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DETROIT, AIL/XIRCI—I 1'7, 1885.

 

‘

THE HOUSEJHIOLIDmuSmppIememu.

 

 

GOSSIP.

 

Ohl could there in this world be found
Some little spot of happy ground

Without the village tattling,
How doubly blest that spot would be,
Where all might dwell in liberty,
Free from the bitter misery

Of gossip’s endless prattling!

Oh, that the mischief-making crew

Were all reduced to one or two,

And they were painted red or blue,
That every one might know them!

Holmes.
————-...———

IS IT INDEED SO?

 

Two letters in the Household of March
3rd associate themselves in my mind,
although superﬁcially they are totally
without connection. I refer to the article
by Beatrix, “A False Position,” and
“ Equal Rights,” by Edith Gray.

I have never questioned the fact that wo-
men have equal rights with men, but that
there might be rights and duties apper-
taining to each. equal but dissimilar, as
their respective situation and needs might
make necessary, has always seemed to me
to be the true solution of the vexed ques-
tion.

It is often said that all the light possible
has been thrown on the question, that all
that can be educed or adduced has been
brought forward, and nothing new can be
spoken or written on the subject. But
like “ Banquo’s ghost,” it will not
“down,” and gifted minds and brilliant
intellects are still agitating the question
of “ Woman Suffrage.”

Among late efforts. our honored Sena-
tor, T. W. Palmer, has spoken on the
subject in the Senate, making on it the
ﬁrst speech he has made in that august
body. Like all the Senator’s efforts, it is
readable, logical and forcible, as well as
to many minds convincing. His state-
ment of the premises and grouping of
facts in supporting arguments shows
careful study and research; and, although
brief, is from his standpoint a most ex-
haustive showing.

His conclusion is that women have the
same right as man to the ballot, and that
their duty is to use it; that although
many, in fact a majority, may oppose it,
the interest of humanity at large demands
it, and they, if unwilling, must respond
to the world's necessity. He supposes
that prior to the emancipation of the
slaves, many would have preferred to re-
main in bondage, feeling that they were
kindly cared for without having to incur

sponsibility; but he thinks once having

 

been forced to taste the sweets of freedom,
none would willingly return to the former
state of irresponsible serfdom.

My own experience is that more men
are in favor of giving the ballot to women
than there are women who desire it. Is
this another proof of the superior wisdom
ot the masculine intellect? Are women
in a “ false position ” on this question?

I have always taken the negative side
of the question, 2'. e., have been opposed
to woman suffrage, but if I am in the
wrong, when I am convinced of error, I
will fully surrender; even though I hug
my chains to the last, and surrender them
with a sigh of deep regret.

One thing is sure, the opinion of the
world in general seems setting in the di-
rection of using the leverage of woman in
all possible ways to hoist their pet preten-
sions upward. One of the last fancies is
for men to refuse to give ladies their seats
in the street-cars, for the reason that wo-
men will not stand, and will make such a
row that the ofﬁcials will be compelled to
give better service. This strikes me as an
novel idea, but I am watching with inter-
est to see if the suggestion is acted on,
and if so, what the outcome will be.

If men succeed in convincing women
that they are indispensable in the political
world, as well as in the social, there is no
end to the possibilities that are opening to
the sex. Their power will be practically
unlimited; they may succeed in convinc-
ing even husbands that they are of some
consequence, and that they have equal
rights in the home treasury.

Ah me! I hope the scales of justice, if
they have been so long tipped wrongly,
will not dip too far in the opposite way
when they start up on their time-rusted
pivot. But most earnestly do I second
Beatrix’s position, that it is better to ac-
cept new light and keep step with progress,
even when we are obliged to discard
opinions long held and openly advocated.
To own that we were mistaken yesterday
is only proof of being wise to day. But
we should make sure we were mistaken,
before accepting change, as all change is
not progress.

A rut is hard to get out of, and if well
worn the easiest riding is often found by
keeping in it, but the jolts felt in rising
out of it sometimes awaken us to the bad
state of the road, and we set about mend
ing its defects. 80 if men are unable to
ﬁx up politics in a presentable shape

without us, we must enter in and possess

the land; but they must be made to feel

who were victors. A. L. L.
Inennsmn.

 

FEEDING THE LAlVlBS.

 

One of my neighbors shows a great
genius in amusing children. Her home
is their favorite resort, the one ﬁrst
recognizedby the native infantile mind,
and the goal of the earliest attempts at
running away. She lets them set up
housekeeping in a dry-goods box, turned
up in a corner of her kitchen; make an
ocean in her dish-pan to sail their chip
ﬂeets upon; and seldom fails to send a
child home happy over some simple
trophy of its visit. It may be only a fried
cake or cookie cut in some fanciful
shape, the cover of a small tin can to
serve as a bake-dish; or perhaps the can
itself made into a miniature pail by
punching some holes at the top and inserts
ing a wire for a handle. Paper hats, dolls
and fans are produced in abundance, but
her parasols are really masterpieces. She
makes them by folding a newspaper fan-
fashion, slipping the center into a slight
split in the top of a stick, then spreading
the paper open and fastening it into a
circle by pinning the covers together.
We often see quite a brigade out with
these imitations, holding them up as
proudly as if they were rich combinations
of whalebone, silk and fringe. One real
umbrella which, owing to a broken rib or
two, and general shabbiness, was given
up for the children’s use must have caus-
ed more pleasure than any diamond that
ever sparkled. Then she makes turtles
of raisins and cloves, and makes them
stick around on a frosted cake or cookie
in a way to bring certain delight to the
unsophisticated infant. A large raisin
ﬂattened, four cloves inserted, forked
end outward for the feet, one with the
sharp end outward for the tail, and one
containing the berry for the head, is the
formula.

It is a simple thing to amuse a little
child, but many people who succeed in
great things, fail in this. To write stories,
to draw pictures, to sing songs, or to con-
struct toys to suit the undeveloped mind,
requires a peculiar gift. Hans Christian
Anderson was great in his way, and my
neighbor is in hers. She will need no
marble monument, for she will be remem-

bered by many for many years as one Who
Was kind to children and loved to consid-
er their little needs. A. H. J.

