a rug or so of artistic design, and a jardiniere +holding growing plants or flowers. The wallpaper should be simple and +dignified in design, but of cheerful tone. Some shade of red is always +appropriate. Remember in choosing decorations that the colors of the +spectrum--violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red--run the +gamut of emotive influence from depression to exhilaration. Violet +and indigo lower the spirits, blue and green hold them in peaceful +equilibrium, yellow begins to cheer them, and orange and red excite them. + +However, the color scheme of a hall is largely dependent upon the +wood-finish, because of the amount of this shown in the stairs. + +Dark red is a very suitable color for the stair-carpet. The best way to +fasten this is by a recent invisible contrivance which goes underneath +the material. Brass rods are ornamental, rather too much so, and carpet +tacks are provoking, both in putting down and taking up the carpet. + +Where the hall and stairway are wide and room-like, pictures should be +hung on the walls, interesting in subject and cheerful in decorative +tone. The presence of the stairway, especially if this is broken by a +landing, permits quite a variety of arrangement. The line of ascent +should be followed only approximately. Remember that it is a fundamental +law of art always to suggest a set idea, but never to follow it; to have +a rule in mind, and then play about it rather than strictly pursue it. +Art is free and frolicking. It gambols along the straight path of +utility, following the scent of airy suggestion into outlying fields +and by-paths, but always keeping the general direction of the path. + +The parlor, when this is not combined with the hall, should be furnished +and decorated according to the chief use the family intend to make of +it. If they are given to formal entertainment, the color scheme may be +in "high key," that is, a combination of white with either gold, rose, +or green, any of which forms a bright setting for gay evening costumes. +But this decoration is not advisable in the case of the average American +home, since it is too fine and frivolous for the reception of neighbors +in ordinary dress. A quieter, more dignified color-scheme should be +adopted; such as golden brown, with subdued decorations for the wall, +and ecru-colored lace curtains for the windows. The floor may be of +hardwood, in which case a few medium-sized Oriental rugs should be +placed on the floor. It is not essential that these "match" the +wallpaper, for they are of the nature of artistic household treasures, +and so rise autocratically above the necessity of conformity. Where they +are chosen with a view to the color scheme, it is advisable to make them +the means of transition from the hall. If this is decorated in dark red, +the rugs leading from it into the parlor may shade off from this into +more golden tones. The design of the rugs should be unobtrusive. The +homemaker should not feel that Oriental rugs are too expensive for +consideration. Every once in a while their is a glut of them in the +market, owing to an extensive importation, when they can be purchased +at a price which will always insure the owner getting his money back +if at any time he wishes to dispose of them. But the purchaser should +be certain that the bargains offered are real ones, for rug-stores, +like trunk-stores, always seem to be selling out "at a sacrifice." +All Oriental rugs are well made, and, with proper usage, will last for +generations, even enhancing in value. Therefore, they are always safe +investments. Oriental rug-dealers repair rugs at a fair price for the +time spent in doing so. + +Since the floor space of a room with rugs in it is about two-thirds +bare, the rugs will often not exceed the cost of a good carpet. + +Hard woods take best a finish in brown or green, that gives an impress +of natural texture impossible to secure by paint. Hardwood floors should +be polished at least once a week with floor-wax, a simple compound of +beeswax and turpentine, which can be made at home, or bought at the +stores. This is useful for polishing any floor or woodwork. When the +floor is not of hardwood, it may be stained. All varieties of stains +are sold, the most durable, though the most expensive being the +old-fashioned oil oak-stain. For the parlor and other floors, and +corridors, stairways, etc., that do not get much wear, as well as for +hardwood work in general, varnishing saves time and labor in cleaning. + +For proper staining, the wood should be thoroughly scrubbed with soap +and water; then, when dry, brushed over with hot size. Use concentrated +size, a dry powder, rather than that in jelly form, as it is more +convenient. It is dissolved and should be applied with a broad +paint-brush. The application should be very rapid to prevent congealing +and setting in lumps on the boards; accordingly the bowl containing +the size should be set in boiling water until it is thoroughly liquid, +and kept in this condition. The number of coats must depend upon the +absorbent nature of the boards. One coat must be allowed to dry +thoroughly before another is applied. Over night is a sufficient +time for this. Varnishing also should be done rapidly to prevent +dust settling on it. It is best done in a warm room, without draughts. +Do not use stains ready-mixed with varnish, as these do not last as long, +nor look so well as pure stains varnished after application. When the +boards are in bad condition they should be first sandpapered. Cracks +should be filled with wedges of wood hammered in and planed smooth. +They can also be filled with thin paper torn up, mixed with hot starch +and beaten to a pulp. This can be pressed into the cracks with a +glazier's knife. The use of putty or plaster of Paris for this purpose +is not so satisfactory as these methods. + +For sleeping-rooms and living-rooms, which for sanitary reasons it +is advisable to scrub, the stain should be left unvarnished. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +FURNITURE AND DECORATION + +The Carpet Square--Furniture for the Parlor--Parlor Decoration--The +Piano--The Library--Arrangement of Books--The "Den"--The Living-room--The +Dining-room--Bedrooms--How to Make a Bed--The Guest Chamber--Window +Shades and Blinds. + + +Housekeepers often prefer carpets to bare floors, and rugs for the +reason that they "show the dirt" less. It is for this very reason that +bare floors are best. Dirt is something to remove rather than conceal, +and bare floors and rugs are more easily cleaned than carpets. + +Covering the entire floor with plain filling, as a base for rugs, is an +alternative for either hardwood or stained floors. It should be in the +deeper tone of the color employed as a main part of the room's decoration. + +When carpets are used, those in the hall, parlor, and dining-room should +not be fitted into the corners, but a space should intervene between +their edges and the walls. This may be filled with wood-carpetry, which, +like all devices which suggest continuation of fine material through +unseen parts, gives an air of art and elegance at comparatively little +expense. Otherwise the floor, if hardwood, should be finished; if of +other wood, stained and varnished. The carpet square is kept in position +with brass-headed pins sold for the purpose. + +Articles of furniture which are suitable for a parlor used chiefly as +a reception room are light side chairs, and a settee, cane-seated with +dark frames, or willow chairs, and settee, stained a dark hue, and +brightened up with pretty cushions. These are not dear, so a little +extra expense may be incurred in buying the parlor-table, which should +be graceful in design and of rich dark wood, preferably mahogany, or in +mahogany finish. A small table, of similar design and finish, should +serve for afternoon tea, and a pretty desk stand near a window, with +writing materials for the use of guests. There should be a clock upon +the mantelpiece, and a few other articles of vertu, such as a vase or +so, a bronze statuette, etc., all harmonized by the common possession +of artistic elegance. + +The pictures in the parlor should possess evident artistic merit. There +should be no suggestion of amateurishness. Family attempts at drawing or +painting, crayon portraits, etc., all photographs, with the exception of +those intended as artistic studies, should be excluded from the walls. +If good originals by capable artists are not obtainable, fine engravings, +etchings, and even colored copies of noted pictures may take their place. + +A few books, well bound and with contents worthy of the binding, should +lie on the parlor table, with a late magazine or so, for the entertainment +of the waiting guest. There should be fresh flowers arranged in pretty +bowls to add their impress of cheerfulness and beauty to the room. + +In most American homes the parlor is also the music room. Since a piano +should be chosen for quality rather than appearance, an instrument of +any finish is allowable in a room, whatever its decorative scheme. +Except in a family containing an expert performer, a piano should be +chosen for softness and richness of tone, instead of brilliancy. For +most households the old cottage organ is a more practicable instrument +than the "concert grand" often found in a small parlor, where its +piercing notes, especially in combination with operatic singing, are +so confined that tones and overtones, which should assist each other, +mingle in jarring confusion. Indeed, when the parlor is large and high, +a genuine pipe-organ built in a recess and harmonizing in finish with +the woodwork of the room is not only the finest decoration possible, but +the most appropriate musical instrument. Those families who possess an +old-fashioned piano, such as thin and tinkly "square," are advised to +have it overhauled and refinished by a competent piano-repairer, and +preserved, if only for practice by the children. In case such an +instrument has "overstrung" wires, it can be restored to a tone that +is better than that of the usual upright piano. + +The parlor that is put to family use is usually the best room to fit up +for a library. In this case the form-and-color scheme of furnishing and +decoration should differ entirely from that when the room is used only +for the reception of guests. The furniture should be heavier and larger, +indicating utility, and its finish, as also that of the walls, floor and +woodwork, in deep shades of the more restful colors of the spectrum. +Sage-green is a good color for the parlor-library. The furniture may be +of this or even darker hue. There is no better style of furniture for +the library than the Mission, made comfortable by leather cushions. +If leather is thought too expensive, there are fair substitutes for it in +such materials as pantasote. But leather should be procured if possible. +It looks better and wears longer, and even when shabby keeps its +respectability. With the Mission furniture may be mingled an +old-fashioned upholstered chair or so, such as a large "Sleepy Hollow." +A Morris chair is almost as comfortable as this, and perhaps upholds the +dignity of the room a little better, though it does not give the same +suggestion of "hominess." An old-fashioned sofa, wide-seated, and +designed to be lain upon, should be placed in the room with its head +toward the light, so that the occupant may read while reclining upon it. +In almost every old house there is a horse-hair sofa, either put away in +the attic or even in use, which can be reupholstered to fit the +color-scheme of the room. + +Books naturally form the chief ornament of the library. It is a mistake +to give them an elaborate casing. The simplest form is the best; the +shelves should run up evenly from the floor to a more or less ornamental +and somewhat projecting top, terminating several feet from the ceiling. +On this top a bust or so of an author may be appropriately placed, or +copies of an ancient statue, and on the wall above, between the cases of +shelves, may hang a few pictures, not necessarily bookish in suggestion, +but reposeful in subject and tone, such as landscapes and marines. + +A writing desk of comfortable size, with its chair, is essential in +every library. It should be as far away as possible from the type of +the modern business desk, and therefore an old-fashioned article with +a sloping top, which, when let down, serves for the writing board, +is an ideal form. Manufacturers continue to make these desks for home +purposes. + +The library table should be large and simple. One that is oval in shape +is the best for the family to gather about, and therefore gives the most +homelike appearance. The illumination of the library should center +either upon this table, if a lamp is used, or above it, if gas or +electric light. The desk should have a side-light of its own. + +Modern library conveniences are presented in so handy and presentable +shapes that the room may be perfectly equipped as a literary workshop +without crowding it, or detracting from its appearance. A dictionary +holder (wooden, not wire), a revolving bookcase for other works of +reference, and a card index of the library may complete the equipment. +It will be well to utilize one or more of the drawers of the desk as +a file for clippings. These should be kept in stout manila envelopes, +slightly less in size than the width and height of the drawer, and with +the names of subjects contained, and arranged in alphabetical order. + +The carpet should be plain in design, and underlaid with padding. The +curtains should be of heavier and darker stuff than those in the parlor, +and easily adjusted to admit the light. + +The library and living room are generally next each other, and so each +may and should have a fireplace in the common chimney. That of the +library should be of severer design; that of the living-room more +homelike. Dutch tiles, with pictures that interest children, are +specially appropriate for the latter. + +Where the father of the family demands a "den" for reading and smoking, +this may be a small room on the same general order as the library, but +with an emphasis on comfort. Thus, the sofa should be replaced by a wide +divan, which may also serve on occasion as a sleeping-place. The Turkish +style of furnishing is the customary one; the Japanese style being a fad +that came in with the aesthetic craze, was carried to an uncomfortable +excess, and has gone out of fashion. The most appropriate style for an +American house is American Indian. The brilliant and strikingly designed +Navajo blankets may be used for both rugs and couch covers, or hung up +as wall-ornaments. Moqui basketware serves equally well for useful +purposes, such as scrap-baskets, and for ornamentation. The pottery of +the Pueblo Indians, being naive and primitive in design, is much more +intimate and therefore appropriate than the Japanese bric-a-brac which +it replaces. + +The living-room is the heart of the house, and everything in it should +be of a nature to collect loving associations. Almost any style of +furniture is admissible into it, if only it is comfortable. There should +be rocking-chairs, for the woman and the neighbors who drop in to see +her, other chairs stout enough for a man to tip back upon the hind legs, +and little chairs, or a little settee by the fireplace, for the +children. The mother's desk should stand here, plainer than the one in +the library, but of design similar to it; there should be a sofa as +comfortable as the library one, to which the mother should have the +first right. The paper should be cheerful in its tone and with a +definite design. This will become endeared by association with home to +the children, and the mother should be slow to replace it. The window +draperies may be home-made, such as of rough-finished silk or +embroidered canvas, and the floor covered with a thick rag-carpet, +preferably of a nondescript or "hit-and-miss" design. If the housekeeper +thinks that this is "hominess" carried to excess, she may cover the +floor with an ingrain carpet, or better, plain filling of a medium +shade, on which a few rag rugs are laid, light in color. Very artistic +carpets and rugs are made out of old carpets and sold at reasonable +figures, and there still remain in some small towns throughout the +country weavers who weave into carpets the carpet-rags sewn together +by housewives for the price of their labor alone. + +There is a reason additional to its economy why this practice should not +die out. The tearing up into strips of old garments, and the tacking of +their ends together with needle and thread is work eminently suited for +children, and one in which they take great pride, as it gives them a +share in the creation of a useful and beautiful household article. + +The dining-room should be decorated in accordance with the quantity of +daylight it receives. It should be, if possible, a light room, with +preferably the morning sun. In this case, it is properly furnished and +decorated in dark tones, on the order of the library; if the room is +dark, the furniture, wood-finish, and wall-paper should be warm and +light in feeling. The housekeeper has a wide variety of sets of dining +table and chairs to choose from. Whatever she selects should be +distinguished by the quality of dignity. Here is the one room in the +house where formality is thoroughly in place; it is at table where bad +manners are wont most to show themselves among children, and laxity in +etiquette among their parents. Just as the exclusive use of the room +for eating purposes saves labor in housework, so will its dignity in +decoration aid in enforcing the mother's teaching of good habits to +the children. + +Here, if anywhere in the house, plain wall-paper should be used, since +the chief decorations are the china closet, cabinet and sideboard. + +The dining-room ought not to have a fire-place or stove if other means +of heating it are available, since heat, like food, should be equally +distributed to those at table. Preference in seating should be a matter +of honor rather than of material advantage. + +Comfort and cleanliness are the qualities which condition the equipment +and decoration of the bed-room. When one considers that a third of a +man's life is spent in bed, it will be seen how exceedingly important +is the selection of this article of furniture. The essential parts of +a good bed are spring and mattress, and no expense should be spared here +in securing the best. The frame, which though the ornamental part is the +least essential, is a matter of indifferent consideration. There is no +better kind of a bedstead than an iron or brass one, because of +cleanliness and strength and the ease with which it may be taken apart +and put together again. The pillows deserve almost equal consideration +with the mattress. Since the feathers used in stuffing pillows may be +cleaned, it is economical to see that these are of the best quality. +Bed clothing is often selected under the mistaken impression that weight +is synonymous with warmth, and heavy quilted comforts are chosen instead +of lighter, woolen blankets. The pure woolen blanket is the ideal +bed-covering and in various degrees of thickness may serve for all of +the bed clothes save the sheets, and the light white coverlet, which +is placed over all merely for appearance. + +With increasing attention paid to hygiene, single beds rather than +double are coming into favor. Even where two people occupy the same room +they will be more comfortable in different beds. It is a mistake for +young people and infants to sleep with older people, or for those who +are well and strong with sickly or delicate persons, as there is apt to +be a loss of vitality to the more vigorous party. + +Everything connected with the bed should be regularly and thoroughly +sunned and aired. The occupant on rising should throw back the +bed-clothes over the foot of the bed, or, indeed, take them off and hang +them over a chair in the sunlight. + +The first thing in making a bed should be to turn the mattress. The +lower sheet is then put on right side up and with the large end at the +top. This is tucked in carefully all around, then the covering sheet is +put on with the large end at the top, but the right side under. This is +tucked in only at the foot in order to permit the bed to be easily +entered. Over these the blankets are placed and folded back at the head +under the fold of the upper sheet. Pillow-shams should never be used, +as ornamentation on a bed is not necessary, and if it were a sham is +never an ornament. + +The walls of bedrooms may very properly be painted, as also the floors, +to permit scrubbing, especially after the illness of an occupant. +If papered, a chintz pattern is preferable; cretonne of similar design +should then be used for furniture slips, etc. The woodwork may be white, +with the chairs to match. There should be washable cotton rag-rugs, +loosely woven to be grateful to the bare feet, at the bedside and in +front of the bureau, dressing-table and doorway. Where space is limited, +a combined bureau and dressing-table, or even a chiffonier with a +mirror, may be used. + +A child's bedroom may very appropriately have a wall-paper of a design +intended to interest it, such as representations of animals, scenes from +Mother Goose, etc. This is also suitable for the nursery. + +The guest-room has come to be the _chambre de luxe_ of the house, +the place in which every conceivable article is introduced that might be +required by the visitor, all being of expensive quality. Probably it is +best to conform to this practice, since it is an expected thing, but +money spent on the guest-room beyond that necessary to make it simply +the best bedroom in the house, brings smaller returns in usage than +anywhere else. The average guest is more pleased with a room such as he +sleeps in himself at home, than with one where elegance seems too fine +for use. It was a plainsman, who, being lodged in such a room on a visit +to civilization, slept on the floor rather than touch the immaculate +pillow-shams and bed-cover, which he conceived to be parts of the bed +clothing not designed for use. + +The window-shades of a house, since they show without, should be uniform +in color, and no attempt be made to suit the individual decoration of a +room to them. The material should be plain Holland, white or buff when +there are outside blinds, otherwise green or blue. In recent years +shutters, or outside blinds, have come somewhat into disuse. This is, +on the whole, perhaps an improvement, for they are rarely manipulated +with judgment, being either left open or kept shut for continuous periods. +In the latter case they darken rooms which, though unused, would have been +better for the admission of sunlight. The reason for this lack of +manipulation is that they are opened and fastened with difficulty from +the inside. All the purpose of the outside blinds is served by inside +blinds, which are much more easily operated, and lend themselves +admirably to decoration. One form of these, known as Venetian blinds, +consisting of parallel wooden slats, strung on tapes, is coming again +into vogue. They are cheaper than the usual sort of blinds, and are very +durable as well as artistic. After all, however, shades are the most +practical form of modulating the entrance of light into a house. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE MOTHER + +Nursing the Child--The Mother's Diet--Weaning--The Nursing-bottle--Milk +for the Baby--Graduated Approach to Solid Diet--The Baby's Table +Manners--His Bath--Cleansing His Eyes and Nose--Relief of Colic--Care +of the Diaper. + + But one upon earth is more beautiful and better than the wife--that is + the mother.--L. SCHEFER. + + +Tennyson says, "The bearing and the training of a child is woman's +wisdom." Herein nature is ever urging her to the proper course. Thus the +love of the newborn infant prompts the mother to feed him with her own +milk, and this supplies exactly the elements he requires for healthy +development. No other milk, however skillfully modulated, no "infant's +food," however scientifically prepared, can fully take its place. + +Unless illness prevents her from feeding her own child, or she is of a +moody and unhappy disposition, it is the mother's place to give her +breast to the infant. The condition of mind of the mother has a great +deal to do with the quality of the milk. A despondent and excitable +temperament is often more productive of harm than a low physical +condition. It is hardly necessary to warn the mother to be careful +of her diet, as this has immediate effect on the quality of the milk. +Of course, any drink containing alcohol must be avoided. Tea and coffee, +except when taken in weak strength, have also a deleterious effect. Milk, +and next to it, cocoa, are the best beverages for the mother. Mothers +should also avoid taking medicine except when positively required. + +There is no need for the mother to vary greatly her solid diet. She +will naturally select that which is most nutritious and easily digested. +Anything that tends to make her costive, such as fruits or green +vegetables, should be partaken of with discrimination. + +The baby should be fed with systematic regularity from the beginning. +While a child does not need food for the first day after birth, +nevertheless it is well to put it to the breast about six hours after +birth, since for the first few days after child-birth the breasts +secrete a laxative element which acts as a sort of physic upon the +child, clearing its bowels of a black, tarry substance, that fills them. +The full supply of normal milk comes after the third day. After the +first feeding the baby should be put to the breast every four hours for +the first day and after that every two hours, being kept there about +twenty minutes each time. The mother should be watchful and see that +the child is awake and is nursing. Even at this early age it can be +compelled to learn a good habit. Unless it learns this habit, the mother +will be put to great inconvenience and the baby will suffer because of +the disarrangement of the systematic feeding. If he is allowed to nurse +at his own pleasure, the results will quickly make themselves manifest +in the form of colic, leading to wakefulness and bad temper. + +A baby should not remain awake more than four hours in the day on the +whole, and he should be so trained that the eight hours from ten o'clock +at night to six in the morning, when his mother is sleeping, should be +for him also an uninterrupted period of slumber. + +The baby should be weaned at ten months unless he is unwell at the time +or the weaning comes in the heat of the summer, when there is danger of +his becoming sickly or peevish. Preparatory to weaning, the baby should +be accustomed to the bottle. Provided the bottle holds half a pint or +four glasses, the number of bottles may be increased from one a day at +four months to two or six at eight months. The baby should certainly be +weaned by the time it is a year old, as, even though the mother +continues to have a plentiful supply of milk, this is not suited to his +needs at this stage of his physical development. By this method of +approach the act of permanently refusing the breast to the child will +not greatly offend him. After a little crying he will philosophically +accept the situation and reconcile himself to the substitute. + +Weaning is rendered easier by selecting a nursing-bottle which has the +nipple in the shape of the breast. Care should be taken that the hole in +the nipple is not too large, supplying more milk than the stomach can +take care of as it comes, and so causing stomachic disorder. The nursing +bottle should at all times be kept thoroughly clean by rinsing in hot +water and washing in hot soapsuds. The milk for the child's bottle +should, wherever possible, be what is called "certified," that is, the +milk from a herd of cows which have been declared by the proper +authorities to be all in good health, and which have been milked under +sanitary conditions. This milk is delivered in clean, sealed bottles, +preventing the admission of any dirt or deleterious substance from the +time it leaves the dairy till opened. The milk for the baby should not +be purchased from the can. + +Milk that has been sterilized, that is, bottled and put in boiling water +for an hour, is not so good for the baby as pasteurized milk; that is, +milk kept at something less than the boiling point for half an hour, +since the higher temperature causes the milk to lose some of the +qualities beneficial to the child. + +Since cow's milk differs in its constituents from mother's, having more +fat and less sugar, there will be need at first to modify the cow's +milk, weakening and sweetening it somewhat. One good recipe for +modifying cows' milk is: One part milk, two parts cream, two parts +lime-water, three parts sugar water, the sugar water being made by +putting two even teaspoonfuls of sugar of milk in a pint of water. + +Condensed milk, which is often used as a substitute for cows' milk, +is not nearly so good, since it has lost in the process of condensation +one of the most important elements, that which forms bone tissue. +Accordingly, babies fed upon condensed milk are apt to be "rickety," +and they lack in general power to resist disease, which is primarily +the mark of a baby fed on mother's milk, and to a slightly lesser degree, +one fed upon cows' milk. + +The stomach grows very rapidly during infancy, increasing from a +capacity of one ounce soon after birth to eight ounces at the end of +the year, and this should be taken into account by the increase of the +amount supplied it. After the first week, a baby should increase in +weight at the rate of one pound a month for the first six months. +If he falls behind this rate and remains healthy, more sugar and fat +may be introduced into his milk. If, however, he fails to gain weight +and is sickly, the milk should be diluted and modified so as to make +it easier of digestion. + +Every mother should be warned against a common practice of starting the +flow of milk from the nipple of the bottle by putting it in her mouth. +Gums and teeth are rarely perfectly clean, and so form the favorite +lurking place for disease germs, which, though they may not produce +disease in the stronger body of the adult, may do so and often do so +in the more susceptible physique of the child. + +Just as the child was trained to the bottle while it was still taking +the mother's milk, so it should be taught gradually to eat solids while +it is fed upon the bottle. After the child has been weaned at the tenth +month, he can be fed occasionally on broths or beef juice as a substitute +for one of the milk feedings. The broth is more of a stimulant than a food, +aiding digestion rather than supplying nourishment. + +During the eleventh month, the yolk of a soft boiled egg, mixed with +stale bread crumbs, may be added to the diet, together with a little +orange juice or prune jelly. The latter will tend to keep his bowels free. + +After twelve months, the child may be gradually accustomed to eat stale +bread, biscuit or toast, broken in milk, thoroughly cooked oatmeal and +similar cereals, baked potatoes moistened with broth, mashed potatoes +moistened with gravy, and rice pudding. The pudding is made of two +tablespoonfuls of clean rice, half a teaspoonful of salt, one-third of +a cupful of sugar in five cups of milk. Bake in buttered pudding dish +from two to three hours in slow oven, stirring frequently to prevent +rice from settling. + +At the age of two years and a half the child may be permitted to eat +meat, preferably roast beef or mutton, cooked rare, or minced roast +poultry. + +Even though sugar is a very essential ingredient in the child's diet, +it is very unwise to let it have this outside of its regular diet. Pure +candy does not hurt the child by impairing its digestion so much as by +interfering with its appetite for plain food. The child should never be +allowed to form an inordinate appetite for anything, as this is certain +to cause a corresponding deficiency elsewhere in his diet. + +Even worse than the practice of giving candy to very young children +is that of teaching them to drink tea and coffee. These are pure +stimulants, supplying no tissue-building element, and taking the place +of nutritious beverages that do, such as milk and cocoa. + +After a child is old enough to be permitted to partake with +discrimination of the general food of the table, he should be allowed +to eat with the family. From the beginning he should be taught table +manners, the use of knife and fork and napkin, and the subordination +of his wishes to those of older people. + +Next to feeding the baby properly, the most important duty of the mother +is to see that it is kept clean. Even in its nursing days, after each +feeding, she should rinse its mouth out by a weak boracic acid solution, +since particles of milk may remain there which may become a source of +infection. It is well for similar reason to wash her own breasts with +the solution. + +A baby should be bathed regularly at about the same time each day. +During the first days of a child's life, he should be sponged in a warm +room, with water at blood heat. In removing the garments, the mother +should roll the infant gently from side to side, rather than lift him +bodily. It is well to have a flannel cloth or apron ready to cover the +child when it is being undressed. The baby's face should be washed in +clear water, firmly and thoroughly with a damp cloth, and dried by +patting with the towel. Then soap should be added to the water and the +other parts of the baby's body washed in it; first, the head, ears and +neck, then the arms, one uncovered at a time, then, with the mother's +hand reaching under the cover, the back, during which process the baby +is laid flat on the stomach, then the stomach, and last, the legs, one +at a time, the baby being kept covered by the flannel as much as these +operations permit. + +The eyes of infants are prone to inflammation, and therefore require +special attention in the way of cleansing. This can be done best by the +use of the boracic solution upon a fresh pledget of cotton. Be careful +not to use the same piece of cotton for both eyes, and to burn it after +use. When the nose is stopped with mucous, a similar means can be used +for cleansing it. + +Every mother should study the individual nature and disposition of her +child, in order to know what to do for it when it cries, for a cry may +mean over-feeding as well as under-feeding, colic, or a wet diaper. +Colic is often quickly relieved by turning the baby upon his stomach and +rubbing his back, or by holding him in front of the fire, or wrapping +him in a heated blanket. In drying the baby his comfort will be greatly +increased by the use of talcum powder. Of course, soiled diapers should +not be put on a child again until they are thoroughly washed. It will +save the mother much trouble if absorbent cotton is placed within the +diapers to receive the discharges from the bowels. These should be +afterwards burned. + +Too many clothes is bad for a young baby. If his stomach be well +protected by a flannel band and he is kept from draughts, his other +clothing may be very light, especially in summer. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE MOTHER + +The School-child--Breakfast--Luncheon--Supper--Aiding the Teacher at +Home--Manual Training--Utilizing the Collecting Mania--Physical +Exercise--Intellectual Exercise--Forming the Bath Habit--Teething--Forming +the Toothbrush Habit--Shoes for Children--Dress--Hats. + + +When the child reaches the school-age especial care should be taken of +his diet. He should not be allowed to have meat at breakfast, except a +little bacon with his eggs, one of which may be allowed a school-child +when young, two when older. Well-cooked cereals, such as oatmeal and +cream of wheat, should form the staple article of diet, though these may +be varied by the ready-to-eat breakfast foods, such as corn-flakes. +He should always have either sound fresh fruit, or stewed fruit, to eat +with the cereal. His bread should always be toasted. Muffins are better +for him than pancakes or waffles, which, however, should be allowed him +occasionally as a treat. + +As this kind of a breakfast largely consists of starchy foods, it should +be eaten slowly, as starch requires thorough mastication. The practice +of allowing children to lie late in bed, and then gulp their breakfast +down in a minute or so, in order not to be late to school, is most +pernicious. + +The luncheon put up for school-children may consist chiefly of +sandwiches, preferably several small ones of different kinds, rather +than one or two large ones. Biscuit sandwiches are generally more +palatable to a child than plain bread ones. Besides those made of +cold meat, there should be at least one cheese or one salad-and-nut +sandwich, and one jelly sandwich. A hard-boiled egg, preferably one +that has been cooked for some time in water kept under boiling point, +will vary this diet. Of course fruit, such as an apple, an orange, or +a banana, forms the best dessert. Occasionally cake, gingerbread, +sweet biscuit, or a piece of milk chocolate may be put in the basket +for a pleasant surprise. + +The supper of the school-child while young should be a simple one, +something on the order of the breakfast. In the early days children were +fed at night on hasty pudding, or mush-and-milk, (cornmeal), which is +an ideal food when thoroughly prepared, the meal being slowly sprinkled +into the pot, which was stirred constantly all the while. The North +Italians prepare cornmeal in this fashion; the mush, which they call +"polenta," forms an accompaniment of meat stews, thus affording all the +elements of a "perfect ration." American cooks should employ cornmeal +far more than they do. Mush in particular has the advantage possessed by +King Arthur's bag-pudding, what cannot be eaten at night may be served +"next morning fried." While fried food is, as a rule, not good at +breakfast for any save one who has hard manual labor or physical +exercise to perform, an exception may be made of fried mush and fried +eggs, because their base is so nutritious that the heated fat can do +little to impair their digestibility, while it certainly whets the +appetite before eating, and pleases the palate when the food is in the +mouth. It should be borne in mind that those foods which require much +mastication ought especially to be made palatable in order to be chewed +thoroughly. Therefore, starchy materials ought to be prepared in +appetizing ways; on the other hand, meats, which require less +mastication, may dispense with high seasoning and rich sauces, +especially as they have their own natural flavors. + +The mother should closely follow the work of the child at school and +aid this in every way at home. She should patiently answer his many +questions, except when she is convinced that he is not really in search +of information, but is asking them merely for the sake of asking. +Wherever the child ought to be able to reason out the answer, the mother +should assist him to do so by asking him guiding questions in turn. This +is the method that Socrates, the greatest of teachers and philosophers, +employed with his pupils, and, indeed, with his own children. It is as +useful in inculcating moral lessons as in teaching facts. When one of +the sons of Socrates, Lamprocles, came to him complaining that the +mother, Xanthippe, treated him so hardly that he could not bear it, the +philosopher, by kindly questions, led the boy to acknowledge his great +debt to her for her care of him in infancy and in sickness, and, by +showing the many things Xanthippe had to try her patience, persuaded +him to bear with her and to give her that love which was her due. + +Where manual training is taught in the schools, the mother should give +every opportunity to her children to practice it at home. Where it is +not a part of the school course, parents should study to devise home +substitutes for it, the mother teaching the girls sewing, embroidery, +etc., and the father instructing the boys in carpentry and the like. + +The desire to collect things, which seizes boys and girls at an early +age, should be turned into useful channels by teachers and parents. +Often this valuable instinct is largely wasted, as in the collecting +of postage-stamps, the impulse which it gives to geographical and +historical investigation being grossly perverted--for example a little +island, that once issued a stamp which is now rare, looming larger in +importance than a great country none of the stamps of which have any +special value. + +Every school, or, failing this, every home, should have a museum, not so +much of curiosities as of typical specimens. These may be geological, +botanical, faunal or archaeological; the rocks and soils and clays of +the home country, the flowers of plants and sections of wood of trees; +the skins of animals and birds (taxidermy is a fascinating employment +for the young) eggs and nests (here the child should be taught to be a +naturalist and not a vandal), and Indian arrow-heads and stone-axes. + +In this connection it should be suggested that the most valuable +collection of all is a herbarium of the flowers of literature, specimens +of which may be found in the home library. That a child is not fond of +reading is testimony that his parents no less than his teachers