THOMAS.

_.-..__‘..____

SOME ingenious mothers make very
neat caps for the small boys out of the
pieces of their suits. Lined with red
ﬂannel and neatly stitched, they save
buying at the store.

 


 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

HELP IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

One of the questions that puzzle the
brain of mothers and fathers at the pres-
ent time, is “ What shall we do with our
girls?” We have more than we know
what to do with. In every town, and in
the country also, we ﬁnd them, bright,
loving, energetic, ambitious, but sphere-
less. There is no satisfactory niche to
be found for them; they are not all needed
at home; there are no available husbands
for whom they can make homes; they
must be clothed and fed, even though the
parental purse is scanty. They are will—
ing to support themselves, but what can
they do? Business men from the lakes
to the gulf will tell you there are ﬁfty
applicants for every position. School
teachers are more numerous than schools,
seamstresses, book-keepers, clerks, every
place is full. While we are racking our
brains over this matter, there arises an-
other which is equally as puzzhng, the
kitchen question. Our great America is
full of housewives who are staggering
under the weight of home duties, com-
binmg the care of the household, of little
children and social duties. N ow what is
wanted is good strong willing girls to
take some of these multitudinous cares
off the weary shoulders, girls who will
appreciate the importance of the home
machinery. and not only keep the ﬁres
going, but see that the cogs are well oiled
and smoothly running. Now the only
way to adjust matters and satisfy the
want, is to make the plus of the ﬁrst
problem satisfy the minus of the second;
to so arrange it that the thousands of
poorly paid girls who are standing behind
counters, or sewing and those who are
waiting for something to do, will take up
the general housework in these homes
where they are so needed. “Oh!” one
says “That’s out of the question; I’ll
starve first," while some thrifty house-
keeper says “ It is not practical."

Let us look at the dollars and cents for
a moment. Let us take the girl who
clerks, sews in a shop, copies; $1 per
day, counting Sundays out and supposing
she loses no time will amount to $313,
her board at $4 will amount to $208, leav—
inga balance of $105. She must wear
wool dresses. and adding gloves, hats
and variOus little articles, all of which
seem necessary, there is often nothing

left over for a rainy day; in fact I am‘

told there is no money for car fare, and
in stormy, sloppy weather she is obliged
to walk to and fro, sitting with wet feet
all day. Now the girl in the kitchen
will receive from $2 to $3 per week. no
Sundays out, seldom a lost day charged.
Her board costs nothing. Calico answers
every purpose, no fancy shoes or hats are
required, she is fairly dealt with by her
mistress, her money is ready when she
wants it. It leaves a cash balance in
favor of house work. Is it because the
work is so undesirable that help is scarce?
Housework is undeniably hard, there is a
great deal of drudgery about it. But the
washing, ironing and scrubbing does not
occupy all the week, any smart girl will
get this out of the way in . three days and

 

have some time to sit down, her evenings
are her own in which to pursue what she
chooses, the work is healthy, her step is
elastic, color good, eyes bright, what tires
the body does not stretch the nerves, ap-
petite good, and a good night’s sleep
leaves her fresh for another day's work.
To be sure the hands are brown and
rough, but what is that compared to good
health and a clean conscience? Housework
is respectable; for if it is not considered
disreputable for the mistress to do her
own work, it will not unﬁt the maid for
social standing.

It is the general opinion that muscle is
all that is needed in housework, that if a
girl has no sense whatever she can do
housework. Now the cooking schools
that have been organized all through the
country, show that idea to be preposter-
ous. Teachers work for high salaries,
the ﬁrst ladies attend them; the pupils
are taught to mix bread with brains, and
salt potatoes with wits, and it is the
brains and wits that make a profession of
what has heretofore been termed
drudgery. The lack of these has cut-
lawed kitchen work. Cooking isaﬁne
art; unless one has a knowledge of
hygiene, ; digestion will be ruined.
Ignorance in the kitchen will cause con-
stant discord throughout the house, and
it is well that the standard of housework
has been raised. for mere drudgery is
benumbing to one’s faculties and cannot
but degrade in the end. It is no wonder
that girls hesitate and shrink from house-
WOrk; intellect and education are both
needed in the kitchen.

But the problem cannot be solved alone
by the girls who respect the work or pre-
pare for it. The kitchen millenium is in
the hands of the housekeeper; there
must be a radical change in her treatment
of help, in her opinion of their position.
It is not neceSsary that she make a com-
panion or conﬁdential friend of her
hired girl, no more than the banker
takes his cashier, or the merchant his
tailor into his conﬁdence and parlor; she
occupies a business relation to her em-
ployer, nothing more, and if she have
good common sense expects no other re
lation. The girl holds an important
place in the home economy, and she will
respect the work that she sees you respect.
Do not hold the idea that she is not as
good as you are; she may be better, she
may be more of a lady than you are.
True politeness springs from the heart, it
must be natural; polished manners mean
something else. Instead of giving orders
in a “ bossing” way, suggest; get her
ideas; if she have as good or better than
you, give her credit and praise. Have it
understood that it is “ our ” work instead
of “ mine,” and that belittlening feeling
that she is nothing but a human machine
will vanish.

The kitchen is the home laboratory, see
that it is pleasant and furnished with
good, handy articles. There has been a
great improvement in cooking utensils
since our grandmothers’ day. I know
how harrowing it is to the feelings to
have choice china or glass smashed and
nicked by carelessness, but often a little

 

prompting will remedy it; it is owing
largely to ignorance, not knowing the
value or worth of such ware. With
pleasant surroundings and good usage,
no intelligent educated girl need hesitate
to take her place in the household as
balance wheel. We need the inﬂuence
of such girls in our homes; our little
children are quick to take up everything
they see, impressions fall as lightly and
imperceptibly upon the childish mind, as
snowﬂakes on the meadow. If we show
such little courtesies as “good morning, ”
or “ good night," it will give pleasure, and
need not cost us even an effort. This
thinking that it ispart of the daily routine
to give a scolding or ﬁnd fault, is wrong;
it really does no good. If one has a fault
point it out, show how it can be remedied,
and nine times out of ten it will not have
to be repeated. You see there is a duty
which each owes the other. If you treat
a good willing girl with respect, she in
turn will work for your interest every
time, and do her best. With all these
things in mind we have answers to our
questions, “What shall we do with our
girls,” and “How shall we keep our
kitchens out of the hands of the vandals.”

EVANGALINE.
BATTLE CREEK.

SPRING FASHIONS.

 

 

All through the zero weather of last
month, when the sidewalks were guarded
by ramparts of snow and the mercury
crept lower and lower in that wonderful
glass tube that has such a remarkable
effect on the weather, one of our
Woodward Avenue dry goods ﬁrms dis-
played windows full of muslins, percales
and satteens, with trails of summer hued
ribbons across them, and the hint at such
airy toilettes sent an involuntary shiver
down one’s spinal column. But the few
mild days of March, indicating that the
“ back bone ” of winter is broken, ﬁlled
the streets with shoppers in spite of the
overﬂowing gutters, and all the stores
swung into line and ﬁlled their windows
with lovely cotton goods, summer under-
wear and cotton hosiery. For it is quite
the proper thing to retire from the gaye-
ties of society on Ash Wednesday, and to
mortifythe ﬂesh through the forty days
of supposed prayer and fasting by doing
up the spring sewing; and merchants and
importers are betimes with their wares.
So general has this custom become, that
it is well understood that if you would
have the cream of cotton fabrics, you
must be on hand when the cases are
opened in February, for the “ early bird "
has the choice of patterns which cannot

be, or are not, duplicated later in the sea-

son.

The new cottons are principally in
lighter tints than usual, fewer medium
and dark colors being seen. Patterns are
either small and dainty or very large and
showy, the. former prevailing in percales
and cambrics, which sell at 15 and 12*
cents respectively. Shaded balls, last
season’s polka spots shaded from light to
dark by tiny spots of color, crescents,
small points of color in squares and par-
allelogram, cubes, clover heads, daisies

 


 

THE HOUSEHOLD

3

 

tiny bouquets, and ﬁne broken lines of
color crossed on a white ground, are the
leading styles. We have ginghams in
dots and stripes. as well as the more
common plaids; and blue is a favorite
color. A novelty in cotton satteens is a
soft goods without dressing, called China
crape from the peculiar crinkled effect of
its twilled surface, strewn with tiny
raised ﬁgures. It comes in soft blues,
pinks, reseda (mignonette green) grey and
cream, plain and ﬁgured, the two to be
combined in one costume. Satteens grow in
favor; they are the handsomest of cotton
goods; the French makes being especially
desirable. The American goods are not
so excellent, nor yet so high—priced. The
French goods are cheaper this year, being
35 cents a yard against 40 last season.
Judging from the display, no‘ young lady
need be afraid to choose white for her
best summer dress; there are beautiful
mulls, cross-barred muslins and nainsooks
at 25 cents per yard. Embroidery is the
favorite trimming for them.

A popular way of making up these
wash dresses for young ladies and misses,
is to have ablouse waist gathered to a
belt, with a full round skirt tucked nearly
to the belt. Often a narrow ﬂounce or
pleating is set on at the bottom to break
the severe lines, the lower tuck falling
over the joining seams. These full skirts
seem odd and old-fashioned to us yet.
despite the persistent effort to restore
them which.has been made for several
seasons. More elaborate dresses have
basque and apron overskirt; many yoke
waists are to be worn with overskirts.

Plain and ﬁgured satteen are 'usually
combined in one costume, and as it may
be worn a long time without washing, the
designs are more elaborate. There are
side panels of the ﬁgured goods, a full
back drapery, and the skirt is rufﬂed.
Perhaps the prettiest style is the polonaise
with full shirred front and plain back,
worn over the skirt of plain goods, which
is rufﬂed. The Gretchen dress is very
simple and becoming for girls. This is
a round, full, gathered skirt, tucked
or embroidered, with a plain round waist
fastened behind, a square pleated plastron
in front, and a sash of the material sewed
in the under arm seams, and tied behind
in a large bow with short ends. There is
a fancy for making this sash of colored
surah for white dresses, using the full
width of the goods, and simply hemming
all edges. There is a fashion of tucking
the yokes of white nainsook dresses
horizontally instead of perpendicularly;
embroidered ﬂounces are gathered on the
skirt, but where this makes the dress too
costly, the ruﬂies and draperies are very
handsome when tucked in quite narrow
lines.

In woolen materials there are the
usual standard goods, which are preferable
to novelties for people of limited means.
Light weight cashmeres, camel’s hair,
serges, etc., are more expensive than
some other materials, but being all wool
and 44 inches wide, are more economical
in the end. Nun’s veiling and wool
batiste make beautiful dresses for sum-
mer wear, especially if lace trimmed; they