have +failed in their duty. + +Above all, the parents should see that their boys and girls have +facilities for that physical culture which is necessary for health and +proper development. Those exercises which are both recreative and useful +are preferable. Gardening may be made a delight instead of a hardship, +if the child is allowed to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Let him sell +the vegetables he raises to the family, and, if there is an excess, +to the neighbors, for pocket money. He will enjoy purchasing his own +clothing even more than using the money solely for his pleasures. + +Healthful sports should be encouraged, and games, such as chess, that +develops the intellect. There are many card games, such as "Authors," +that impart useful instruction in literature, history, natural science, +business, etc. Playing these in the home is a good thing no less for +parent than child. Many a mother has acquired a well-rounded culture +after her marriage through her determination to "keep ahead of the +children" in their studies and intellectual activities. + +The child should be early accustomed to take cold baths, and then run +about naked in a room under the impulse given by the tingling glow of +reaction. If a play is made of the bath the habit will be formed for +life, and in this way, one of the mother's chief struggles, to make the +children clean themselves, will be abolished. It is natural for a child +to get dirty, and therefore it should be made as habitual an impulse +for them to get clean again. + +Of all such habits, keeping the teeth clean is most important. +Children's teeth are a chief source of anxiety to the mother even +before they make their appearance. + +Troubles in teething are generally due to innutritious and illy-digested +food. Sometimes, however, when the food is all right, the teeth will +still have difficulty in coming through the gums. Whenever the mother +observes that her crying child refuses to bring its gums together on +anything, she should examine them, and, if they are swollen, have them +lanced. + +The "milk-teeth," even though they are temporary, should be looked after +carefully, as their decay will often spread to the coming permanent +teeth. Besides, they should be preserved as long as possible, and in +the best condition, to aid in mastication. Accordingly, young children +should be taught regularly to rinse out their mouths and to use +a tooth-brush and tooth-powder. + +A child should run barefoot as much as conditions and climate permit. +When it wears shoes, these should conform as much as possible to the +shape of the foot. With such footwear, the active child may form for +life the habit of a natural gait, especially if parents will point out +the beauty and advantages of this, and praise the men and women of their +acquaintance who possess it. It is about the time when a girl is +learning _Virgil_ in the High School that she is tempted by vanity +and the desire to be "like the other girls" to put on French heels. +Then it is that the teacher or mother should quote to her the line of +the _Aeneid_ about Venus: + + "The true goddess is shown by her gait," + +and save her from an irreparable folly. + +If mothers will remember that children are not dolls, and that mothers +are not children to take pleasure in bedecking them, they will need no +advice about dressing their little ones. There is only one rule for her +to follow: She should consult the comfort and health of the child, and, +as far as consistent with these, the convenience to herself. It may be +"cute" to dress a child like a miniature man or woman, but it is cruel +to the child. There is no reason for distinguishing sex by dress in +young children. "Jumpers" form the best dress for either a little boy +or little girl in which to play. Even when they are older and a skirt +distinguishes the girl, bloomers or knickerbockers of the same material +beneath, approach the ideal of dress for comfort, health and decency +more nearly than white petticoat and drawers. Indeed, the skirt is best +when it is a part of a blouse, which is also a suitable dress for a boy. +A child should never be tortured with a large or stiff hat. The heads of +children come up to the middles of men and women, and such a hat will be +crushed in a crowd, and its poor little wearer placed in mortal terror. +Indeed, children should be allowed to go bareheaded as much as possible, +and, when they wear hats, have these simple in shape and soft in +material. The plain cap is the best head covering for a boy. The girl's +may be a little more ornamental, especially in color. The universal +seizure by the sex upon the boy's "Tam o'Shanter" as peculiarly suited +for a play and school-hat, is therefore right and proper. For a more +showy style, lingerie hats are justified. But the most beautiful and +appropriate form of the "best hat" for a little girl is one of uniform +material, straw, cloth or felt, with simple crown, and wide, and more or +less soft brim, ornamented by a ribbon alone. The addition of a single +flower may be permitted, though this is like the admission of the +camel's nose into the tent,--it may lead to the entrance of the +hump--the monstrosity of the modern woman's bonnet, which of late years +has by terms imitated a flower garden, a vegetable garden, an orchard, +and, finally, with the Chanticler fad, a poultry-yard. + +The knickerbocker and the short skirt are aesthetic, that is +eye-pleasing, because they mark a natural division of the body at the +knee. There is an artistic justification, therefore, in mothers keeping +their sons out of "long pants" as long as possible, and in fathers (for +it is they who are the chief objectors) in opposing their daughters' +desire to don the dust-sweeping skirt that marks attainment to +womanhood. Here, however, it is proper that the wishes of the younger +generation triumph. It is a social instinct to conform to the custom +of one's fellows, and the children have reached "the age of consent" in +matters of fashion. Their fathers and mothers may lend their influence +to abolish foolish customs, or to modify them in the direction of +wisdom, but it is best that this be in their capacity as citizens, +and not as parents. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +CARE OF THE PERSON + +The Mother's Duty Toward Herself--Her Dress--Etiquette and Good +Manners--The Golden Rule--Pride in Personal Appearance--The Science +of Beauty Culture--Manicuring as a Home Employment--Recipes for Toilet +Preparations--Nail-biting--Fragile Nails--White Spots--Chapped +Hands--Care of the Skin--Facial Massage--Recipes for Skin +Lotions--Treatment of Facial Blemishes and Disorders--Care of the +Hair--Diseases of the Scalp and Hair--Gray Hair--Care of Eyebrows +and Eyelashes. + + + Certainly this is a duty, not a sin. "Cleanliness is indeed next + to godliness."--JOHN WESLEY--_On Dress._ + + +In all her multitudinous concerns the housekeeper should not forget her +duties toward herself. Many a mother in looking out that her children +are a credit to the family in dress and manners and care of their +persons, gives up all thought of standing as an exemplar of these things +among the ladies of the community. This is a sacrifice of self that is +not commendable, since it defeats its purpose. The mother should always +be herself an illustration of the lessons she teaches, else they will +not be seriously considered. + +It is impossible here to give more than a few general suggestions as +to the dress and millinery of the mother. She should have a variety of +simple house-dresses, suited to her various duties, and these should be +kept as neat as possible. Each should be made for its purpose, not +converted to it from one of her fine dresses. Nothing gives an +impression of slatternliness more than the wearing about the house +of a frayed and soiled garment "that has seen better days." + +The best dresses and hats of a woman, even one who goes little "into +society," should also be sufficient in number and varied in style +to suit the changing seasons of the year, and the widely differing +occasions for use which occur in every station of life. The purchase +of several good articles of attire rather than one or two is economical +in the end. There is not only the obvious mathematical reason that, +if one dress wears a year, four dresses must be bought in four years, +whether this is done simultaneously or successively, but there is the +physical reason that a dress, like a person, that has regular periods +of rest, becomes restored in quality. Accordingly, all dresses should +be laid very carefully away when not in use, and the proper means taken +to refresh them. + +Unfortunately the arbitrary and senseless changes in fashion render +this practice hard to follow. No woman likes to look out of style. +However, by a little cleverness garments and hats may be adapted to +the prevailing mode (although the arbiters of fashion, in the interests +of manufacturers, try by violent changes of style to render this +impracticable). These adaptations may not be in the height of fashion, +but they will be in good form and taste. Indeed, it is never good taste +to follow extremes of style. The well-known lines of Pope on the subject +hold true in every age: + + "....in fashions the rule will hold, + Alike fantastic if too new or old; + Be not the first by whom the new are tried, + Nor yet the last to lay the old aside." + + +Some of the best-dressed women in artistic and musical circles design +their clothes wholly to suit their personal appearance, with such +success that their independence of the prevailing mode of large or small +hats or sleeves, striped or checked fabrics, etc., wins universal +admiration. + +Remember that a dress or a hat is never a "creation" in itself. The +wearer must always be considered. Short, stout women should avoid +horizontal stripes or lines of ornamentation that call attention to +breadth, and should choose those perpendicular stripes and lines which +tend to give an impression of height and slenderness. A hat lining may +be used to put rosiness into a pale face, and a color may be selected +for a dress which will neutralize too much redness in the skin. But +these are matters of common knowledge to all women. The trouble is, that +in their desire to be "in style," many women forget, or even +deliberately ignore these fundamental principles of art in dress. +Fondness for a particular color, as a color, causes many women to wear +it, regardless of its relation to their complexion; and there have been +women of mystical mind who, believing that each quality of soul had its +correspondent in a particular hue, wore those colors which they thought +were significant of their chief traits of character--with weird results, +as you may imagine. + +It is unnecessary, in this book of "practical suggestions," to discuss +in detail the question of etiquette, which may be defined as "the +prevailing fashion in social intercourse." Styles in visiting cards +change from year to year, and the social usages of one city differ from +another. If it is required to know these, the latest special work on +etiquette should be procured. + +The general principles of good manners, however, which lie at the basis +of etiquette, just as good morals form the foundation of law, although +there are discrepancies in both cases, may appropriately be presented +here, though briefly. + +Good manners and good morals alike follow the Golden Rule: "Whatsoever +ye would that others should do to you, do ye even so to them." Egotism +and selfishness are the bane of both. True politeness consists in +considering the pleasure of others as a thing in itself, without regard +to your own advantage. If an attention is paid, a gift given, a service +rendered, these should be done solely for the recipient's happiness, +not with a view to his making a return in kind, possibly with interest. +It is good manners to call on people who will be pleased to see you; +not on those whom you wish to see, but to whom you and your affairs are +of no concern. A first visit to a newcomer in town is right and proper. +A stranger is presumed to be desirous of making friends, but the first +call ought to indicate whether or not he and you have that community of +interest which is essential to friendship. If you are the newcomer, it +is your duty to show your appreciation of the attention by returning +first calls, but you should so act that your hosts will feel free to +continue the acquaintance if it will be agreeable to them, or +discontinue it if it is not. Indeed, in every situation you should give +the other party this choice. Friendship is one of the most valuable +forms of social energy, and it should carefully be conserved. Yet more +than any other form it is wasted, because of a false regard for social +conventions. At how many calls are both parties bored! How many +persons--women in particular, who have not the man's freedom in +selecting associates--continue in the treadmill round of an uncongenial +social circle! To escape from this may require the special exercise of +will, and the incurring of criticism, but these ought to be assumed. +However, in most cases, a woman may gradually escape from the +distasteful circle and form new and more congenial friends without +remark. + +After the brightening effects on mind and spirits of social intercourse +comes the advantage of toning up the personal appearance. A decent +self-respect in dress should always be flavored with a touch of pride, +for this is an excellent preservative. To have a proper pride, there +must be the incentive of the presence of other people whose admiration +we may win. Pride in dress is naturally conjoined with the care of the +person. There is an excellent term for this, which, though borrowed from +the stable, carries with it only sweet and wholesome suggestions. It is +"well-groomed." A well-groomed woman is not only a well-gowned woman, +but one who, like a favorite mare, is always spick and span in her +person, and happy in her quiet consciousness of it. And every woman, +whether she possesses a maid or not, indeed, whether she has fine gowns +or not, may win the admiration of all her associates by her "grooming." + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COOKING + +The Prevalence of Good Recipes for All Save Meat Dishes--Increased Cost +of Meat Makes These Desirable--No Need to Save Expense by Giving Up +Meat--The "Government Cook Book"--Value of Meat as Food--Relative +Values and Prices of the Cuts of Meat. + + We may live without poetry, music and art; + We may live without conscience, and live without heart; + We may live without friends; we may live without books; + But civilized man cannot live without cooks. + ("OWEN MEREDITH")--_Lucile_. + + +All the other duties of the housewife are subsidiary to the great +subject of preparing food for the household. The care of the home, the +care of health, etc., all either bear upon this work or require ability +to perform it. + +With decks cleared for action, therefore, we will proceed to discuss the +fundamental principles of cookery, the application of which, in the form +of specific recipes, will follow in a separate chapter. + +In the limited space which can be here devoted to the subject, it +will be assumed that the housewife is a cook, and can follow plain +directions, and that she is familiar with the methods of preparing the +ordinary meals that are universal throughout the country. It will be +also taken for granted that she has one or more general cook books +containing a wide variety of recipes for the making of bread in its +various forms, cakes, pies, omelettes, salads, desserts, etc., and the +discussion will be confined to meats, wherein, owing to advancing +prices, new economical methods of preparation are coming into practice, +based upon a scientific knowledge of food values. + +Vegetarianism and fruitarianism are being adopted by many households, +less as a matter of principle than as a recourse from what are +considered the present prohibitive prices of meats. Now the proper way +to solve a problem is not to evade it, but to face it and conquer it, +and this is eminently true of the meat problem. Granted that the +proportion of family income devoted to food cannot be increased, it is +a fact that, by an intelligent study of the food value of the different +kinds of meat, and of economic ways of preparing them, the expense of +living may be maintained at the former rate, if not, indeed, materially +lessened, with a great increase in both the nutritive value and the +palatability of the family meals. + +The "new nationalism" of America, which, after all, is only the turning +to newer needs of the old nationalism that gave homesteads to the people +and supplied them with improved methods of agriculture, is rightly +taking the lead in the scientific education of the housekeeper in +this household economy. + +With special regard to the requirements of the people in these days of +rising prices, especially of meats, the United States Department of +Agriculture has issued a booklet, prepared by C.F. Langworthy, Ph.D., +and Caroline L. Hunt, A.B., experts in nutrition connected with the +Department, which gives authoritative information about the cheaper cuts +of meat and the preparation of inexpensive meat dishes. This has become +generally known as "The Government Cook Book." By the permission of the +Department we here present portions of the information it contains, +together with those recipes which best illustrate the principles of meat +cookery for the home table. + + +VALUE OF MEAT AS FOOD + +Considering the fact that meat forms such an important part of the diet, +and the further fact that the price of meat, as of other foods, has +advanced in recent years, it is natural for housekeepers to seek more +economical methods of preparing meat for the table, and to turn their +thoughts toward the less expensive cuts and ask what economy is involved +in their use, how they may be prepared, and whether the less expensive +dishes are as nutritious and as thoroughly and easily digested as the +costlier ones. + +The value of meat as food depends chiefly on the presence of two classes +of nutrients, (1) protein or nitrogenous compounds, and (2) fat. The +mineral matter it contains, particularly the phosphorus compounds, is +also of much importance, though it is small in quantity. Protein is +essential for the construction and maintenance of the body, and both +protein and fat yield energy for muscular power and for keeping up the +temperature of the body. Fat is especially important as a source of +energy. It is possible to combine the fat and protein of animal foods +so as to meet the requirements of the body with such materials only, and +this is done in the Arctic regions, where vegetable food is lacking; but +in general it is considered that diet is better and more wholesome when, +in addition to animal foods, such as meat, which is rich in proteins and +fats, it contains vegetable foods, which are richest in sugar, starch, +and other carbohydrates. Both animal and vegetable foods supply the +mineral substances which are essential to body growth and development. + +The difference between the various cuts of meat consists chiefly in +amount of fat and consequently in the fuel value to the body. So far as +the proteins are concerned, i.e., the substances which build and repair +the important tissues of the body, very little difference is found. + +This general uniformity in proportion of protein makes it easy for the +housekeeper who does not wish to enter into the complexities of food +values to make sure that her family is getting enough of this nutrient. +From the investigations carried on in the Office of Experiment Stations +the conclusion has been drawn that of the total amount of protein needed +every day, which is usually estimated to be 100 grams or 3-1/2 ounces, +one-half or 50 grams is taken in the form of animal food, which of +course includes milk, eggs, poultry, fish, etc., as well as meat. The +remainder is taken in the form of bread and other cereal foods and beans +and other vegetables. The portion of cooked meat which may be referred +to as an ordinary "helping," 3 to 5 ounces (equivalent to 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 +ounces of raw meat), may be considered to contain some 19 to 29 grams of +protein, or approximately half of the amount which is ordinarily secured +from animal food. An egg or a glass of milk contains about 8 grams more, +so the housekeeper who gives each adult member of her family a helping +of meat each day and eggs, milk, or cheese, together with the puddings +or other dishes which contain eggs and milk, can feel sure that she is +supplying sufficient protein, for the remainder necessary