 

are quite as desirable as silk. There is a
tendency to plainer skirts, without
ﬁounces. (though the Bazar ﬁgures some
skirts covered to the waist with narrow
rufﬂes), and long full draperies are very
popular because of their simple elegance.
It takes considerable more goods to make
such dresses, but there is the advantage
that it is not cut up into strips good for
nothing but carpet rags when the dress
needs renewing. The skirt pleated in kilt
or box pleats, holds its own in all the new
patterns; the latest modiﬁcation is to
make ﬁve triple box pleats. the top pleat
at least a quarter of a yard, perhaps more,
in width; these pleats constitute the entire
skirt. Another pretty skirt has the
visible part of the front covered with
two deep ﬂounces cut on the lower edge
to form leaves that curve toward one side.
Above this are two full, irregular drap-
eries, each of which is carried up to the
waist on the sides to meet the long breadth
that covers the back of the skirt, the
drapery on the left side makes a deeper
curve than that on the right. If becom~
ing the back may be laid in side or triple
box pleats from the belt to nearly the
foot of the skirt. Or the back may be
caught up in a bunch of pleats on each
side and in the middle near the top.
Polonaises and basques divide popular
favor. The former are very long, the
back often without draping, being laid in
four box pleats deﬁned the whole
length. The front is provided with a
vest, and is open from the waist line
down. Double breasted basques are worn,
and afford a pleasant change from the
vest, which however is so dressy an
adjunct that it holds its own yet. The
outlineof the lap curves over the bust,
narrows at the waist line and again curves
outward. Apretty style has two triple
box pleats in the back. Many of the new
basques are somewhat pointed in front,
short on the sides and back, and with
smooth, plain backs, with no fullness
whatever. A pretty way to trim the
front of a basque is to set in a very nar~
row vest of velvet with collar to match,
and on each side of it add a shirred scarf.
set in at the shoulder seam very close to
or partly upon the neck, and meeting at
the waist line under a fancy buckle.
Sometimes there is a velvet revere on the
the right side of the corsage, and a
shirred scarf on the left which crosses
the bust low down, and ends under a bow
and ends of ribbon at the waist line.
Sleeves are still tight ﬁtting, but not
quite as skin tight as heretofore; they are
set in with a slight fullness at the
shoulder. but not so exaggerated as last
season. There is a tendency to more
elaborate ﬁnish at the wrist, ribbon
bows, reveres, and slashes showing lace
are seen. Collars are regular “dudes,”
the higher the better, indeed the neck
must be dressed very high to be “in
fashion;” the new collars require an
abnormal development of throat to pre-
vent them from sawing off the ears. But-
tons are small and round, the most stylish
not larger than a pea, and are of braided
silk. Galloons and braids, especially
those having an admixture of gilt, are the

 

favorite trimmings for wool dresses; the
new wool laces are popular but more ex-
pensive. Lace, with heavy, ﬁne cut jet
passementorie is the most elegant trim-

ming for silk dresses.
BE ATRIX.
—-—-—¢o¢-———

BEDROOM CARPETS.

 

I hardly need insist on the fact that the
old-fashioned plan of covering every part
of the bedroom with carpet so as to make
the carpet hug the wall is as bad a plan as
can possibly be followed. It is good to
have carpet in every part of the room
where the feet must- regularly be placed.
It is bad to have carpet where the feet are
not regularly placed. By these rules there
should be carpet all around the bed; car-
pet in front of the dressing-table; carpet
opposite the wash stand; but none under
the beds, and none for the space of two
or three feet from the walls of the room.
The carpet that is laid down should be
loose, each piece complete in itself, so
that it can be taken up easily to be shaken-
The advantage of small carpets in the
bedroom are many. They cause the foot
steps to be noiseless, or comparatively
noiseless; they prevent the feet from be-
coming cold While dressing and undress-
ing; they make the room look pleasant,
and when used in this manner save much
trouble in cleaning and keeping the room
free from dust. AUNT NELL.

PLAINW‘ELL.

__.__«...__

BEDDING.

 

()n the subject of beds and bedding,
Beatrix has said nearly all that can be
said. I would not have any feather beds,
unless for some very old person. The
woven wire spring with awool or cot-
ton mattress, is the best for health. For
covering, I would have good comforts,
made of some soft material that will
cling to the person, with a good supply of
blankets for winter, and white spreads
for the outside. For summer, I think
quilts are cooler than blankets; they
should Wery light in weight. so as to
wash eﬁ. I would not buy new cloth
to cut ® for quilts, but would use up the
pieces left from garments, and in as
large pieces aspossible; not in blocks
either, but in half squares or diamonds,
then it is done and no setting together is
needed. Most people sleep with too
much covering on their beds.

I would like to ask 0. if I am mistaken
when I claim her as a friend. I coincide
with Aaron’s Wife in her views on a wife’s
rights.

I think our little paper has been called
sensible by a great many, and It deserves
all the praise it gets. I will close by
wishing the Household many happy re-
turns of its birthday L. J. c.

GOBLEVILLE.
“MP——

WASHING LACE CURTAINS.

 

Now that the spring house cleaning be-
gins to hold terrors for the “house-moth-
er,” as the Germans say. the following
method of ,doing up lace curtains will ﬁnd
favor among our readers:

“Before the curtains are put in the wash

 


 

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 
   
 

 

 

HELP IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

One of the questions that puzzle the.
brain of mothers and fathers at the pres-
ent. time, is “ What. shall we do with our
girls?" We haw: more than know
what. to do with. in every town, and in

'W (’

the country also. we find them, bright,j

loving, energetic, :unbitious, hut sphere-
Thcre is no satisfanétm‘y niche to
be found for them; they are netall needed
at. home; there are no available husbands
for whom they can make homes; they
must be clothed and fed, even though the
parental purse is scanty. They are will-
ingto support themselves, Tiut what can
they do“! Business men from the lakes
to the gulf will tell you there are ﬁfty
applicants for every position. School
teachers are more numerous than schools,
scamstresses, bookkeepers, clerks, every
place is full. While we ftl‘e racking our
brains over this matter. there arises an-
other which is equally as puzzling, the
kitchen question. Our great America is
full of housewives who are. staggering
under the weight of home duties, com-
bining the care of the household. of little
children and social duties. Now what. is
wanted is good strong willing girls to

‘ r '\
;US‘.

take ~true of these multitudinous cares
oﬂ tliz. wei'iry shoulders. girls who will

armreciatr ihc importance of
keep tires

.,,, he cogs are welioi'ed
and smoothly running. Now the only
way to adjust matters and satisfy the
want. is :0 make fhe plus of {he first
:irohlczn satisfy the minus of the second;
to so arrange it that the thonsxnd; of
poorly paid girls. whoare sianvtin‘; behind
counters, or sewing and those who are
waiting for something to do, will take up
the general housework in these homes
where they are so needed. “Oh!” one
says “That’s out of the question; I’ll
starve. first,” while some thrifty house-
keeper says “ It is not practical."

Some

5 \ll
2“.

machinery. and not mly the

H,
*llvix‘i

go but see

Let us look at the dollars and cents for
a moment. Let us take the girl who
clerks. sews in a shop, copies; $1 per
day, counting Sundays out and supposing
she loses no time will amount to $313,
her board at. $4 will amount to $208, leav—
ing a. balance of $105. She must wear
wool dresses. and adding gloves. hats
and various little articles. all of which
seem necessary, there is often nothing
left over for a rainy day, in fact. i am
told there is no money for car fare, and
in stormy, sloppy weather she is obliged
to walk to and fro, sitting with wet feet
all day. Now the girl in the kitchen
will receive from $2 to $3 per Week. no
Sundays out, seldom a lost day charged.
Her board costs nothing. Calico answers
everv purpose, no fancy shoes or hats are
required, she is fairly dealt with by her
mistress, her money is ready when she
wants it. it leaves a cash balance in
favor of house work. Is it because the
work is so undesirable that help is scarce?
Housework is undeniably hard, there is a.
great deal of drudgery about it. But the
washing, ironing and scrubbing does not
occupy all the week, any smart girl will
get. this out of the way in three days and

have some time to sit down, her evenings
are her own in which to pursue what she
chooses, the work is healthy, her step is
elastic, color good, eyes bright, what tires
the body does not stretch the nerves, ap-
petite good. and a good night‘s sleep
leaves her fresh for another day's work.
To be sure the hands are brown and
1 rough. but. what is that compared to good
health and a char. conscience? Housework
is respectable; for if it is not. considered
disreputable for the mistress to do her
own work, it. will notuntit the maid for
social standing.

it is the general opinion that muscle is
all that is n-irded in housework. that if a
girl has no sense whatever she can do
_ housework. Now the cooking schools
that have been organized all through the
country, show that idea to be preposter-
ous. Teachers work for high salaries,
the first ladies attend them; the pupils
are taught to mix bread with brains, and
salt potatoes with wits, and it is the
brains and wits that make a profession of
what has heretofore been termed
drudgery. The lack of these has cut-
lawed kitchen work. Cooking isafine
art; unless one has a. knowledge of
hygiene. digestion will be ruined.
Ignorance in the kitchen will cause con-
stant discord throughout the house. and
it is well that the standard of housework
has lieen riised. for mere drudgery is
lltflltlllliilllif to one}: faculties and cannot
l degrade in the end. it is no wonder
hat girls hesitate and shrink from house
work: intellect and education are both
needed in tin". kitchen.

 

‘

:l‘

V
g

4
l

ilut the problemrannot be solved alone
by the girls who rtspeet the work or pre-
pare for it. The kitchen millenium is in
the hands

of help, in her opinion of their position
It is not; necessary that she make a com-
panion or conﬁdential friend of her
hired girl. no more than the banker
takes his cashier, or the merchant his
tailor into his conﬁdence and parlor; she
occupies a business relation to her em-
ployer. nothing more. and if she have
good common sense expects no other re-
lation. The girl holds an important
place in the home economy. and she will
respect the work that she sees you respect.
Do not hold the idea that she is not as
good as you are; she may be better. she
may be more of a lady than you are.
True politeness springs from the heart, it
must be natural; polished manners mean
something else. Instead of giving orders
in a “bossing” way, suggest; get her
ideas; if she have as good or better than
you, give her credit and praise. Have it
understood that. it is “ our” work instead
of “ mine." and that behttlening feeling
that she is nothing but a human machine
will vanish.

The kitchen is the home laboratory, see
that it. is pleasant and furnished with
good. handy articles. There has been a
great improvement in cooking utensils
since our grandmothers’ day. I know
how harrowing it is to the feelings to
have choice china or glass smashed and
nicked by carelessness. but often a little

 

prompting will remedy it; it is owing
largely to ignorance, not knowing the
value or worth of such ware. With
pleasant surroundings and good usage,
no intelligent educated girl need hesitate
to take her place in the household as
balance wheel. We need the inﬂuence
of such girls in our homes; our little
children are quick to take up everything
theysee. impressions fall as lightly and
imperceptibly upon the childish mind, as
snowﬂakes on the meadow. If we show
such little courtesics as “good morning,"
or “ good night.” it will give pleasure, and
need not cost; us even an effort. This
thinking that it is part of the daily routine
to give a scolding or find fault, is wrong;
it really does no good. If one has a fault
point it out, show how it can be remedied,
and nine times out of ten it will not. have
to be repeated. You see there is aduty
which each owes the other. If you treat
agood willing girl with respect. she in
turn will work for your interest every
time, and do her best. With all these
things in mind we have answers to our
questions, “What shall we do with our
girls," and “ How shall we keep our
kitchens out of the hands ofthe vandals."

 

EVANGALINE.
BATTLE CREEK.
~——— -———-—¢o>—~———~
SPRING FASHIONS.

All through the zero weather of last
month, when the sidewalks were guardn, d
by ramparts of snow and the mercury
crept lovver and lower in that» wonderful
glass ube that has such a. remarkable
effect on the Weather, one of our
W'oodward AVenue dry goods firms dis-
played windows fall of muslins, percales

. and satteens, with trails of summer hood
of the housekeeper: there ‘
must be a radical change in her treatment 3

ribbons across them, and the hint at such
airy toilettes sent an involuntary shiver
down one’s spinal column. But the few
mild days of March, indicating that the
“ back bone ” of winter is broken, ﬁlled
the streets with shoppers in spite of the
overﬂowing gutters, and all the stores
swung into line and ﬁlled their windows
with lovely cotton goods, summer under-
wear and cotton hosiery. For it is quite
the proper thing to retire fmm the gaye-
ties of society on Ash Wednesday, and to
mortifythe ﬂesh through the forty days
of supposed prayer and fasting by doing
up the spring sewing; and merchants and
importers are betimes with their wares.
So general has this custom become, that
it is well understood that if you would
have the cream of cotton fabrics, you
must be on hand when the cases are
opened in February. for the “ early bird "
has the choice of patterns which cannot
be, or are not. duplicated later in the sea-
son.