will be +supplied by bread, cereals, and other vegetable food. + +The nutrition investigations of the Office of Experiment Stations show +also that there is practically no difference between the various cuts +of meat or the meats from different animals with respect to either the +thoroughness or the ease with which they are digested. Therefore, those +who wish to use the cheaper cuts need not feel that in so doing their +families are less well nourished than by the more expensive meats. + + +RELATIVE VALUES AND PRICES OF THE CUTS OF MEAT + +The relative retail prices of the various cuts usually bear a direct +relation to the favor with which they are regarded by the majority of +persons, the juicy tender cuts of good flavor selling for the higher +prices. When porterhouse steak sells for 25 cents a pound, it may be +assumed that in town or village markets round steak would ordinarily +sell for about 15 cents, and chuck ribs, one of the best cuts of the +forequarter, for 10 cents. This makes it appear that the chuck ribs +are less than half as expensive as porterhouse steak and two-thirds as +expensive as the round. But apparent economy is not always real economy, +and in this case the bones in the three cuts should be taken into +account. Of the chuck ribs, more than one-half is bone or other +materials usually classed under the head of "waste" or "refuse." +Of the round, one-twelfth is waste, and of the porterhouse one-eighth. +In buying the chuck, then, the housewife gets, at the prices assumed, +less than one-half pound of food for 10 cents, making the net price +of the edible portion 22 cents a pound; in buying round, she gets +eleven-twelfths of a pound for 15 cents, making the net value about 16-1/2 +cents; in buying porterhouse, she gets seven-eighths of a pound for +25 cents, making the net value about 28-1/2 cents a pound. The relative +prices, therefore, of the edible portions are 22, 16-1/2, and 28-1/2 +cents; or to put it in a different way, a dollar at the prices assumed +will buy 4-1/2 pounds of solid meat from the cut, known as chuck, 6 +pounds of such meat from the round, and only 3-1/2 pounds of such meat +from the porterhouse. To this should be added the fact that because of +the way in which porterhouse is usually cooked no nutriment is obtained +from the bone, while by the long slow process by which the cheaper cuts, +except when they are broiled or fried, are prepared the gelatin, fat, +and flavoring material of the bone are extracted. The bones of meats +that are cooked in water, therefore, are in a sense not all refuse, +for they contain some food which may be secured by proper cookery. + +It is true, of course, that the bones of the steaks may be used for soup +making, and that the nourishment may thus be utilized, but this must be +done by a separate process from that of cooking the steak itself. + + +TEXTURE AND FLAVOR OF MEAT + +Although meats vary greatly in the amount of fat which they contain and +to a much less degree in their protein content, the chief difference to +be noted between the cheaper and more expensive cuts is not so much in +their nutritive value as in their texture and flavor. All muscle +consists of tiny fibers which are tender in young animals and in those +parts of older animals in which there has been little muscular strain. +Under the backbone in the hind quarter is the place from which the +tenderest meat comes. This is usually called the tenderloin. Sometimes +in beef and also in pork it is taken out whole and sometimes it is left +to be cut up with the rest of the loin. In old animals, and in those +parts of the body where there has been much muscular action, the neck +and the legs for example, the muscle fibers are tough and hard. But +there is another point which is of even greater importance than this. +The fibers of all muscle are bound together in bundles and in groups +of bundles by a thin membrane which is known as connective tissue. This +membrane, if heated in water or steam, is converted into gelatin. The +process goes quickly if the meat is young and tender; more slowly if it +is tough. Connective tissue is also soluble in acetic acid, that acid to +which the sourness of vinegar is due. For this reason it is possible to +make meat more tender by soaking it in vinegar or in vinegar and water, +the proportions of the two depending on the strength of the vinegar. +Sour beef or "sauer fleisch," as it is known to Germans, is a palatable +dish of this sort. Since vinegar is a preservative this suggests a +method by which a surplus of beef may be kept for several days and then +converted into a palatable dish. + +Flavor in meat depends mainly on certain nitrogenous substances which +are called extractives because they can be dissolved out or "extracted" +by soaking the meat in cold water. The quality of the extractives and +the resulting flavor of the meat vary with the condition of the animal +and in different parts of its body. They are usually considered better +developed in older than in very young animals. Many persons suppose +extractives or the flavor they cause are best in the most expensive cuts +of meat; in reality, cuts on the side of beef are often of better flavor +than tender cuts, but owing to the difficulty of mastication this fact +is frequently not detected. The extractives have little or no nutritive +value in themselves, but they are of great importance in causing the +secretion of digestive juices at the proper time, in the right amount, +and of the right chemical character. It is this quality which justifies +the taking of soup at the beginning of a meal and the giving of broths, +meat extracts, and similar preparations to invalids and weak persons. +These foods have little nutritive material in themselves, but they are +great aids to the digestion of other foods. + +The amount of the extractives which will be brought out into the water +when meat is boiled depends upon the size of the pieces into which the +meat is cut and on the length of time they are soaked in cold water +before being heated. A good way to hinder the escape of the flavoring +matter is to sear the surface of the meat quickly by heating it in fat, +or the same end may be attained by plunging it into boiling water. Such +solubility is taken advantage of in making beef tea at home and in the +manufacture of meat extract, the extracted material being finally +concentrated by evaporating the water. + + +GENERAL METHODS OF COOKING MEAT + +The advantages of variety in the methods of preparing and serving are to +be considered even more seriously in the cooking of the cheaper cuts +than in the cooking of the more expensive ones, and yet even in this +connection it is a mistake to lose sight of the fact that, though there +is a great variety of dishes, the processes involved are few in number. + +An experienced teacher of cooking, a woman who has made very valuable +contributions to the art of cookery by showing that most of the numerous +processes outlined and elaborately described in the cook books can be +classified under a very few heads, says that she tries "to reduce the +cooking of meat to its lowest terms and teach only three ways of +cooking. The first is the application of intense heat to keep in the +juices. This is suitable only for portions of clear meat where the +fibers are tender. By the second method the meats are put in cold water +and cooked at a low temperature. This is suitable for bone, gristle, +and the toughest portions of the meat which for this purpose should +be divided into small bits. The third is a combination of these two +processes and consists of searing and then stewing the meat. This is +suitable for halfway cuts, i. e., those that are neither tender nor very +tough." The many varieties of meat dishes are usually only a matter of +flavor and garnish. + +In other words, of the three processes the first is the short method; +it aims to keep all the juices within the meat. The second is a very long +method employed for the purpose of getting all or most of the juices +out. The third is a combination of the two not so long as the second and +yet requiring so much time that there is danger of the meat being +rendered tasteless unless certain precautions are taken, such as searing +in hot fat or plunging into boiling water. + +There is a wide difference between exterior and interior cuts of meat +with respect to tenderness induced by cooking. When beef flank is cooked +by boiling for two hours, the toughness of the fibers greatly increases +during the first half hour of the cooking period, and then diminishes so +that at the end of the cooking period the meat is found to be in about +the same condition with respect to toughness or tenderness of the fibers +as at the beginning. On the other hand, in case of the tenderloin, there +is a decrease in toughness of the fibers throughout the cooking period +which is particularly marked in the first few minutes of cooking, and at +the end of the cooking period the meat fibers are only half as tough as +before cooking. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COOKING + +Texture and Flavor of Meat--General Methods of Cooking Meat--Economies +in Use of Meat. + + +A good idea of the changes which take place while meat is being cooked +can be obtained by examining a piece of flesh which has been "cooked to +pieces," as the saying goes. In this the muscular fibers may be seen +completely separated one from another, showing that the connective +tissue has been destroyed. It is also evident that the fibers themselves +are of different texture from those in the raw meat. In preparing meat +for the table it is usual to stop short of the point of disintegration, +but while the long process of cooking is going on the connective tissue +is gradually softening and the fibers are gradually changing in texture. +The former is the thing to be especially desired, but the latter is not. +For this reason it is necessary to keep the temperature below the +boiling point and as low as is consistent with thorough cooking, for +cooks seem agreed, as the result of experience shows, that slow gentle +cooking results in better texture than is the case when meat is boiled +rapidly. This is the philosophy that lies back of the simmering process. + +Losses of elements vary considerably with the method of cooking +employed, being of course greatest where small pieces of meat are +subjected to prolonged cooking. The chief loss in weight when meat is +cooked is due to the driving off of water. When beef is cooked by pan +broiling--that is, searing in a hot, greased pan, a common cooking +process--no great loss of nutrition results, particularly if the fat and +other substances adhering to the pan are utilized in the preparation of +gravy. When beef is cooked by boiling, there is a loss of 3 to 20 per +cent. of material present, though this is not an actual loss if the +broth is utilized for soup or in some similar way. Even in the case of +meat which is used for the preparation of beef tea or broth, the losses +of nutritive material are apparently small though much of the flavoring +matter has been removed. The amount of fat found in broth varies +directly with the amount originally present in the meat; the fatter the +meat the greater the quantity of fat in the broth. The loss of water +in cooking varies inversely with the fatness of the meat; that is, +the fatter the meat the smaller the shrinkage due to loss of water. +In cooked meat the loss of various constituents is inversely proportional +to the size of the cut. In other words, the smaller the piece of meat +the greater the percentage of loss. Loss also appears to be dependent +somewhat upon the length of time the cooking is continued. When pieces +of meat weighing 1-1/2 to 5 pounds are cooked in water somewhat under +the boiling point there appears to be little difference in the amount of +material found in broth whether the meat is placed in cold water or hot +water at the beginning of the cooking period. When meat is roasted in +the oven the amount of material removed is somewhat affected by the +character of the roasting pan and similar factors, thus the total loss +in weight is naturally greater in an open than in a closed pan as the +open pan offers more opportunity for the evaporation of water. Judging +from the average results of a considerable number of tests, it appears +that a roast weighing 6 pounds raw should weigh 5 pounds after cooking, +or in other words the loss is about one-sixth of the original weight. +This means that if the raw meat costs 20 cents per pound the cooked +would represent an increase of 4 cents a pound on the original cost; +but this increase would, of course, be lessened if all the drippings +and gravy are utilized. + + +ECONOMIES IN USE OF MEAT + +The expense for meat in the home may be reduced in several ways, and +each housekeeper can best judge which to use in her own case. From a +careful consideration of the subject it appears that the various +suggestions which have been made on the subject may be grouped under the +following general heads: Economy in selection and purchase so as to take +advantage of varying market conditions; purchasing meat in wholesale +quantities for home use; serving smaller portions of meat than usual or +using meat less frequently; careful attention to the use of meat, bone, +fat, and small portions commonly trimmed off and thrown away and the +utilization of left-over portions of cooked meat; and the use of the +less expensive kinds. + +The choice of cuts should correspond to the needs of the family and the +preferences of its members. Careful consideration of market conditions +is also useful, not only to make sure that the meat is handled and +marketed in a sanitary way, but also to take advantage of any favorable +change in price which may be due, for instance, to a large local supply +of some particular kind or cut of meat. In towns where there is +opportunity for choice, it may sometimes be found more satisfactory not +to give all the family trade to one butcher; by going to various markets +before buying the housekeeper is in a better position to hear of +variations in prices and so be in a position to get the best values. +Ordering by telephone or from the butcher's boy at the door may be less +economical than going to market in person as the range of choice and +prices is of course more obvious when the purchaser sees the goods and +has a chance to observe market conditions. Each housekeeper must decide +for herself whether or not the greater convenience compensates for the +smaller range of choice which such ordering from description entails. +No matter what the cut, whether expensive or cheap, it can not be utilized +to the best advantage unless it is well cooked. A cheap cut of meat, well +cooked, is always preferable to a dear one spoiled in the preparation. + +There is sometimes an advantage in using canned meat and meat products, +and, if they are of good quality, such products are wholesome and +palatable. + +That economy is furthered by careful serving at table is obvious. If +more meat is given at each serving than the person wishes or habitually +eats the table waste is unduly increased. Economy in all such points is +important and not beneath the dignity of the family. + +In many American families meat is eaten two or three times a day; in +such cases the simplest way of reducing the meat bill would very likely +be to cut down the amount used, either by serving it less often or by +using less at a time. Deficiency of protein need not be feared when one +good meat dish a day is served, especially if such nitrogenous materials +as eggs, milk, cheese, and beans are used instead. In localities where +fish can be obtained fresh and cheap, it might well be more frequently +substituted for meat for the sake of variety as well as economy. +Ingenious cooks have many ways of "extending the flavor" of meat, that +is, of combining a small quantity with other materials to make a large +dish, as in meat pies, stews, and similar dishes. + +By buying in large quantities under certain conditions it may be +possible to procure meat at better prices than those which ordinarily +prevail in the retail market. The whole side or quarter of an animal can +frequently be obtained at noticeably less cost per pound than when it is +bought by cut, and can be used to advantage when the housekeeper +understands the art and has proper storage facilities and a good-sized +family. When a hind quarter of mutton, for example, comes from the +market the flank (on which the meat is thin and, as good housekeepers +believe, likely to spoil more easily than some other cuts) should be +cooked immediately, or, if preferred, it may be covered with a thin +layer of fat (rendered suet) which can be easily removed when the time +for cooking comes. The flank, together with the rib bone, ordinarily +makes a gallon of good Scotch broth. The remainder of the hind quarter +may be used for roast or chops. The whole pig carcass has always been +used by families living on the farms where the animals are slaughtered, +and in village homes; town housekeepers not infrequently buy pigs whole +and "put down" the meat. An animal six months old and weighing about one +hundred pounds would be suitable for this purpose. The hams and thin +pieces of belly meat may be pickled and smoked. The thick pieces of +belly meat, packed in a two-gallon jar and covered with salt or brine, +will make a supply of fat pork to cook with beans and other vegetables. +The tenderloin makes good roasts, the head and feet may go into head +cheese or scrapple, and the trimmings and other scraps of lean meat +serve for a few pounds of home-made sausage. In some large families it +is found profitable to "corn" a fore quarter of beef for spring and +summer use. Formerly it was a common farm practice to dry beef, but now +it seems to be more usual to purchase beef which has been dried in large +establishments. The general use of refrigerators and ice chests in homes +at the present time has had a great influence on the length of time meat +may be kept and so upon the amount a housewife may buy at a time with +advantage. + +In the percentage of fat present in different kinds and cuts of meat, a +greater difference exists than in the percentage of proteids. The lowest +percentage of fat is 8.1 per cent. in the shank of beef; the highest is +32 per cent. in pork chops. The highest priced cuts, loin and ribs of +beef, contain 20 to 25 per cent. If the fat of the meat is not eaten at +the table, and is not utilized otherwise, a pecuniary loss results. If +butter is the fat used in making crusts for meat pies, and in preparing +the cheaper cuts, there is little economy involved; the fats from other +meat should therefore be saved, as they may be used in place of butter +in such cases, as well as in preparing many other foods. The fat from +sausage or from the soup kettle, or from a pot roast, which is savory +because it has been cooked with vegetables, is particularly acceptable. +Sometimes savory vegetables, onion, or sweet herbs are added to fat when +it is tried out to give it flavor. + +Almost any meat bones can be used in soup making, and if the meat is not +all removed from them the soup is better. But some bones, especially the +rib bones, if they have a little meat left on them, can be grilled or +roasted into very palatable dishes. The "sparerib" of southern cooks is +made of the rib bones from a roast of pork, and makes a favorite dish +when well browned. The braised ribs of beef often served in high-class +restaurants are made from the bones cut from rib roasts. In this +connection it may be noted that many of the dishes popular in good +hotels are made of portions of meat such as are frequently thrown away +in private houses, but which with proper cooking and seasoning make +attractive dishes and give most acceptable variety to the menu. An old +recipe for "broiled bones" directs that the bone (beef ribs or sirloin +bones on which the meat is not left too thick in any part) be sprinkled +with salt and pepper (Cayenne), and broiled over a clear fire until +browned. Another example of the use of bones is boiled marrow bone. The +bones are cut in convenient lengths, the ends covered with a little +piece of dough over which a floured cloth is tied, and cooked in boiling +water for two hours. After removing the cloth and dough, the bones are +placed upright on toast and served. Prepared as above, the bones may +also be baked in a deep dish. Marrow is sometimes removed from bones +after cooking, seasoned, and served on toast. + +Trimmings from meat may be utilized in various "made dishes," or they +can always be put to good use in the soup kettle. It is surprising how +many economies may be practiced in such ways and also in the table use +of left-over portions of cooked meat if attention is given to the +matter. Many of the following recipes involve the use of such +left-overs. Others will suggest themselves or may be found in all the +usual cookery books. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +RECIPES FOR MEAT DISHES + +Trying out Fat--Extending the Flavor of Meat--Meat Stew--Meat +Dumplings--Meat Pies and Similar Dishes--Meat with Starchy +Materials--Turkish Pilaf--Stew from Cold Roast--Meat with Beans--Haricot +of Mutton--Meat Salads--Meat with Eggs--Roast Beef with Yorkshire +Pudding--Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs--Stuffing--Mock Duck--Veal +or Beef Birds--Utilizing the Cheaper Cuts of Meat. + + + "To be a good cook means the knowledge of all fruits, herbs, balms and + spices, and of all that is healing and sweet in fields and groves, + savory in meats. It means carefulness, inventiveness, watchfulness, + willingness, and readiness of appliance. It means the economy of your + great-grandmother and the science of modern chemistry; it means much + tasting and no wasting; it means English thoroughness, French art, + and Arabian hospitality; it means, in fine, that you are to be perfectly + and always ladies (loaf-givers), and are to see that everybody has + something nice to eat."--JOHN RUSKIN. + + +RECIPES + +(In these directions a _level_ spoonful or _level_ cupful is +called for.) + + +TRYING OUT FAT + +A double boiler is the best utensil to use in trying out small portions +of fat. There is no danger of burning the fat, and the odor is much less +noticeable than if it is heated in a dish set directly over the fire. + +Common household methods of extending the meat flavor through a +considerable quantity of material which would otherwise be lacking in +distinctive taste are to serve the meat with dumplings, generally in the +dish with it, to combine the meat with crusts, as in meat pies or meat +rolls, or to serve the meat on toast and biscuits. Borders of rice, +hominy, or mashed potatoes are examples of the same principles applied +in different ways. By serving some preparation of flour, rice, hominy, +or other food rich in starch with the meat we get a dish which in itself +approaches nearer to the balanced ration than meat alone and one in +which the meat flavor is extended through a large amount of the +material. + + +MEAT STEW + + 5 pounds of a cheaper cut of beef. + 4 cups of potatoes cut into small pieces. + 2/3 cup each of turnips and carrots cut into 1/2-inch cubes. + 1/2 onion, chopped. + 1/4 cup of flour. + Salt and pepper. + +Cut the meat into small pieces, removing the fat; try out the fat and +brown the meat in it. When well browned, cover with boiling water, boil +for five minutes and then cook in a lower temperature until the meat is +done. If tender, this will require about three hours on the stove or +five hours in the fireless cooker. Add carrots, turnips, onions, pepper, +and salt during the last hour of cooking, and the potatoes fifteen +minutes before serving. Thicken with the flour diluted with cold water. +Serve with dumplings (see below). If this dish is made in the fireless +cooker, the mixture must be reheated when the vegetables are put in. +Such a stew may also be made of mutton. If veal or pork is used the +vegetables may be omitted or simply a little onion used. Sometimes for +variety the browning of the meat is dispensed with. When white meat, +such as chicken, veal, or fresh pork is used, the gravy is often made +rich with cream or milk thickened with flour. The numerous minor +additions which may be introduced give the great variety of such stews +found in cookbooks. + + +MEAT DUMPLINGS + + 2 cups flour. + 4 teaspoonfuls baking powder. + 2/3 cup milk or a little more if needed. + 1/2 teaspoonful salt. + 2 teaspoonfuls butter. + +Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Work in the butter with the tips of +fingers, add milk gradually, roll out to a thickness of one-half inch, +and cut with biscuit cutter. In some countries it is customary to season +the dumplings themselves with herbs, etc., or to stuff them with bread +crumbs fried in butter, instead of depending upon the gravy to season +them. + +A good way to cook dumplings is to put them in a buttered steamer over a +kettle of hot water. They should cook from twelve to fifteen minutes. If +it is necessary to cook them with the stew, enough liquid should be +removed so that they may be placed upon the meat and vegetables. + +Sometimes the dough is baked and served as biscuits over which the stew +is poured. If the stew is made with chicken or veal it is generally +termed a fricassee. + + +MEAT PIES AND SIMILAR DISHES + +Meat pies represent another method of combining flour with meat. They +are ordinarily baked in a fairly deep dish the sides of which may or may +not be lined with dough. The cooked meat, cut into small pieces, is put +into the dish, sometimes with small pieces of vegetables, a gravy is +poured over the meat, the dish is covered with a layer of dough, and +then baked. Most commonly the dough is like that used for soda or +cream-of-tartar biscuit, but sometimes shortened pastry dough, such as +is made for pies, is used. This is especially the case in the fancy +individual dishes usually called patties. Occasionally the pie is +covered with a potato crust in which case the meat is put directly into +the dish without lining the latter. Stewed beef, veal, and chicken are +probably most frequently used in pies, but any kind of meat may be used, +or several kinds in combination. Pork pies are favorite dishes in many +rural regions, especially at hog-killing time, and when well made are +excellent. + +If pies are made from raw meat and vegetables longer cooking is needed +than otherwise, and in such cases it is well to cover the dish with a +plate, cook until the pie is nearly done, then remove the plate, add the +crust, and return to the oven until the crust is lightly browned. Many +cooks insist on piercing holes in the top crust of a meat pie directly +it is taken from the oven. + + +MEAT AND TOMATO PIE + +This dish presents an excellent way of using up small quantities of +either cold beef or cold mutton. If fresh tomatoes are used, peel and +slice them; if canned, drain off the liquid. Place a layer of tomato in +a baking dish, then a layer of sliced meat, and over the two dredge +flour, pepper, and salt; repeat until the dish is nearly full, then put +in an extra layer of tomato and cover the whole with a layer of pastry +or of bread or cracker crumbs. When the quantity of meat is small, it +may be "helped out" by boiled potatoes or other suitable vegetables. +A few oysters or mushrooms improve the flavor, especially when beef is +used. The pie will need to be baked from half an hour to an hour, +according to its size and the heat of the oven. + + +MEAT WITH STARCHY MATERIALS + +Macaroni cooked with chopped ham, hash made of meat and potatoes or meat +and rice, meat croquettes--made of meat and some starchy materials like +bread crumbs, cracker dust, or rice--are other familiar examples of meat +combined with starchy materials. Pilaf, a dish very common in the Orient +and well known in the United States, is of this character and easily +made. When there is soup or soup stock on hand it can be well used in +the pilaf. + + +TURKISH PILAF + + 1/2 cup of rice. + 3/4 cup of tomatoes stewed and strained. + 1 cup stock or broth. + 3 tablespoonfuls of butter. + +Cook the rice and tomatoes with the stock in a double boiler until the +rice is tender, removing the cover after the rice is cooked if there is +too much liquid. Add the butter and stir it in with a fork to prevent +the rice from being broken. A little catsup or Chili sauce with water +enough to make three-quarters of a cup may be substituted for the +tomatoes. This may be served as a border with meat, or served separately +in the place of a vegetable, or may make the main dish at a meal, as it +is savory and reasonably nutritious. + + +STEW FROM COLD ROAST + +This dish provides a good way of using up the remnants of a roast, +either of beef or mutton, The meat should be freed from fat, gristle, +and bones, cut into small pieces, slightly salted, and put into a kettle +with water enough to nearly cover it. It should simmer until almost +ready to break in pieces, when onions and raw potatoes, peeled and +quartered, should be added. A little soup stock may also be added if +available. Cook until the potatoes are done, then thicken the liquor or +gravy with flour. The stew may be attractively served on slices of crisp +toast. + + +MEAT WITH BEANS + +Dry beans are very rich in protein, the percentage being fully as large +as that in meat. Dry beans and other similar legumes are usually cooked +in water, which they absorb, and so are diluted before serving; on the +other hand, meats by the ordinary methods of cooking are usually +deprived of some of the water originally present--facts which are often +overlooked in discussing the matter. Nevertheless, when beans are served +with meat the dish is almost as rich in protein as if it consisted +entirely of meat. + +Pork and beans is such a well-known dish that recipes are not needed. +Some cooks use a piece of corned mutton or a piece of corned beef in +place of salt or corned pork or bacon or use butter or olive oil in +preparing this dish. + +In the Southern States, where cowpeas are a common crop, they are cooked +in the same way as dried beans. Cowpeas baked with salt pork or bacon +make an excellent dish resembling pork and beans, but of distinctive +flavor. Cowpeas boiled with ham or with bacon are also well-known and +palatable dishes. + + +HARICOT OF MUTTON + + 2 tablespoonfuls of chopped onions. + 2 tablespoonfuls of butter or drippings. + 2 cups of water, and salt and pepper. + 1-1/2 pounds of lean mutton or lamb cut into 2-inch pieces. + +Fry the onions in the butter, add the meat, and brown; cover with water +and cook until the meat is tender. Serve with a border of Lima beans, +seasoned with salt, pepper, butter, and a little chopped parsley. Fresh, +canned, dried, or evaporated Lima beans may be used in making this dish. + + +MEAT SALADS + +Whether meat salads are economical or not depends upon the way in which +the materials are utilized. If in chicken salad, for example, only the +white meat of chickens especially bought for the purpose and only the +inside stems of expensive celery are used, it can hardly be cheaper than +plain chicken. But, if portions of meat left over from a previous +serving are mixed with celery grown at home, they certainly make an +economical dish, and one very acceptable to most persons. Cold roast +pork or tender veal--in fact, any white meat can be utilized in the same +way. Apples cut into cubes may be substituted for part of the celery; +many cooks consider that with the apple the salad takes the dressing +better than with the celery alone. Many also prefer to marinate (i.e., +mix with a little oil and vinegar) the meat and celery or celery and +apples before putting in the final dressing, which may be either +mayonnaise or a good boiled dressing. + + +MEAT WITH EGGS + +Occasionally eggs are combined with meat, making very nutritious dishes. +Whether this is an economy or not of course depends on the comparative +cost of eggs and meat. + +In general, it may be said that eggs are cheaper food than meat when a +dozen costs less than 1-1/2 pounds of meat; for a dozen eggs weigh about +1-1/2 pounds and the proportions of protein and fat which they contain +are not far different from the proportions of these nutrients in the +average cut of meat. When eggs are 30 cents a dozen they compare +favorably with a round of beef at 20 cents a pound. + +Such common dishes as ham and eggs, bacon or salt pork and eggs, and +omelette with minced ham or other meat are familiar to all cooks. + + +ROAST BEEF WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDING + +The beef is roasted as usual and the pudding made as follows: + + 3 eggs. + 1 pint milk. + 1 cupful flour. + 1 teaspoonful salt. + +Beat the eggs until very light, then add the milk. Pour the mixture over +the flour, add the salt, and beat well. Bake in hissing hot gem pans or +in an ordinary baking pan for forty-five minutes, and baste with +drippings from the beef. If gem pans are used they should be placed on a +dripping pan to protect the floor of the oven from the fat. Many cooks +prefer to bake Yorkshire pudding in the pan with the meat; in this case +the roast should be placed on a rack and the pudding batter poured on +the pan under it. + + +CORNED-BEEF HASH WITH POACHED EGGS + +A dish popular with many persons is corned-beef hash with poached eggs +on top of the hash. A slice of toast is sometimes used under the hash. +This suggests a way of utilizing the small amount of corned-beef hash +which would otherwise be insufficient for a meal. + +Housekeepers occasionally use up odd bits of other meat in a similar +way, chopping and seasoning them and then warming and serving in +individual baking cups with a poached or shirred egg on each. + + +STUFFING + +Another popular way to extend the flavor of meat over a large amount of +food is by the use of stuffing. As it is impossible to introduce much +stuffing into some pieces of meat even if the meat is cut to make a +pocket for it, it is often well to prepare more than can be put into the +meat and to cook the remainder in the pan beside the meat. Some cooks +cover the extra stuffing with buttered paper while it is cooking and +baste it at intervals. + + +MOCK DUCK + +Mock duck is made by placing on a round steak a stuffing of bread crumbs +well seasoned with chopped onions, butter, chopped suet or dripping, +salt, pepper, and a little sage, if the flavor is relished. The steak is +then rolled around the stuffing and tied with a string in several +places. If the steak seems tough, the roll is steamed or stewed until +tender before roasting in the oven until brown. Or it may be cooked in a +casserole or other covered dish, in which case a cupful or more of water +or soup-stock should be poured around the meat. Mock duck is excellent +served with currant or other acid jelly. + + +VEAL OR BEEF BIRDS + +A popular dish known as veal or beef birds or by a variety of special +names is made by taking small pieces of meat, each just large enough for +an individual serving, and preparing them in the same way as the mock +duck is prepared. + +Sometimes variety is introduced by seasoning the stuffing with chopped +olives or tomato. Many cooks prepare their "birds" by browning in a +little fat, then adding a little water, covering closely and simmering +until tender. + + +UTILIZING THE CHEAPER CUTS OF MEAT + +When the housekeeper attempts to reduce her meat bill by using the less +expensive cuts, she commonly has two difficulties to contend +with--toughness and lack of flavor. It has been shown how prolonged +cooking softens the connective tissues of the meat. Pounding the meat +and chopping it are also employed with tough cuts, as they help to break +the muscle fibers. As for flavor, the natural flavor of meat even in the +least desirable cuts may be developed by careful cooking, notably by +browning the surface, and other flavors may be given by the addition of +vegetables and seasoning with condiments of various kinds. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +RECIPES FOR MEAT DISHES + +Prolonged Cooking at Low Heat--Stewed Shin of Beef--Boiled Beef with +Horseradish Sauce--Stuffed Heart--Braised Beef, Pot Roast, and Beef +a la Mode--Hungarian Goulash--Casserole Cookery--Meat Cooked with +Vinegar--Sour Beef--Sour Beefsteak--Pounded Meat--Farmer Stew--Spanish +Beefsteak--Chopped Meat--Savory Rolls--Developing Flavor of +Meat--Retaining Natural Flavor--Round Steak on Biscuits--Flavor +of Browned Meat or Fat--Salt Pork with Milk Gravy--"Salt-Fish +Dinner"--Sauces--Mock Venison. + + +PROLONGED COOKING AT LOW HEAT + +Meat may be cooked in water in a number of ways without being allowed to +reach the boiling point. With the ordinary kitchen range this is +accomplished by cooking on the cooler part of the stove rather than on +the hottest part, directly over the fire. Experience with a gas stove, +particularly if it has a small burner known as a "simmerer," usually +enables the cook to maintain temperatures which are high enough to +sterilize the meat if it has become accidentally contaminated in any way +and to make it tender without hardening the fibers. The double boiler +would seem to be a neglected utensil for this purpose. Its contents can +easily be kept up to a temperature of 200 degrees F., and nothing will +burn. Another method is by means of the fireless cooker. In this a high +temperature can be maintained for a long time without the application of +fresh heat. Still another method is by means of a closely covered baking +dish. Earthenware dishes of this kind suitable for serving foods as well +as for cooking are known as casseroles. For cooking purposes a baking +dish covered with a plate or a bean jar covered with a saucer may be +substituted. The Aladdin oven has long been popular for the purpose of +preserving temperatures which are near the boiling point and yet do not +reach it. It is a thoroughly insulated oven which may be heated either +by a kerosene lamp or a gas jet. + +In this connection directions are given for using some of the toughest +and less promising pieces of meat. + + +STEWED SHIN OF BEEF + + 4 pounds of shin of beef. + 1 medium-sized onion. + 1 whole clove and a small bay leaf. + 1 sprig of parsley. + 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of flour. + 1 small slice of carrot. + 1/2 tablespoonful of salt. + 1/2 teaspoonful of pepper. + 2 quarts of boiling water. + 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of butter or savory drippings. + +Have the butcher cut the bone in several pieces. Put all the ingredients +but the flour and butter into a stewpan and bring to a boil. Set the pan +where the liquid will just simmer for six hours, or after boiling for +five or ten minutes, put all into the fireless cooker for eight or nine +hours. With the butter, flour, and one-half cupful of the clear soup +from which the fat has been removed, snake a brown sauce (see p. 39); to +this add the meat and the marrow removed from the bone. Heat and serve. +The remainder of the liquid in which the meat has been cooked may be +used for soup. + + +BOILED BEEF WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE + +Plain boiled beef may also be served with horseradish sauce, and makes a +palatable dish. A little chopped parsley sprinkled over the meat when +served is considered an improvement by many persons. For the sake of +variety the meat may be browned like pot roast before serving. + + +STUFFED HEART + +Wash the heart thoroughly inside and out, stuff with the following +mixture, and sew up the opening: One cup broken bread dipped in fat and +browned in the oven, 1 chopped onion, and salt and pepper to taste. + +Cover the heart with water and simmer until tender or boil ten minutes +and set in the fireless cooker for six or eight hours. Remove from the +water about one-half hour before serving. Dredge with flour, pepper, and +salt, or sprinkle with crumbs and bake until brown. + + +BRAISED BEEF, POT ROAST, AND BEEF A LA MODE + +The above names are given to dishes made from the less tender cuts of +meat They vary little either in composition or method of preparation. In +all cases the meat is browned on the outside to increase the flavor and +then cooked in a small amount of water in a closely covered kettle or +other receptable until tender. The flavor of the dish is secured by +browning the meat and by the addition of the seasoning vegetables. Many +recipes suggest that the vegetables be removed before serving and the +liquid be thickened. As the vegetables are usually extremely well +seasoned by means of the brown fat and the extracts of the meat, it +seems unfortunate not to serve them. + +Of course, the kind, quality, and shape of the meat all play their part +in the matter. Extra time is needed for meats with a good deal of sinew +and tough fibers, such as the tough steaks, shank cuts, etc.; and +naturally a fillet of beef, or a steak from a prime cut, will take less +time than a thick piece from the shin. Such dishes require more time and +perhaps more skill in their preparation and may involve more expense for +fuel than the more costly cuts, which like chops or tender steaks may be +quickly cooked, but to the epicure, as well as to the average man, they +are palatable when rightly prepared. + + +HUNGARIAN GOULASH + + 2 pounds top round of beef. + A little flour. + 2 ounces salt pork. + 2 cups tomatoes. + 1 stalk celery. + 1 onion. + 2 bay leaves. + 6 whole cloves. + 6 peppercorns. + 1 blade mace. + +Cut