The. new cottons are principally in
lighter tints than usual, fewer medium
and dark colors being seen. Patterns are
either small and dainty or very large and
showy, the former prevailing in percales
and cambrics, which sell at 15 and 12%;
cents respectively. Shaded balls, last
season’s polka spots shaded from light to
dark by tiny spots of color, crescents,
small points of color in squares and par-

 

allelograms. cubes, clover heads. daisies

  

 


 

tiny bouquets, and ﬁne broken lines of
color crossed on a white ground, are the
leading styles. We have ginghams in
dots and stripes. as well as the more
common plaids; and blue is a favorite
color. A novelty in cotton satteens is a
soft goods without dressing, called China
crape from the peculiar crinkled effect of .
its twilled surface. strewn with tiny .
raised ﬁgures. It comes in soft blues,
pinks. reseda lmignonette green) grey and
cream, plain and ﬁgured. the two to be
combined in onetostume. Satteens grow in :
favor; they are the handsomest of cotton
goods; the French makes being especially
desirable. The American goods are not

 

so excellent. 1 or yet so high—priced. The .
French goods are cheaper this year. being i
35 cents a yard against 40 last season. '
Judging from the display, no_ young lady
need be afraid to choose White for her
best summer dress; there are beautiful
mulls, cross-barredmuslins and nainsooks
at ‘25 cents per yard. Embroidery is the
favorite trimming for them.

A popular way of making up these
wash dresses for young ladies and misses.
is to have ablouse waist gathered to a
belt, with a full round skirt tucked nearly
to the belt. Often a narrow ﬁounce or
pleating is set on at the bottom to break
the severe lines, the lower tuck falling
over the joining seams. These full skirts
seem odd and old‘fashioned to us yet.
despite the persistent effort. to restore
them Whichhas been made for several
seasons. More elalmratc dresses have
basque and apron overskirt: many yoke
waists are to be worn with ov‘rsldrzs.

Plain and ﬁgured satteen are usually
combined in one costume. and as it may .
be worn a longtime without washing. the I
designs are more elaborate. There are
side panels of the figured goods. a full
back drapery, and the skirt is rutiied.
Perhaps the prettiest style is the polonaise
With full shirred front and plain back.
worn over the skirt of plain goods. which
is ruﬁled. The Gretchen dress is very
simple and becoming for girls. This is
a round, full, gathered skirt. tucked
or embroidered, with a plain round waist
fastened behind, a square pleated plastron
in front, and a sash of the material sewed
in the under arm seams, and tied behind
in a large bow with short ends. There is
a fancy for making this sash of colored
surah for white dresses, using the full
width of the goods, and simply hernming
all edges. There is a fashion of tucking
the yokes of white nainsook dresses
horizontally instead of perpendicularly;
embroidered ﬂounces are gathered on the
skirt, but where this makes the dress too
costly, the rufﬂes and draperies are very
handsome when tucked in quite narrow
lines.

In woolen materials there are the
usual standard goods,which are preferable
to novelties for people of limited means.
Light weight cashmeres. camel's hair.
serges, etc., are more eXpensive than
some other materials, but being all wool
and 44 inches wide, are more economical
in the end. Nun’s veiling and wool
batiste make beautiful dresses for sum~
mer wear, especially iflace trimmed;they l

 

are quite as desirable as silk. There is a
tendency to plainer skirts. without
ﬂounces. (though the Razor ﬁgures some
skirts covered to the waist with narrow
rufﬂes), and long full draperies are very
popular because of their simple elegance.
It takes considerable more goods to make
such dresses, but there is the advantage
that. it is not cut up into strips good for
nothing but carpet. rags when the dress
110de renewing. The skirt pleated in kilt
or box pleats. holzls its own in all the new
patterns: the latest modiﬁcation is
make ﬁve triple box pleats. the top pleat
at least a quarter of a yard, perhaps: more.

in

skirt. Another pretty skirt has the
visible part of the front. covered with
two deep ﬂounces cut on the lower edge
to form leaves that curve toward one side.
Above this are two full, irregular drap~
cries, each of which is carried up to the
waist on the sides to meet the long breadth
that covers the back of the skirt. the
drapery on the left side makes a deeper
curve than that on the right. If becom-
ing the back may be laid in side or triple
box pleats from the belt to nearly the
foot of the skirt. Or the back may be
caught up in a bunch of pleats on each
side and in the middle near the top.
Polonaise-s and basques divide popular
favor. The former are very long. the
back often without draping. being laid in

THE HO USEHOLD

    

3

favorite trimmings for wool dresses; the
new wool laces are popular but more ex-
pensive. Lace. with heavy. ﬁne cut jet
passementorie is the most elegant trim-
ming for silk dresses.

charm x.

__‘_.‘..___.._.

BEDROOM CAR PETS.