the beef into 2-inch pieces and sprinkle with flour; fry the salt +pork until light brown; add the beef and cook slowly for about +thirty-five minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with water and simmer +about two hours; season with salt and pepper or paprika. + +From the vegetables and spices a sauce is made as follows: Cook in +sufficient water to cover for twenty minutes; then rub through a sieve, +and add to some of the stock in which the meat was cooked. Thicken with +flour, using 2 tablespoonfuls (moistened with cold water) to each cup of +liquid, and season with salt and paprika. + +Serve the meat on a platter with the sauce poured over it. Potatoes, +carrots, and green peppers cooked until tender, and cut into small +pieces or narrow strips, are usually sprinkled over the dish when +served, and noodles may be arranged in a border upon the platter. + +Goulash is a Hungarian dish which has come to be a favorite in the +United States. + + +CASSEROLE COOKERY + +A casserole is a heavy earthenware dish with a cover. A substitute for +it can easily be improvised by using any heavy earthenware dish with a +heavy plate for the cover. A casserole presentable enough in appearance +to be put on the table serves the double purpose of baking and serving +dish. + +A suitable cut of beef or veal, and it may well be one of the cheaper +cuts, as the long, slow cooking insures tenderness, may be cooked in a +casserole. + +Poultry and other meats besides beef or veal can be cooked in this +manner. Chicken cooked in a casserole, which is a favorite and expensive +dish in good hotels and restaurants, may be easily prepared in the home, +and casserole cookery is to be recommended for a tough chicken. + +The heat must be moderate and the cooking must occupy a long time. +Hurried cooking in a casserole is out of the question. If care is taken +in this particular, and suitable seasonings are used, few who know +anything of cooking should go astray. + +Chopped meat also may be cooked in a casserole and this utensil is +particularly useful for the purpose, because the food is served in the +same dish in which it is cooked and may easily be kept hot, a point +which is important with chopped meats, which usually cool rapidly. + + +MEAT COOKED WITH VINEGAR + +Dishes of similar sort as regards cooking, but in which vinegar is used +to give flavor as well as to soften the meat and make it tender, are the +following: + + +SOUR BEEF + +Take a piece of beef from the rump or the lower round, cover with +vinegar or with a half-and-half mixture of vinegar and water, add sliced +onion, bay leaves, and a few mixed whole spices and salt Allow to stand +a week in winter or three or four days in summer; turn once a day and +keep covered. When ready to cook, brown the meat in fat, using an +enameled iron pan, strain the liquid over it and cook until tender; +thicken the gravy with flour or ginger snaps (which may be broken up +first), strain it, and pour over the sliced meat. Some cooks add cream. + + +SOUR BEEFSTEAK + +Round steak may be cooked in water in which there is a little vinegar, +or if the time is sufficient, it may be soaked for a few hours in +vinegar and water and then cooked in a casserole or in some similar way. + + +POUNDED MEAT + +Pounding meat before cooking is an old-fashioned method of making it +tender, but while it has the advantage of breaking down the tough +tissues it has the disadvantage of being likely to drive out the juices +and with them the flavor. A very good way of escaping this difficulty is +pounding flour into the meat; this catches and retains the juices. Below +are given the recipes for two palatable dishes in which this is done: + + +FARMER STEW + +Pound flour into both sides of a round steak, using as much as the meat +will take up. This may be done with a meat pounder or with the edge of a +heavy plate. Fry in drippings, butter, or other fat, in a Scotch bowl, +or if more convenient in an ordinary iron kettle or a frying pan; then +add water enough to cover it. Cover the dish very tightly so that the +steam cannot escape and allow the meat to simmer for two hours or until +it is tender. One advantage of this dish is that ordinarily it is ready +to serve when the meat is done as the gravy is already thickened. +However, if a large amount of fat is used in the frying, the gravy may +not be thick enough and must be blended with flour. + + +SPANISH BEEFSTEAK + +Take a piece of round steak weighing two pounds and about an inch thick; +pound until thin, season with salt and Cayenne pepper, cover with a +layer of bacon or salt pork, cut into thin slices, roll and tie with a +cord. Pour around it half a cupful of milk and half a cupful of water. +Place in a covered baking dish and cook two hours, basting occasionally. + + +CHOPPED MEAT + +Chopping meat is one of the principal methods of making tough and +inexpensive meat tender, i.e., dividing it finely and thus cutting the +connective tissue into small bits. Such meats have another advantage in +that they may be cooked quickly and economically. + +Chopped raw meat of almost any kind can be very quickly made into a +savory dish by cooking it with water or with water and milk for a short +time, then thickening with butter and flour, and adding different +seasonings as relished, either pepper and salt alone, or onion juice, +celery, or tomato. Such a dish may be made to "go further" by serving it +on toast or with a border of rice or in some similar combination. + + +SAVORY ROLLS + +Savory rolls in great variety are made out of chopped meat either with +or without egg. The variety is secured by the flavoring materials used +and by the sauces with which the baked rolls are served. A few recipes +will be given below. While these definite directions are given it should +be remembered that a few general principles borne in mind make recipes +unnecessary and make it possible to utilize whatever may happen to be on +hand. Appetizing rolls are made with beef and pork mixed. The proportion +varies from two parts of beef and one of pork to two of pork and one of +beef. The rolls are always improved by laying thin slices of salt pork +or bacon over them, which keep the surface moistened with fat during the +roasting. These slices should be scored on the edge, so that they will +not curl up in cooking. The necessity for the salt pork is greater when +the chopped meat is chiefly beef than when it is largely pork or veal. +Bread crumbs or bread moistened in water can always be added, as it +helps to make the dish go farther. When onions, green peppers, or other +vegetables are used, they should always be thoroughly cooked in fat +before being put in the roll, for usually they do not cook sufficiently +in the length of time it takes to cook the meat. Sausage makes a good +addition to the roll, but it is usually cheaper to use unseasoned pork +meat with the addition of a little sage. + + +DEVELOPING FLAVOR OF MEAT + +The typical meat flavors are very palatable to most persons, even when +they are constantly tasted, and consequently the better cuts of meat in +which they are well developed can be cooked and served without attention +being paid especially to flavor. Careful cooking aids in developing the +natural flavor of some of the cheaper cuts, and such a result is to be +sought wherever it is possible. Browning also brings out flavors +agreeable to most palates. Aside from these two ways of increasing the +flavor of the meat itself there are countless ways of adding flavor to +otherwise rather tasteless meats. The flavors may be added in preparing +the meat for cooking, as in various seasoned dishes already described, +or they may be supplied to cook meat in the form of sauces. + + +RETAINING NATURAL FLAVOR + +As has already been pointed out, it is extremely difficult to retain the +flavor-giving extractives in a piece of meat so tough as to require +prolonged cooking. It is sometimes partially accomplished by first +searing the exterior of the meat and thus preventing the escape of the +juices. Another device, illustrated by the following recipe, is to let +them escape into the gravy which is served with the meat itself. A +similar principle is applied when roasts are basted with their own +juice. + + +ROUND STEAK ON BISCUITS + +Cut round steak into pieces about one-half inch square, cover with water +and cook it at a temperature just below the boiling point until it is +tender, or boil for five minutes, and while still hot put into the +fireless cooker and leave it for five hours. Thicken the gravy with +flour mixed with water, allowing two level tablespoonfuls to a cup of +water. Pour the meat and gravy over split baking-powder biscuits so +baked that they have a large amount of crust. + + +FLAVOR OF BROWNED MEAT OR FAT + +Next to the unchanged flavor of the meat itself comes the flavor which +is secured by browning the meat with fat. The outside slices of roast +meat have this browned flavor in marked degree. Except in the case of +roasts, browning for flavor is usually accomplished by heating the meat +in a frying pan in fat which has been tried out of pork or in suet or +butter. Care should be taken that the fat is not scorched. The chief +reason for the bad opinion in which fried food is held by many is that +it almost always means eating burned fat. When fat is heated too high it +splits up into fatty acids and glycerin, and from the glycerin is formed +a substance (acrolein) which has a very irritating effect upon the +mucous membrane. All will recall that the fumes of scorched fat make the +eyes water. It is not surprising that such a substance, if taken into +the stomach, should cause digestive disturbance. Fat in itself is a very +valuable food, and the objection to fried foods because they may be fat +seems illogical. If they supply burned fat there is a good reason for +suspicion. Many housekeepers cook bacon in the oven on a wire broiler +over a pan and believe it more wholesome than fried bacon. The reason, +of course, is that thus cooked in the oven there is less chance for the +bacon becoming impregnated with burned fat. Where fried salt pork is +much used good cooks know that it must not be cooked over a very hot +fire, even if they have never heard of the chemistry of burned fat. The +recipe for bean-pot roast and other similar recipes may be varied by +browning the meat or part of it before covering with water. This results +in keeping some of the natural flavoring within the meat itself and +allowing less to go into the gravy. The flavor of veal can be very +greatly improved in this way. + +The following old-fashioned dishes made with pork owe their savoriness +chiefly to the flavor of browned fat or meat: + + +SALT PORK WITH MILK GRAVY + +Cut salt or cured pork into thin slices. If very salt, cover with hot +water and allow it to stand for ten minutes. Score the rind of the +slices and fry slowly until they are a golden brown. Make a milk gravy +by heating flour in the fat that has been tried out, allowing two +tablespoonfuls of fat and two tablespoonfuls of flour to each cup of +milk. This is a good way to use skim milk, which is as rich in protein +as whole milk. The pork and milk gravy served with boiled or baked +potatoes makes a cheap and simple meal, but one that most people like +very much. Bacon is often used in place of salt pork in making this +dish. + + +"SALT-FISH DINNER" + + 1/2 pound salt pork. + 1 pound codfish. + 2 cups of milk (skim milk will do). + 4 tablespoonfuls flour. + A speck of salt. + +Cut the codfish into strips, soak in lukewarm water and then cook in +water until tender, but do not allow the water to come to the boiling +point except for a very short time as prolonged boiling may make it +tough. Cut the pork into one-fourth inch slices and cut several gashes +in each piece. Fry very slowly until golden brown, and remove, pouring +off the fat. Out of four tablespoonfuls of the fat, the flour, and the +milk make a white sauce. Dish up the codfish with pieces of pork around +it and serve with boiled potatoes and beets. Some persons serve the +pork, and the fat from it, in a gravy boat so it can be added as +relished. + + +SAUCES + +The art of preparing savory gravies and sauces is more important in +connection with the serving of the cheaper meats than in connection with +the cooking of the more expensive. + +There are a few general principles underlying the making of all sauces +or gravies whether the liquid used is water, milk, stock, tomato juice, +or some combination of these. For ordinary gravy 2 level tablespoonfuls +of flour or 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of cornstarch or arrow root is +sufficient to thicken a cupful of liquid. This is true excepting when, +as in the recipe on page 23 the flour is browned. In this case about +one-half tablespoonful more should be allowed, for browned flour does +not thicken so well as unbrowned. The fat used may be butter or the +drippings from the meat, the allowance being 2 tablespoonfuls to a cup +of liquid. + +The easiest way to mix the ingredients is to heat the fat, add the +flour, and cook until the mixture ceases to bubble, and then to add the +liquid. This is a quick method and by using it there is little danger of +getting a lumpy gravy. Many persons, however, think it is not a +wholesome method and prefer the old-fashioned one of thickening the +gravy by means of flour mixed with a little cold water. The latter +method is, of course, not practicable for brown gravies. + +The good flavor of browned flour is often overlooked. If flour is cooked +in fat until it is a dark brown color a distinctive and very agreeable +flavor is obtained. This flavor combines very well with that of currant +jelly, and a little jelly added to a brown gravy is a great improvement. +The flavor of this should not be combined with that of onions or other +highly flavored vegetables. A recipe for a dish which is made with brown +sauce follows: + + +MOCK VENISON + +Cut cold mutton into thin slices and heat in a brown sauce, made +according to the following proportions: + + 2 tablespoonfuls butter. + 2 tablespoonfuls flour. + 1 tablespoonful of bottled meat sauce (whichever is preferred). + 1 tablespoonful red-currant jelly. + 1 cupful water or stock. + +Brown the flour in the butter, add the water or stock slowly, and keep +stirring. Then add the jelly and meat sauce and let the mixture boil up +well. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +HOUSEHOLD RECIPES. + +(Arranged Alphabetically) + + "The woman's work for her own home is to secure its order, comfort, and + loveliness."--JOHN RUSKIN--_Sesame and Lilies_. + + +The following recipes are tried and approved ones, useful for +housecleaning, laundry work, etc. In a number of instances they give +instruction in the making of commodities, such as soap, which are +usually purchased in the stores, but which, if made at home will cost +less money, and be of better quality. They are arranged alphabetically +for ease of reference: + + +ANTS--TO GET RID OF + +Wash the shelves with salt and water; sprinkle salt in their paths. To +keep them out of safes, set the legs of the safe on tin cups; keep the +cups filled with water. + +BARRELS--TO CLEAN + +The ordinary way of washing a barrel is with boiling water, and when +cool examining it with a light inside. If there be any sour or musty +smell, however, lime must be used to remove it. Break the lime into +lumps, and put it in the cask dry (it will take from 3 to 4 lbs. for +each cask), then pour in as many gallons of boiling water as there are +pounds of lime, and bung. Roll the cask about now and then, and after a +few hours wash it out, steam it, and let it cool. + +BED-BUGS--TO KILL + +For bed-bugs nothing is so good as the white of eggs and quicksilver. +A thimbleful of quicksilver to the white of each egg; heat until well +mixed; apply with a feather. + +FEATHER-BEDS--TO CLEANSE WITHOUT EMPTYING + +On a hot, clear summer day, lay the bed upon a scaffold; wash it well +with soap-suds upon both sides, rubbing it hard with a stiff brush; pour +several gallons of hot water upon the bed slowly, and let it drip +through. Rinse with clear water; remove it to a dry part of the scaffold +to dry; beat, and turn it two or three times during the day. Sun until +perfectly dry. The feathers may be emptied in barrels, washed in +soap-suds, and rinsed; then spread in an unoccupied room and dried, or +put in bags made of thin sleazy cloth, and kept in the sun until dry. +The quality of feathers can be much improved by attention of this kind. + +CLOTHES--TO BLEACH + +Dissolve a handful of refined borax in ten gallons of water; boil the +clothes in it. To whiten brown cloth, boil in weak lye, and expose day +and night to the sun and night air; keep the clothes well sprinkled. + +BOOKS--TO KEEP MICE FROM + +Sprinkle a little Cayenne pepper in the cracks at the back of the +shelves of the bookcase. + +BOARDS--TO SCOUR + +Mix in a saucer three parts of fine sand and one part of lime; dip the +scrubbing-brush into this and use it instead of soap. This will remove +grease and whiten the boards, while at the same time it will destroy all +insects. The boards should be well rinsed with clean water. If they are +very greasy, they should be well covered over in places with a coating +of fuller's earth moistened with boiling water, which should be left on +24 hours before they are scoured as above directed. In washing boards +never rub crosswise, but always with the grain. + +BOOKS--TO PRESERVE FROM DAMP + +A few drops of strong perfumed oil, sprinkled in the bookcase will +preserve books from damp and mildew. + +BOOKS--TO CLEAN + +Books may be cleaned with a little dry bread crumbled up and rubbed +gently, but firmly, over with the open hand. Cloth covers may be washed +with a sponge dipped in a mixture made from the white of an egg beaten +to a stiff froth and afterwards allowed to settle. To clean grease marks +from books, dampen the marks with a little benzine, place a piece of +blotting-paper on each side of the page, and pass a hot iron over the +top. + +BRASS--TO CLEAN + +Dissolve 1 oz. of oxalic acid in one pint of soft water. Rub it on the +brass with a piece of flannel, and polish with another dry piece. This +solution should be kept in a bottle labelled "poison," and the bottle +well shaken before it is used, which should be only occasionally, for in +a general way the Brass should be cleaned with pulverized rottenstone, +mixed into a liquid state with oil of turpentine. Rub this on with a +piece of soft leather, leave for a few minutes; then wipe it off with a +soft cloth. Brass treated generally with the latter, and occasionally +with the former mode of cleaning will look most beautiful. A very good +general polish for brass may be made of 1/2 a lb. of rottenstone and 1 +oz. of oxalic acid, with as much water as will make it into a stiff +paste. Set this paste on a plate in a cool oven to dry, pound it very +fine, and apply a little of the powder, moistened with sweet oil, to the +brass with a piece of leather, polishing with another leather or an old +silk handkerchief. This powder should also be labelled "poison." + +BRITANNIA METAL--TO CLEAN + +Articles made of what is usually called Britannia metal may be kept in +order by the frequent use of the following composition: 1/2 a lb. of +finely-powdered whiting, a wineglass of sweet oil, a tablespoonful of +soft soap, and 1/2 an oz. of yellow soap melted in water. Add to these +in mixing sufficient spirits--gin or spirits of wine--to make the +compound the consistency of cream. This cream should be applied with a +sponge or soft flannel, wiped off with soft linen rags, and the article +well polished with a leather; or they may be cleaned with only oil and +soap in the following manner: Rub the articles with sweet oil on a piece +of woolen cloth; then wash well with strong soap-and-water; rub them +dry, and polish with a soft leather and whiting. The polish thus given +will last for a long time. + +BRUSHES--TO WASH + +Dissolve a piece of soda in some hot water, allowing a piece the size of +a walnut to a quart of water. Put the water into a basin, and, after +combing out the hair from the brushes, dip them, bristles downward, into +the water and out again, keeping the backs and handles as free from the +water as possible. Repeat this until the bristles look clean; then rinse +the brushes in a little cold water; shake them well, and wipe the +handles and backs with a towel, but not the bristles, and set the +brushes to dry in the sun, or near the fire; but take care not to put +them too close to it. Wiping the bristles of a brush makes them soft, as +does also the use of soap. + +CARPETS--TO CLEAN + +Shake the carpet well; tack it down, and wash it upon the floor; the +floor should be very clean; use cold soap suds; to three gallons add +half a tumbler of beef-gall; this will prevent the colors from fading. +Should there be grease spots, apply a mixture of beef-gall, +fuller's-earth, and water enough to form a paste; put this on before +tacking the carpet down. Use tacks inserted in small leather caps. +Carpets in bedrooms and stair-carpets may be kept clean by being brushed +with a soft hairbrush frequently, and, as occasion requires, being taken +up and shaken. Larger carpets should be swept carefully with a +whisk-brush or hand-brush of hair, which is far better, especially in +the case of fine-piled carpets. Thick carpets, as Axminster and Turkey, +should always be brushed one way. + +CARPETS--TO LAY + +This can hardly be well done without the aid of a proper carpet-fork or +stretcher. Work the carpet the length way of the material, which ought +to be made up the length way of the room. Nail sides as you go along, +until you are quite sure that the carpet is fully stretched, and that +there is no fold anywhere in the length of it. + +STAIR-CARPET--TO CLEAN + +Make stair-carpet longer than necessary, and change it so that it will +not cover the steps in the same way each time of putting down. Moved +about in this way, the carpet will last much longer. Clean the rods with +oxalic acid. They should be kept bright. + +CHIMNEY ON FIRE + +Close all doors and windows tightly, and hold a wet blanket in front of +the fire to prevent any draught going up the chimney. + +CHINA OR GLASS--TO WASH + +Wash in plenty of hot soap suds; have two vessels, and in one rinse in +hot water. Turn upon waiters, and let the articles drip before being +wiped. Use linen towels for wiping. + +CHINA AND GLASS--CEMENT FOR + +Dissolve 1 oz. of gum-mastic in a quantity of highly-rectified spirits +of wine; then soften 1 oz. of isinglass in warm water, and, finally, +dissolve it in alcohol, till it forms a thick jelly. Mix the isinglass +and gum-mastic together, adding 1/4 of an oz. of finely-powdered +gum-ammoniac; put the whole into an earthen vessel and in a warm place, +till they are thoroughly incorporated together; pour it into a small +bottle, and cork it down for use. + +In using it, dissolve a small piece of the cement in a silver teaspoon +over a lighted candle. The broken pieces of glass or china being warmed, +and touched with the now liquid cement, join the parts neatly together, +and hold them in their places till the cement has set; then wipe away +the cement adhering to the edge of the joint, and leave it for twelve +hours without touching it; the joint will be as strong as the china +itself, and if neatly done, it will show no joining. It is essential +that neither of the pieces be wetted either with hot or cold water. + +CLOTHES--CARE OF + +Woolen dresses may be laid out on a table and brushed all over; but in +general, even in woolen fabrics, the lightness of the tissues renders +brushing unsuitable to dresses, and it is better to remove the dust from +the folds by beating them lightly with a handkerchief or thin cloth. +Silk dresses should never be brushed, but rubbed with a piece of merino +or other soft material, of a similar color to the silk, kept for the +purpose. Summer dresses of muslin, and other light materials, simply +require shaking; but if the muslin be tumbled, it must be ironed +afterwards. + +If feathers have suffered from damp, they should be held near the fire +for a few minutes, and restored to their natural state by the hand or a +soft brush, or re-curled with a blunt knife, dipped in very hot water. +Furs and feathers not in constant use should be wrapped up in linen +washed in lye. From May to September they are subject to being made the +depository of moth-eggs. + +CLOTHES--TO BRUSH + +Fine clothes require to be brushed lightly, and with a rather soft +brush, except where mud is to be removed, when a hard one is necessary; +previously beat the clothes lightly to dislodge the dirt. Lay the +garment on a table, and brush in the direction of the nap. Having +brushed it properly, turn the sleeves back to the collar, so that the +folds may come at the elbow-joints; next turn the lapels or sides back +over the folded sleeves; then lay the skirts over level with the collar, +so that the crease may fall about the center, and double only half over +the other, so that the fold comes in the center of the back. + +CLOTHES--TO REMOVE SPOTS AND STAINS FROM + +To remove grease-spots from cotton or woolen materials, absorbent +pastes, and even common soap, are used, applied to the spot when dry. +When the colors are not fast, place a layer of fuller's-earth or +pulverized potter's clay over the spot, and press with a very hot iron. +For silks, moires and plain or brocaded satins, pour two drops of +rectified spirits of wine over the spot, cover with a linen cloth, and +press with a hot iron, changing the linen instantly. The spot will look +tarnished, for a portion of the grease still remains; this will be +removed entirely by a little sulphuric ether, dropped on the spot, and a +very little rubbing. If neatly done, no perceptible mark or circle will +remain; nor will the lustre of the richest silk be changed, the union of +the two liquids operating with no injurious effects from rubbing. +Eau-de-Cologne will also remove grease from cloth and silk. Fruit-spots +are removed from white and fast-colored cottons by the use of chloride +of soda. Commence by cold-soaping the article, then touch the spot with +a hair-pencil or feather dipped in the chloride, and dip immediately +into cold water, to prevent the texture of the article being injured. +Fresh ink-spots are removed by a few drops of hot water being poured on +immediately after applying the chloride of soda. By the same process, +iron-mould in linen or calico may be removed, dipping immediately in +cold water to prevent injury to the fabric. Wax dropped on a shawl, +table-cover, or cloth dress, is easily discharged by applying spirits of +wine; syrups or preserved fruits, by washing in lukewarm water with a +dry cloth, and pressing the spot between two folds of clean linen. + +CRAPE--TO RENOVATE + +Place a little water in a tea-kettle and let it boil until there is +plenty of steam from the spout; then, holding the crape with both hands, +pass it to and fro several times through the steam, and it will be clean +and look nearly equal to new. + +COMBS--TO CLEAN + +If it can be avoided, never wash combs, as the water often makes the +teeth split, and the tortoise-shell or horn of which they are made, +rough. Small brushes, manufactured purposely for cleaning combs, may be +purchased at a trifling cost; the comb should be well brushed, and +afterwards wiped with a cloth or towel. + +CUPBOARDS, DAMP--TO DRY + +Leave a quantity of quicklime in the cupboard for a few days, and the +moisture will be entirely absorbed. + +EGGS--TO PACK + +Put into a butter firkin a thick layer of coarse dry salt, then a layer +of eggs, with the small end down, another layer of salt, then eggs, and +so on until the firkin is full. Cover and keep in a dry place. These +eggs will keep put up in this way almost any length of time. + +COAL-FIRE--TO LIGHT + +Clear out all ash from the grate and lay a few cinders or small pieces +of coal at the bottom in open order; over this a few pieces of paper, +and over that again eight or ten pieces of dry wood; over the wood, a +course of moderate-sized pieces of coal, taking care to leave hollow +spaces between for air at the center; and taking care to lay the whole +well back in the grate, so that the smoke may go up the chimney, and not +into the room. This done, fire the paper with a match from below, and, +if properly laid, it will soon burn up; the stream of flame from the +wood and paper soon communicating to the coal and cinders, provided +there is plenty of air at the center. + +Another method of lighting a fire is sometimes practiced with advantage, +the fire lighting from the top and burning down, in place of being +lighted and burning up from below. This is arranged by laying the coals +at the bottom, mixed with a few good-sized cinders, and the wood at the +top, with another layer of coals and some paper over it; the paper is +lighted in the usual way, and soon burns down to a good fire, with some +economy of fuel, it is said. + +FEATHERS--TO CLEAN + +Cover the feathers with a paste made of pipe-clay, and water, rubbing +them one way only. When quite dry, shake off all the powder and curl +with a knife. + +FLANNEL--TO WASH + +Never rub soap upon it; make suds by dissolving the soap in warm water; +rinse in warm water. Very cold or hot water will shrink flannel. Shake +them out several minutes before hanging to dry. Blankets are washed in +the same way. + +FLEAS--TO DRIVE AWAY + +Use pennyroyal or walnut leaves. Scatter them profusely in all infested +places. + +FLIES--TO DESTROY + +A mixture of cream, sugar, and ground black pepper, in equal quantities, +placed in saucers in a room infested with flies will destroy them. If a +small quantity, say the equivalent of a teaspoonful of carbolic acid be +poured on a hot shovel, it will drive the flies from the room. But +screens should be used to prevent their entrance. + +STEEL-FORKS--TO CLEAN + +Have a small box filled with clean sand; mix with it a third the +quantity of soft soap; clean the forks by sticking in the sand and +withdrawing them rapidly, repeating the process until they are bright. + +CUT-FLOWERS--TO PRESERVE + +A bouquet of freshly-cut flowers may be preserved alive for a long time +by placing them in a glass or vase with fresh water, in which a little +charcoal has been steeped, or a small piece of camphor dissolved. The +vase should be set upon a plate or dish, and covered with a bell glass, +around the edges of which, when it comes in contact with the plate, a +little water should be poured to exclude the air. To revive cut flowers, +plunge the stems into boiling water, and by the time the water is cold, +the flowers will have revived. Then cut the ends of the stems afresh, +and place in fresh cold water. + +FRUIT STAINS--TO REMOVE + +Pour hot water on the spots; wet with ammonia or oxalic acid--a +teaspoonful to a teacup of water. + +FRUIT-TREES--TO PREVENT DEPREDATIONS OF + +To preserve apple and other fruit trees from the depredations of +rabbits, etc., and the ravages of insects, apply soft soap to the trunk +and branches in March and September. + +FURNITURE GLOSS--GERMAN + +Cut 1/4 of a lb. of yellow wax into small pieces and melt it in an +earthen vessel, with 1 oz. of black rosin, pounded very fine. Stir in +gradually, while these two ingredients are quite warm, 2 ozs. of oil of +turpentine. Keep this composition well covered for use in a tin or +earthen pot. A little of this gloss should be spread on a piece of +coarse woolen cloth, and the furniture well rubbed with it; afterward it +should be polished with a fine cloth. + +FURNITURE POLISH + +One pint of linseed oil, one wineglass of alcohol. Mix well together. +Apply to the furniture with a fine rag. Rub dry with a soft cotton +cloth, and polish with a silk cloth. Furniture is improved by washing it +occasionally with soap-suds. Wipe dry, and rub over with very little +linseed oil upon a clean sponge or flannel. Wipe polished furniture with +silk. Separate dusting-cloths and brushes should be kept for highly +polished furniture. When sweeping carpets and dusting walls always cover +the furniture until the particles of dust floating in the air settle, +then remove the covers, and wipe with a silk or soft cotton cloth, + +FURNITURE STAINS--TO REMOVE + +Rub stains on furniture with cold-drawn linseed oil; then rub with +alcohol. Remove ink stains with oxalic acid and water; wash off with +milk. A hot iron held over stains upon furniture will sometimes remove +them. + +FURS--TO CLEAN + +Moisten some bran with hot water; rub the fur with it, and dry with a +flannel. Then rub with a piece of muslin and some dry bran. + +GAS--TO DETECT A LEAK + +Never take a light into the room or look for the leak with a light. Soap +and water mixed, and applied with a brush to the pipe will commence to +bubble if there is a leak. Send for the plumber at once. + +GLASS--TO WASH + +Great care is required in washing glasses. Two perfectly clean bowls are +necessary--one for moderately hot and another for cold water. Wash the +glasses well in the first, rinse them in the second, and turn them down +on a linen cloth folded two or three times, to drain for a few minutes. +When sufficiently drained, wipe with a cloth and polish with a finer +one, doing so tenderly and carefully. + +Decanters and water-jugs require very tender treatment in cleaning. Fill +about two-thirds with hot but not boiling water, and put in a few pieces +of well-soaked brown paper; leave them thus for two or three hours; then +shake the water up and down in the decanters; empty this out, rinse them +well with clean, cold water, and put them in a rack to drain. When dry, +polish them outside and inside, as far as possible, with a fine cloth. +Fine shot or pieces of charcoal placed in a decanter with warm water and +shaken for some time, will also remove stains. When this is not +effective, fill the bottle with finely chopped potato skins. Cork tight, +and let the bottle stand for three days. Empty and rinse thoroughly. + +GLASS STOPPER--TO REMOVE + +Wrap a hot cloth around the neck of the bottle, thus expanding it, or, +if this is not effective, pour a little salad oil round the stopper, and +place the bottle near the fire, then tap the stopper with a wooden +instrument. The heat will cause the oil to work round the stopper, and +it should be easily removed. + +GREASE--TO REMOVE FROM A STONE HEARTH + +Lay plenty of hot ashes; wash off (after the grease is out) with strong +soap suds. + +HARNESS BLACKING--FOR PRESERVING THE LEATHER + +Melt four ounces of mutton suet with twelve ounces of beeswax; add +twelve ounces of sugar-candy, four ounces of soft soap dissolved in +water, and two ounces of indigo, finely powdered. When melted and well +mixed, add one-half pint of turpentine. Lay the blacking on the harness +with a sponge, and polish off with a brush. + +FELT-HATS--TO RENOVATE + +Mix equal quantities of benzine and water, and after well brushing the +hat, apply the mixture with a sponge. + +HERBS--TO DRY + +The right way in drying herbs for your kitchen and possible medicinal +use is to gather them as soon as they begin to open their flowers, and +to lay them on some netting in a dry shed or room where the air will get +at them on all sides. Be sure they are dry and not moist when you cut or +pick them, and free them from dirt and decayed leaves. After they are +entirely dried out, put them in paper bags upon which you have written +the name of the herb and the date of tying it up. Hang them where the +air is dry and there is no chance of their moulding. + +SAVORY HERBS--TO POWDER + +Strip the leaves from the stalks, pound, sift out the coarse pieces, put +the powder in bottles, and cork tight. Label with exactness every +bottle. If, for the convenience of instant use in gravies, soups, etc., +you wish different herbs mixed, pound the leaves together when you make +them into powders. Celery seed, dried lemon-peel, and other spicy things +can thus be combined and ready for the moment's call. + +ICE VAULT--TO MAKE + +Dig a pit eight or ten feet square, and as deep in the cellar. Lay a +double wall with brick; fill between with pulverized charcoal; cover the +bottom also double with the same or tan-bark. If the pit is filled with +ice, or nearly so, cover six inches with tan-bark; but if only a small +quantity is in it, wrap well in a blanket, and over the opening in the +pit lay a double bag of charcoal. + +INK--TO REMOVE FROM LINEN + +Scald in hot tallow. Let it cool; then wash in warm suds. Sometimes +these stains can be removed by wetting the place in very sour buttermilk +or lemon juice; rub salt over, and bleach in the sun. + +INSECTS--TO KEEP AWAY + +The common elder is a great safeguard against the devastations of +insects. Scatter it around cucumber and squash-vines. Place it on the +branches of plum and other fruit-trees subject to the ravages of +insects. + +IRONS--TO REMOVE RUST FROM + +Scour with dry salt and beeswax. + +JAPANNED WARE--TO CLEAN + +Japanned tea-trays should not be washed in hot water if greasy, a little +flour rubbed on with a bit of soft linen will give them a new look; if +there are scratches, rub over a little olive oil. + +JEWELRY--TO CLEAN + +Jewels are generally wrapped up in cotton wool and kept in their cases; +but they tarnish from exposure to the air and require cleaning. This is +done by preparing clean soap-suds from fine toilet-soap. Dip any article +of gold, silver, gilt or precious stones into this lye, and dry by +brushing with a brush of soft hair, or a fine sponge; afterwards polish +with a piece of fine cloth, and lastly, with a soft leather. + +Gold or silver ornaments, and in general all articles of jewelry, may be +dressed by dipping them in spirits of wine warmed in a shallow kettle, +placed over a slow fire or hot plate. Silver ornaments should be kept in +fine arrowroot, and completely covered with it. + +KNIVES--TO CLEAN + +Cover a small heavy table on block by tacking over it very tight soft +leather or buckskin; pour over half the leather melted suet. Spread over +this very fine pulverized bath brick; rub the knives (making rapid +strokes) over this. Polish on the other side. Keep steel wrapped in +buckskin. Knives should be cleaned every day they are used, and kept +sharp. The handles of knives should never be immersed in water, as, +after a time, if treated in this way, the blades will loosen and the +handles discolor. The blades should be put in a jug or vessel kept for +the purpose, filled with hot soda water. This should be done as soon +after the knives are used as possible, as stain and rust quickly sink +into steel. + +KNIVES--TO KEEP + +Knives not in use will soon spoil. They are best kept in a box in which +sifted quicklime has been placed, deep enough to admit of the blades +being completely plunged into it. The lime must not touch the handles, +which should be occasionally exposed to the air, to keep them from +turning yellow. + +BLACK LACE--TO REVIVE + +Make some black tea, about the strength usual for drinking, and strain +it off the leaves. Pour enough tea into a basin to cover the material, +then squeeze the lace several times, but do not rub it. Dip it +frequently into the tea, which will at length assume a dirty appearance. +Have ready some weak gum-water and press the lace gently through it; +then clap it for a quarter of an hour; after which, pin it to a towel in +any shape which you wish it to take. When nearly dry, cover it with +another towel and iron it with a cool iron. The lace, if previously +sound and discolored only, will, after this process, look as good as +new. + +LAMPS--TO TRIM + +In trimming lamps, let the wick be cut evenly all round; as, if left +higher in one place than it is in another, it will cause it to smoke and +burn badly. The lamp should then be filled with oil from a feeder and +afterward well wiped with a cloth or rag. Small sticks, covered with +wash-leather pads, are the best things to use for cleaning the inside of +the chimney, and a clean duster for polishing the outside. Chimneys +should not be washed. The globe of a lamp should be occasionally washed +in warm soap-and-water, then well rinsed in cold water, and either wiped +dry or left to drain. + +LEATHER--TO CLEAN + +For fawn or yellow-colored leather, take a quart of skimmed milk, pour +into it one ounce of sulphuric acid, and, when cold, add four ounces of +hydrochloric acid, shaking the bottle gently until it ceases to emit +white vapors; separate the coagulated from the liquid part, by straining +through a sieve, and store it away till required. Clean the leather with +a weak solution of oxalic acid, washing it off immediately, and when dry +apply the composition with a sponge. + +TABLE LINEN--CARE OF + +Table-cloths, towels and napkins should be kept faultlessly white; +table-cloths and napkins starched; if the latter are fringed, whip the +fringe until straight. After using a table-cloth, lay it in the same +folds; put it in a close place where dust will not reach it, and lay a +heavy weight upon it. + +Napkins may be used the second time, if they are so marked that each +person gets the napkin previously used. + +LINEN--TO GLAZE + +The gloss, or enamel, as it is sometimes called, is produced mainly by +friction with a warm iron, and may be put on linen by almost any person. +The linen to be glazed receives as much strong starch as it is possible +to charge it with, then it is dried. To each pound of starch a piece of +sperm or white wax, about the size of a walnut, is usually added. When +ready to be ironed, the linen is laid upon the table and moistened very +lightly on the surface with a clean wet cloth. It is then ironed in the +usual way with a flatiron, and is ready for the glossing operation. For +this purpose a peculiar heavy flatiron, rounded at the bottom, as bright +as a mirror, is used. It is pressed firmly upon the linen and rubbed +with much force, and this frictional action puts on the gloss. "Elbow +grease" is the principal secret connected with the art of glossing +linen. + +MACKINTOSH--TO REPAIR + +Shred finely some pure india-rubber, and dissolve it in naphtha to the +consistency of a stiff paste. Apply the cement to each side of the part +to be joined, and leave a cold iron upon it until dry. + +LINEN--TO REMOVE IRON MOULD FROM + +Oxalic acid and hot water will remove iron-mould; so also will common +sorrel, bruised in a mortar and rubbed on the spots. In both cases the +linen should be well washed after the remedy has been applied, either in +clear water or a strong solution of cream of tartar and water. Repeat if +necessary, and dry in the sun. + +MAHOGANY--TO TAKE OUT MARKS FROM + +The whitest stain, left on a mahogany table by a jug of boiling water, +or a very hot dish, may be removed by rubbing in oil, and afterward +pouring a little spirits of wine on the spot and rubbing with a soft +cloth. + +MARBLE--TO CLEAN + +Wash with soda, water, and beef-gall. Or mix together one part +blue-stone, three parts whiting, one part soda, and three parts soft +soap; boil together ten minutes; stir constantly. Spread this over the +marble; let it lie half an hour; wash it off with soap-suds; wipe dry +with flannel. Repeat if necessary. Stains that cannot be removed in any +other way may be tried with oxalic acid water; but this should be used +carefully, and not allowed to remain long at a time. + +MATTING--TO WASH + +Use salt in the water, and wipe dry. + +MILDEW--TO REMOVE + +When the clothes are washed and ready to boil, pin jimson weed leaves +upon the place. Put a handful of the leaves on the bottom of the kettle; +lay the stained part next to them. Green tomatoes and salt, sour +buttermilk, lemon juice, soap and chalk, are all good; expose to the +sun. + +Another way: Two ounces of chloride of lime; pour on it a quarter of +boiling water; add three quarts of cold water. Steep the cloth in it +twelve hours. + +MIRRORS--TO CLEAN + +Remove, with a damp sponge, fly stains and other soils (the sponge may +be clamped with water or spirits of wine). After this dust the surface +with the finest sifted whiting or powder-blue, and polish it with a silk +handkerchief or soft cloth. Snuff of candle, if quite free from grease, +is an excellent polish for the looking-glass. + +MOTHS--TO PREVENT THEM GETTING INTO CARPETS, ETC. + +Strew camphor under a carpet; pack with woolen goods. If moths are in a +carpet, lay over it a cotton or linen cloth, and iron with a hot iron. +Oil all cracks in storerooms, closets, safes, with turpentine, or a +mixture of alcohol and corrosive sublimate; this drives off vermin. + +Place pieces of camphor, cedar-wood, Russia leather, tobacco-leaves, +boy-myrtle, or anything else strongly aromatic, in the drawers or boxes +where furs or other things to be preserved from moths are kept, and they +will never take harm. + +OIL-CLOTH OR LINOLEUM--TO WASH + +Take equal parts of skimmed milk and water; wipe dry; never use soap. +Varnish oil-cloths once a year. After being varnished, they should be +perfectly dry before being used. + +PAINT--TO CLEAN + +Dirty paint should never be wiped with a cloth, but the dust should be +loosened with a pair of bellows, and then removed with a dusting-brush. +If very dirty, wash the paint lightly with a sponge or soft flannel +dipped in weak soda-and-water, or in pearl-ash and water. The sponge or +flannel must be used nearly dry, and the portion of paint gone over must +immediately be rinsed with a flannel and clean water; both soda and +pearl-ash, if suffered to remain on, will injure the paint. The +operation of washing should, therefore, be done as quickly as possible, +and two persons should be employed; one to follow and dry the paint with +soft rags, as soon as the other has scoured off the dirt and washed away +the soda. No scrubbing-brush should ever be used on paint. + +PAINT--TO DISPERSE THE SMELL OF + +Place some sulphuric acid in a basin of water and let it stand in the +room where the paint is. Change the water daily. + +PAINT--TO REMOVE FROM CLOTHING + +Rub immediately with a rough rag wetted with turpentine. + +OIL PAINTINGS--TO CLEAN + +Rub a freshly cut slice of potato damped in cold water over the picture. +Wipe off the lather with a soft, damp sponge, and then finish with +luke-warm water, and dry, and polish with a piece of soft silk that has +been washed. + +PAPER HANGING--TO MAKE PASTE FOR + +Mix flour and water to the consistency of cream, and boil. A few cloves +added in the boiling will prevent the paste going sour. + +PEARS--TO KEEP FOR WINTER USE + +Lay the pears on a shelf in a dry, cool place. Set them stems up and so +far apart that they do not touch one another. Allow the air to move +freely in the room in which they lie. Layers of paper or of straw make a +soft bed, but the less the pear touches the shelf or resting-place the +better for its keeping. + +PICTURE FRAMES--TO KEEP FLIES FROM + +Brush them over with water in which onions have been boiled. + +GILT PICTURE FRAMES--TO BRIGHTEN + +Take sufficient sulphur to give a golden tinge to about one and one-half +pints of water, and in this boil four or five bruised onions. Strain off +the liquid when cold, and with it wash with a soft brush any gilding +which requires restoring, and when dry it will come out as bright as new +work. Frames may also be brightened in the following manner: Beat up the +white of eggs with soda, in the proportion of three ounces of eggs to +one ounce of soda. Blow off as much dust as possible from the frames, +and paint them over with a soft brush dipped in the mixture. They will +immediately come out fresh and bright. + +RATS--TO DESTROY + +Set traps and put a few drops of rhodium inside; they are fond of it. +Cats are, however, the most reliable rat-traps. There is no difficulty +in poisoning rats, but they often die in the walls, and create a +dreadful odor, hard to get rid of. When poisoning is attempted, remove +or cover all water vessels, even the well or cistern. + +RIBBONS--TO WASH + +If there are grease spots, rub the yolk of an egg upon them, on the +wrong side; let it dry. Lay it upon a clean cloth, and wash upon each +side with a sponge; press on the wrong side. If very much soiled, wash +in bran-water; add to the water in which it is rinsed a little muriate +of tin to set red, oil of vitriol for green, blue, maroon, and bright +yellow. + +RUST--TO PRESERVE FROM + +Make a strong paste of fresh lime and water, and with a fine brush smear +it as thickly as possible over all the polished surface requiring +preservation. By this simple means, all the grates and fire-irons in an +empty house may be kept for months free from harm, without further care +or attention. + +RUST--TO REMOVE FROM POLISHED STEEL + +Rub the spots with soft animal fat; lay the articles by; wrap in thick +paper two days; clean off the grease with flannel; rub the spots well +with fine rotten-stone and sweet oil; polish with powdered emery and +soft leather, or with magnesia or fine chalk. + +RUST--TO REMOVE FROM IRON UTENSILS + +Rub sweet oil upon them. Let it remain two days; cover with +finely-powdered lime; rub this off with leather in a few hours. Repeat +if necessary. + +To prevent their rusting when not in use: Mix half a pound of lime with +a quart of warm water; add sweet oil until it looks like cream. Rub the +article with this; when dry, wrap in paper or put over another coat. See +also IRONS. + +RUST AND INK STAINS--TO REMOVE + +Put half an ounce of oxalic acid in a pint of water. Dip the stain in +the water, and apply the acid as often as necessary. Wash very soon, in +half an hour at least, or the cloth will be injured by the acid. +Preserve in bottle marked "Poison." This also cleans brass beautifully. + +RUSTED SCREWS--TO LOOSEN + +[Transcriber's Note: Above title is as-presented in the original.] + +Boil scorched articles in milk and turpentine, half a pound of soap, +half a gallon of milk. Lay in the sun. + +RUSTED SCREWS--TO LOOSEN + +Pour a small quantity of paraffin round the top of the screw. When +sufficient time has been allowed for the oil to sink in, the screw can +be easily removed. + +SEALING-WAX FOR BOTTLES, JARS, ETC. + +Three-fourths rosin, one-fourth beeswax; melt. Or use half a pound of +rosin, the same quantity of red sealing-wax, and a half an ounce of +beeswax; melt, and as it froths up, stir it with a tallow candle. Use +new corks; trim (after driving them in securely) even with the bottle, +and dip the necks in this cement. + +SHIRTS--TO IRON + +Use for ironing shirts a bosom-board, made of seasoned wood a foot wide, +one and a half long, and an inch thick; cover it well by tacking over +very tight two or three folds of flannel, according to the thickness of +the flannel. Cover it lastly with Canton flannel; this must be drawn +over very tight, and tacked well to prevent folds when in use. Make +slips of fine white cotton cloth; put a clean one on every week. A +shirt-board must be made in the same way for ironing dresses; five feet +long, tapering from two feet at one end to a foot and a half at the +other, the large end should be round. A clean slip should be upon it +whenever used. A similar but smaller board should be kept for ironing +gentlemen's summer pants. Keep fluting and crimping irons, a small iron +for ruffles, and a polishing-iron. + +RUSSET SHOES--TO POLISH + +Remove stains with lemon juice, and polish with beeswax dissolved in +turpentine. + +SHOES--TO PREVENT FROM CRACKING + +Saturate a piece of flannel in boiled linseed oil and rub it well over +the soles and round the edges of the shoes, then stand them, soles +upward, to dry. + +SILK--TO RENOVATE + +Sponge faded silks with warm water and soap; then rub them with a dry +cloth on a flat board; afterward iron them on the inside with a +smoothing-iron. Old black silks may be improved by sponging with +spirits. In this case, the ironing may be done on the right side, thin +paper being spread over to prevent glazing. + +SILK AND SATIN--TO CLEAN + +Pin the breadths on a soft blanket; then take some stale breadcrumbs, +and mix with them a little powder-blue. Rub this thoroughly and +carefully over the whole surface with the hand or a piece of clean +linen; shake it off and wipe with soft cloths. Satin may be brushed the +way of the nap with a clean, soft, hair-brush. + +SILK--TO TAKE STAINS FROM + +Mix two ounces of essence of lemon and one ounce of turpentine. Grease +and other spots in silks are to be rubbed gently with a linen rag dipped +in this mixture. + +SILKS--TO WASH + +For a dress to be washed, the seams of a skirt do not require to be +ripped apart, though it must be removed from the band at the waist, and +the lining taken from the bottom. Trimmings or drapings, where there are +deep folds, the bottom of which is very difficult to reach, should be +undone, so as to remain flat. A black silk dress, without being +previously washed, may be refreshed by being soaked during twenty-four +hours in soft, clear water, clearness in the water being indispensable. +If dirty the black dress may be previously washed. When very old and +rusty, a pint of alcohol should be mixed with each gallon of water. This +addition is an improvement under any circumstances, whether the silk be +previously washed or not. After soaking, the dress should be hung up to +drain dry without being wrung. The mode of washing silks is this: The +article should be laid upon a clean, smooth table. A flannel just wetted +with lukewarm water should be well soaped, and the surface of the silk +rubbed one way with it, care being taken that this rubbing is quite +even. When the dirt has disappeared, the soap must be washed off with a +sponge and plenty of cold water, of which the sponge must be made to +imbibe as much as possible. As soon as one side is finished, the other +must be washed precisely in the same manner. Let it be understood that +not more of either surface must be done at a time than can be spread +perfectly flat upon the table, and the hand can conveniently reach; +likewise the soap must be quite sponged off one portion before the +soaped flannel is applied to another portion. Silks, when washed, should +always be dried in the shade, on a linen horse, and alone. If black or +dark blue, they will be improved if they are placed on a table when dry, +and well sponged with alcohol. + +SILVER--TO POLISH + +Boil soft rags for five minutes (nothing is better for the purpose than +the tops of old cotton stockings) in a mixture of new milk and ammonia. +As soon as they are taken out, wring them for a moment in cold water, +and dry before the fire. With these rags rub the silver briskly as soon +as it has been well washed and dried after daily use. A most beautiful +deep polish will be produced, and the silver will require nothing more +than merely to be dusted with a leather or a dry, soft cloth before it +is again put on the table. + +SILVER--TO CLEAN + +Wash in hot soap suds (use the silver soap if convenient); then clean +with a paste of whiting and water, or whiting and alcohol. Polish with +buckskin. If silver was always washed in hot suds, rinsed well, and +wiped dry, it would seldom need anything else. + +SILVER--TO REMOVE STAINS FROM + +Steep the silver in lye four hours; then cover thick with whiting wet +with vinegar; let this dry; rub with dry whiting; and polish with dry +wheat bran. Egg-stains may be removed from silver by rubbing with table +salt. + +SOAK CLOTHES FOR WASHING--TO + +Take a gallon of water, one pound of sal soda, and one pound of soap; +boil one hour, then add one tablespoonful of spirits of turpentine. Put +the clothes to soak over night; next morning soap them well with the +mixture. Boil well one hour; rinse in three waters; add a little bluing +to the last water. + +SOFT SOAP--TO MAKE + +The ashes should be of hardwood (hickory is best), and kept dry. When +put in the hopper, mix a bushel of unslacked lime with ten bushels of +ashes; put in a layer of ashes; then one slight sprinkling of lime; wet +each layer with water (rain water is best). A layer of straw should be +put upon the bottom of the hopper before the ashes are put in. An +opening in the side or bottom for the lye to drip through, and a trough +or vessel under to receive the lye. When the lye is strong enough to +bear up an egg, so as to show the size of a dime above the surface, it +is ready for making soap; until it is, pour it back into the hopper, and +let it drip through again. Add water to the ashes in such quantities as +may be needed. Have the vessel very clean in which the soap is to be +made. Rub the pot over with corn meal after washing it, and if it is at +all discolored, rub it over with more until the vessel is perfectly +clean. Melt three pounds of clean grease; add to it a gallon of weak +lye, a piece of alum the size of a walnut. Let this stew until well +mixed. If strong lye is put to the grease, at first it will not mix well +with the grease. In an hour add three gallons of strong hot lye; boil +briskly, and stir frequently; stir one way. After it has boiled several +hours, cool a spoonful upon a plate; if it does not jelly, add a little +water; if this causes it to jelly, then add water to the kettle. Stir +quickly while the water is poured in until it ropes on the stick. As to +the quantity of water required to make it jelly, judgment must be used; +the quantity will depend upon circumstances. It will be well to take +some in a bowl, and notice what proportion of water is used to produce +this effect. + +To harden it: Add a quart of salt to this quantity of soap; let it boil +quick ten minutes; let it cool. Next day cut it out. This is now ready +for washing purposes. + +BROWN TAR SOAP--TO MAKE + +Take eight gallons of soft soap, two quarts of salt, and one pound of +rosin, pulverized; mix, and boil half an hour. Turn it in a tub to cool. + +SOAP-POTASH--TO MAKE + +Six pounds of potash, five pounds of grease, and a quarter of a pound of +powdered rosin; mix all well in a pot, and, when warm, pour on ten +gallons of boiling water. Boil until thick enough. + +SOAP FOR CLEANING SILVER, ETC.--TO MAKE + +One bar of turpentine soap, three table-spoonfuls of spirits of +turpentine, half a tumbler of water. Let it boil ten minutes. Add six +tablespoonfuls of ammonia. Make a suds of this, and wash silver with it. + +SPERMACETI--TO REMOVE + +Scrape it off; put brown paper on the spot and press with hot iron. + +ACID STAINS--TO REMOVE + +Apply ammonia to neutralize the acid; after which apply chloroform. This +will remove paints from garments when benzine has failed. + +STARCH--TO PREPARE + +Wet two tablespoonfuls of starch to a smooth paste with cold water; pour +to it a pint of boiling water; put it on the fire; let it boil, stirring +frequently until it looks transparent; this will probably require half +an hour. Add a piece of spermaceti as large as half a nutmeg, or as much +salt, or loaf sugar--this will prevent the starch from sticking to the +iron. + +STARCH--COLD-WATER + +Mix the starch to a smooth cream with cold water, then add borax +dissolved in boiling water in the proportion of a dessertspoonful to a +teacupful of starch. + +MUSLINS--TO STARCH + +Add to the starch for fine muslins a little white gum Arabic. Keep a +bottle of it ready for use. Dissolve two ounces in a pint of hot water; +bottle it; use as may be required, adding it to the starch. Muslins, +calicoes, etc., should never be stiffer than when new. Rice-water and +isinglass stiffen very thin muslins better than starch. + +TAR AND PITCH--TO REMOVE + +Grease the place with lard or sweet oil. Let it remain a day and night; +then wash in suds. If silk or worsted, rub the stain with alcohol. + +Paraffin will remove tar from the hands. + +UMBRELLAS--CARE OF + +An umbrella should not be folded up when it is wet. Let it stand with +handle downwards, so that the wet can run off the ends of the ribs, +instead of running towards the ferrule and rusting that part of the +umbrella. + +VELVET--TO RENEW + +Hold the velvet, pile downwards, over boiling water, in which ammonia is +dissolved, double the velvet (pile inwards) and fold it lightly +together. + +WALL-PAPER--TO CLEAN + +Tie cotton upon a long stick; brush the walls well with this. When +soiled, turn it, or rub the walls with stale loaf bread. Split the loaf, +and turn the soft part to the wall. + +WHITEWASH--TO MAKE + +Put half a bushel of unslacked lime in a barrel; cover it with hot +water; stir occasionally, and keep the vessel well covered. When +slacked, strain into another barrel through a sieve. Put a pound of glue +in a glue-pot; melt it over a slow fire until dissolved. Soak the glue +in cold water before putting the pot over the fire. Dissolve a peck of +salt in boiling water. Make a thin paste of three pounds of ground rice +boiled half an hour. Stir to this half a pound of Spanish whiting. Now +add the rice paste to the lime; stir it in well; then the glue; mix +well; cover the barrel, and let it stand twenty-four hours. When ready +to use, it should be put on hot. It makes a durable wash for outside +walls, planks, etc., and may be colored. Spanish brown will make it red +or pink, according to the quantity used. A delicate tinge of this is +very pretty for inside walls. Lampblack in small quantities will make +slate color. Finely pulverized clay mixed with Spanish brown, makes +lilac. Yellow chrome or yellow ochre makes yellow. Green must not be +used; lime destroys the color, and makes the whitewash peel. + +WINDOWS--TO WASH + +Wash well with soap suds; rinse with warm water; rub dry with linen; and +finish by polishing with soft dry paper. A fine polish is given to +window-glass by brushing it over with a paste of whiting. Let it dry; +rub off with paper or cloth, and with a clean, dry brush, remove every +particle of the whiting from the corners. Once a year will be altogether +sufficient for this. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Practical Suggestions for Mother and +Housewife, by Marion Mills Miller + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR MOTHER *** + +This file should be named sugst10.txt or sugst10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, sugst11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, sugst10a.txt + +Produced by David Garcia, Charles Franks, +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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