 

I hardly need in<i<t on the fact that the
old~fashioned plan of covering every part

of the bedroom with carpet SH as to make

5 the carpet hug the wall i< as bad :i plan as

can possibly be followed.
have. car

It is good to

It in every part of the room

-_5L

j where the feet must regularly be placed.
. . . . - l
in Width: these pleats constitute the entire 1

It is bad to have carpet where the feet are
not regularly placed. By these rules there

. should be carpet all around the bed; ear.

pet in front of the dressing—table; carpet
opposite the wash stand: but none under
the beds, and none for the space of two
or three feet from the walls of the room.
The carpetthat is laid down should be
loose. each piece complete in itself, so
that it can be taken up easily to be shaken-

;The advantage of small carpets in the

trouble in cleaning :
. free trout dus‘.

four box pleat-i deﬁned the whole
length. The front. is provide-'1 with a
vest, and is open from the waist line .

down. I) )ublc breaste-‘l basque; are worn.

and afford a pleaSztni change from the
vest. which however so w
adjunct that it holds its The
outlincoi' the lap curves over the host

is l

own 3' .. .
narrows at the waistline (and againc‘irve’m
outward. A pretty style has two triple
box pleats in the back. Many of the new
)aSques are somewhat pointed in front.
short on the sides and back. and with
smooth. plain backs. with no fullness
whatever. A pretty way to trim the
front of a basque is to set in a very nar-
row vest of velvet with collar to match.
and on each side of it add a shirred scarf.
set in at the shoulder seam very close to
or partly upon the neck. and meeting at
the waist line under a fancy buckle.
Sometimes there is a velvet revere on the
the right side of the corsage, and a
Shirred scarf on the left which crosses
the bust low down, and ends under a bow
and ends of ribbon at the waist line.
Sleeves are still tight ﬁtting. but not
quite as skin tight as heretofore: they are
set in with a slight fullness at the
shoulder. but not so exaggerated as last
season. There is a tendency to more
elaborate ﬁnish at the wrist, ribbon
bows. reveres, and slashes showing lace
are seen. Collars are regular “dudes,”
the higher the better, indeed the neck
must be dressed very high to be “in
fashion.” the new collars require an
abnormal development of throat to pre~
vent them from sawing off the ears. But-
tons are small and round. the most stylish
not larger than a pea, and are of braided
silk. Galloons and braids, especially

'. ton mattress, is the best for health.

bedroom are many. They cause the foot
steps to be noiseless. or comparatively
noiseless: they prevent the feet from be-
comingr cold while drgssing and undress
ing: they make the room look pleasant.
and when 115(le in this manner save much
oil keeping the room
Ai'x'reri.i..

l" \axweri.

«w» » ~~—<6-o¢~v-- M M
BEDDHVG.
Uri in: subject of heels and bedding,
leatrix has «till iearly all that can be.
said. I wonli not how my feather beds.

unleut for very old person. “he

spring with =1W‘Hll or cot-

some
WU‘Js-P 2"er

For

lcovering, I would have good comforts,

 

those having an admixture of gilt, are the l

l made

. L‘
1.);

some soft material that will
cling to the person, Wlill agood supply of
blankets for winter. and white spreads
for the outside. For summer. I think
quilts are cooler than blankets: they
should be very light in weight. so as to
wash easy. Iwould not buy new cloth
to cut up for quilts, but would use up the
pieces left from garments. and in as
large pieces as possible: not in blocks
either. but, in half Squares or diamonds.
then it is done and no setting together is
needed. Most people sleep with
much covering on their beds.

I would like to ask C. if I am mistaken
when I claim her as a friend. I coincide
with Aaron's Wife in her views on a wife's
rights.

I think our little paper has been called
sensible by a great many, and it deserves
all the praise it gets. [will close by
wishing the Household many happy re-
turns of its birthday 1.. J.

(it'H:LEVILl.bZ.
_______ _...,_..

\VASHING LACE CURTAINS.
Now that the spring house cleaning be-
gins to hold terrors for the “ house-moth-
er," as the Germans say. the following
method of.doing up lace curtains will find
favor among our readers:
“Before the curtains are put in the wash

too

1}.

 

    


 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 
   

 

 

tack all around them narrow strips of
white cotton cloth an inch .or two wide.
Dissolve a little soda in milk-warm water,
and put in the curtains. Let them remain
for half an hour, stirring and pressing
them occasionally. Wring them very
carefully—rather squeezing than wringing
—whenever this process is performed.
Place them in cold water for an hour,
then wash them with soap and warm wa-
ter. Wash again in clear water, rather
warmer than the last. Rinse them in
bluing water (only slightly blue, unless
the curtains are very yellow). Wring
carefully in clean towels. They are now
ready for starching. Make the starch ac-
cording to the usual process, but be sure
tohave it clear and good, and thin for
muslin and very thin for lace. Thick
starch is utterly destructive to the ﬁne,
soft appearance of the lace. Stir a few
times round in the starch, while boiling,
a wax or sperm candle, or put into it a
small piece of white wax. If the latter is
used it should be melted and poured in.
When the starch is ready pour half of it
into one pan and half into another. Dip
the curtains in one, wring them out in
towels, then dip into the second and wring
again. Over the ﬂoor of an unoccupied
room spread a couple of sheets, one under
the other for each curtain; shake the
curtain and lay it down smoothl , the
edges of the cotton cloth tgthe e ges of
the sheet. Pin down the top and bottom.
The other sides will then come perfectly
straight without pinning. Leave the
curtains to dry. When dry they should not
be folded, but put up at once, or, if you
wish to put them away for a while, roll
them tightly in a loose, soft roll, and
wrap in blue paper or cotton (the former
is preferable), and lay them where no
weight will press against them.”
_—...———

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Prairie Farmer
insists that to ensure uniformity in but-
ter, “ make the best butter,” there must
be enough at each churning to ﬁll the
tub or crock it is to be packed in.

 

WHEN a knob comes off ’a door handle,
you can fasten it on again by ﬁlling the
cavity in the knob with shlphur, then
heat the iron end of the handle which
goes in the knob, just hot enough to melt
the sulphur, put the knob in ‘-and let it
cool. It will be ﬁrmly ﬁxed in .

   
 

 

THE blue denim, or sink for
. men’s overalls, has been applied;_ decor—
ative purposes in some ﬁne hdises cast,
its soft, peculiar blue m considered
very beatitiful in draperies with certain
tints of walls and carpets. It would be
very effective over a long gilt pole, a
single length being thrown in a festoon
upon it, with hanging ends. It is cheap;
try it.

 

A NOVEL way of mending a woolen
dress in which a round hole has been
torn, and where only a patch could
remedy matters, is as follows: The
frayed portions around the tear were
carefully smoothed, and a piece of the
material, moistened with very thin
mucilage, was placed under the hole.
A heavy weight was put upon it until it
was dry, when it was only possible to
discover the mended place by careful
observation.

 

A WOMAN with a gift for carpentering

    

it is a “ household convenience” which
she views with pride, notwithstanding the

cotton wears longer and is stronger than
bleached,sat less cost.

up. A good way to do this is to scald it

 

 

tells us in the Country Gentleman how
she made a zinc-lined washstand for her
kitchen. A box the desired size and
shape was made of some old boards. An
old washing machine furnished the legs.
She lined it with zinc with considerable
trouble and much hammering, but says

fact that one set of legs will slant inward,
in spite of her.

MANY ladies claim that the unbleached

So they buy the
unbleached and whiten it before making

and spread it out on the snow, taking it
up and scalding again on wash day. The
same eﬁect is produced by scalding and
hanging on the line to freeze, scalding
again whenever the cloth freezes dry.
Others use chloride of lime, a safe process
if the cloth is rinsed in a copious supply
of water afterward.

 

SLIGHTLY soiled white woolen articles,
knitted or crocheted, may ‘be made to
look as well as new if they are carefully
rubbed in ﬂour. Cover them with ﬂour
and rub gently, as if washing, until the
ﬂour becomes dark. Shake out the
article and rub in clean ﬂour until all soil
is removed. Shake well and hang in the
wind until no atom of ﬂour remains in
the wool. Of course one would not care.
to cleanse in this way articles ‘that are
worn next to the body, but for shawls,
capes and head coverings ﬂour answers
admirably.

 

IF you have “gumption” enough to
drive a nail, you can manufacture a
very pretty fancy table at very slight exs
pense. Take the handles to three worn
out brooms, sandpaper and paint them
black; “ebonize” them. Fasten them
together ﬁrmly, crossing them at about
two-thirds the length—the only really dif-
ﬁcult thing to do in the {whole proceiss of
manufacture—nail the head of a ﬂour
barrel on for a top. Cover it with dark
crimson felt, on which you have em-
broidered a bunch of daisies, cluster of
leaves, or any pretty design. For an

edge, add a pretty woolen fringe, which
you can buy for from 75 cents to $1 25
per yard. Or cut leaf points of the felt
embroidering each, and put on a double
row, the point of one appearing between
the curve of two others. The result will
be a,very “cute ” little table, quite an
addition to every room.

—_._‘.._.—

Contributed Recipes.

 

PICKLED CABBAGE—One peck chopped
cabbage; sprinkle one ‘teacupful of salt
through it and let remain over night. Next
morning pour off the brine, and put in a kettle
with enough vinegar to cover nicely. Add two
tablespoonfuls of black pepper, two of
ground mustard, or whole seeds, two of ground
cloves, two of allspice, and one ounce of celery
seed, and one pound of brown sugar. Boil one
hour. A very nice pickle is made by taking
one peek of sliced green tomatoes and one pint
sliced onions, and prepare as above .

Cnican Satan—Two chickens ; boil tender,

    

bunches of celery to each chicken, chopped
also; half pint vinegar, two eggs, one table-
spoonful salad oil, one of liquid mustard, one-
of sugar, one of salt, one salt spoon of red
pepper. Beat the eggs and vinegar together
until quite thick; then beat the oil, mustard
and red pepper together, and stir into it ;.
mix thoroughly with the chicken and celery.
This is sufﬁcient for ten persons.

To COOK PARSNIPS.-After scraping cut in
pieces four inches long, and boil tender in
salted water; calculate the quantity Of water
so it will be boiled away as the parsnips are
done; then add a very generous lump of butter
and some pepper, and when browned nicely
add a coffee cup Of thick sweet cream; let re-
main over the ﬁre a few minutes and serve. An
old lady, a very experienced cook, learned me
to cook parsnips so, and I call them excellent.

EVANGALINE,
BATTLE CREEK.

 

SOFT GINGER CAKE—TWO cups molasses,
one cup butter, one cup buttermilk, one egg,
two teaspoonfuls of soda, the same of ginger.
Mix rather stiff.

FRUIT CAKE—One and a half cups of sugar,
one cup raisins, one cup sweet milk, one tea-
spoonful cloves, one teaspoonful cinnamon,
one teaspoonful of soda, three tablespoonqu
of shortening.

WHITE CAKE No. 1.—One cup sugar, half
cup butter, half cup sweet milk, two cups of
ﬂour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-
teaspoonful of lemon extract, whites of four
eggs.

WHITE GARE No. 2.—Two cups sugar, half
cup butter, three-quarters cup sweet milk, two
and a half cups ﬂour, two and a half teaspoon-
fuls baking powder, one teaspoonful of lemon
extract, whites of four eggs. L. J. C.

GOBLEVILLE.

IF YOU WANT

 

 

Profitable Employment

SEND AT ONO] TO

THE NEW [MIR KNITTEB 60.,

For Full Information.

An ordinary operator can earn from one to three
dollars per da in any community in the Northern
States on our ew Lamb Knitter. '
100 Varieties of Fabric on Same Machine.
You can wholly ﬁnish twelve pairs ladies’ mn-
shaped stockings or twenty pairs socks or mitten.
in a day! Ski] ed operators can double this
duction. Capacity and range of work double
of the old Lamb knitting machine. Address
The New Lamb Knitter Co”
117 and 119 Main St., west, chxsox, man.

'AMES FYI-['8

 

   

THE BEST THING KN OWlV

FOB

In Hard or Soft, Hot or Cold Water.

YES LABOR, TIME and SOAP AMAZ—
GLY, and gives universal satisfaction. NC
family, rich or poor, should be Without it.

7‘ ' allG ocers. BEWARE of imitation!
wgﬁl‘getggned 1to mislead, PEARLINE 15 the
ONLY SAFE labor—saving compound, and n.
We bears the above symbol, and name of

JAMES PYLE. NEW YORK.

 

pick meat from the bones, and chop; two

 

