TX ^^^ riCAL SUGGESTIONS nC FOR iviuiriER AND HOUSEWIFE Book A?€ > GopyiightN". COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife|^ By MARION MILLS MILLER, Litt.D. Edited by THEODORE WATERS THE CHRISTIAN HERALD BIBLE HOUSE NEW YORK Copyright, 1910, by THE CHRISTIAN HERALD NEW YORK ' * • • * ©CI.A278194 Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife 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. De- signing book covers. Patterns. CHAPTER II THE SINGLE WOMAN Teaching. Teaching Women in Society. Par- liamentary law. Games. Book-reviewing. Manuscript-reading for publishers. Library work. Teaching music and painting. Home study of professional housework. The unmar- ried daughter at home. The woman in busi- ness. Her relation to her employer. Securing an increase of salary. The woman of indepen- dent means. Her civic and social duties. y vi CONTENTS CHAPTER III THE WIFE Nature's intention in marriage. The wom- an's crime in marrying for support. Her blun- der 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 apart- ment. 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 garden- ing. Water sunply. Water power. Illumina- tion. 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 par- lor. Rugs and carpets. Oriental rugs. Floors. CONTENTS vil Treatment of hardwood. Of other wood. How to stain a floor covering. CHAPTER Vn FURNITURE AND DECORATION The carpet square. Furniture for the parlor. Parlor decoration. The piano. The Hbrary. Arrangement of books. The "Den." The liv- ing-room. The dining-room. Bedrooms. How to make a bed. The guest chamber. Window shades and blinds. CHAPTER Vni THE MOTHER Nursing the child. The mother's diet. Wean- ing. The nursing bottle. Milk for the baby. The baby's table manners. His bath. Cleans- ing 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. Phy- sical exercise. Intellectual exercise. Forming the bath habit. Teething. Forming the tooth- brush 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 viii CONTENTS beauty culture. Manicuring as a home employ- ment. Recipes for toilet preparations. Nail- biting. Fragile nails. White spots. Chapped hands. Care of the skin. Facial massage. Re- cipes for skin lotions. Treatment of facial blem- ishes and disorders. Care of the hair. Diseases of the scalp and hair. Gray hair. Care of eye- brows 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 jBook." Value of the cuts of meat. CHAPTER XII GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COOKING Texture and flavor of meat. General meth- ods 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. Harricot 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. CONTENTS ix 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. Tlie 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 dis- pensing 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 INTRODUCTION xi better democratic age the co-partnership of civic and family rights and duties. Modern science and invention, civic and economic progress, the growth of humani- tarian 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 Agri- cultural 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 up- lifting of American homes and the assis- tance of the homemakers. These researches are at the call of every housewife. How- ever, to save her the bewilderment of se- lection 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 present- ed, with the permission of the respective authorities, together with many other sug- gestions of utilitarian character which may assist the mother and housewife to a greater fulfillment of her office in the up- lift of the home. Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife 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 JournaUst — The Editor — The Advertising Writ- er — 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 1 9 THE SINGLE W02IAN condition that confronts us, must be ac- cepted, and the best made of it. Whether by economic compulsion or personal prefer- ence, it is a fact that a large number of American men remain bachelors, and a cor- responding 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. Ac- cordingly 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 mar- riage, or as the determining of a permanent condition of life. In either case the prob- lem before her is to choose, like Mr. Hath- away'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, educa- tion in the broad sense of self-culture and development is of primary importance. The THE SINGLE WOMAN 3 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 seri- ous 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 ob- serve it in its relations, and to apply it prac- tically, will inevitably lead to superficial 4 THE SINGLE WOMAN 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 im- pulse and chance, and be continually at a loss how to correct her errors. The shal- lowness 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 pro- fession, they do not substitute some definite interest for such remissness, and so form the habit of intellectual laziness. The study which an unmarried and un- employed 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 finan- cial ruin by a daughter studying the busi- ness or the profession of the father, and, upon his breakdown from ill-health, becom- ing 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 ques- tion of the farmer's management, and less and less of his personal manual labor, a daughter in a farmer's family already sup- plied with one or more housekeepers may, as legitimately as a son, study the science THE SINGLE W 031 AN 5 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 authori- tative 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 commxon-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 sci- ence of psychology is the foundation of the art of pedagogy, and every woman, partic- ularly 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 or- gans, together with its corollary, hygiene, the care of the health. From ancient times psychology and physiology have been con- sidered as equally associated and of prime importance. "A sound mind in a sound 6 THE SINGLE WOMAN 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 em- peror 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 be- come a speaker or writer needs to begin with it rather than with the study of elocu- tion 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 subsi- diary 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 THE SINGLE WOMAN 7 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 "dem- onstration" was the greatest word in the language. Delineation of character is the chief ele- ment of fiction, and herein literary aspir- ants 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 re- cord things "just as they happened." This is a mistake. Aristotle laid down the fun- damental 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 pecu- 8 THE SIJS^GLE WOMAN liarly the province of the woman author, and here, because of her knowledge of the mind of the child, she is apt to be most suc- cessful. The best of stories about children and for children have been written by school-teachers. Of these authors a notable instance was the late xVlyra Kelly, whose adaptations in story form of her experi- ences 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 corre- spondent 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 wTiting of good, plain English, rather than ''smart" journalese should be the aim. Stale, vulgar and in- correct phrases, such as ''Sundayed," and "in our midst," should be avoided. There are two tests in selecting a news item : ( i ) 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 regard- less of a third consideration, which is too THE SINGLE WOMAN 9 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 legal- ly proved. Many a publisher has had to pay heavy damages because he has over- looked, or permitted to be published, an un- warranted statement or opinion of a re- porter or correspondent. But even though there were no law against libel, the com- mandment 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 her- self in interviewing people. After such a preparation as this, one may confidently enter the active profession of 10 THE SINGLE WOMAN journalism as a reporter, preferably upon the paper for which she has been writing. Since in entering any profession opportun- ity 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 discrimina- tion 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 ad- vantage over men in their special adapta- tion 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 her- self if she is able to toil from eight to fif- teen hours of the day, seven days in the week ; if she is willing to take whatever assignment may be given; to go wherever THE SINGLE WOMAN 11 sent, to accomplish what she is delegated to do, at whatever risk, or rebuff, or in- convenience ; 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 report- ers are, with a few notable exceptions, not large. As low as $8 and $io 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 thor- oughly 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 12 THE SINGLE WOMAN $25 a week for assistant editors to $50 and upward for the heads of departments. Book piibHshers 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 de- signs of the ideas, though this is not essen- tial. It is the advertising columns of the news- papers 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 afiford a far THE SINGLE WOMAN 13 safer field, in respect to remuneration, than the making of oil-paintings and water-col- ors. If ability in drawing is conjoined with ability in designing and writing advertise- ments, the earnings are more than doubled. Since payment for the individual drawing is more customary than employing an art- ist at a fixed salary, illustrating and the de- signing 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 com.mercial catalogues, and the prices paid are low, $9 a week being the rule for beginners. Designers of pat- terns, etc., for various manufacturers re- ceive 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 n THE SINGLE WOMAN Teaching — Teaching Women in Society — ParHamentary Law — Games — Book- reviewing — Manuscript-reading for PubHshers — Library Work — Teaching Music and Painting — Home Study of Professional Housework — The Un- married Daughter at Home — The Woman in Business — Her Relation to Her Employer — Securing an Increase of Salary — The Woman of Independ- ent Means — Her Civic and Social Duties. Teaching is a profession that is particu- larly the province of the unmarried woman. The best teachers are those who have chosen it as their life-work, and have there- fore 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 14 THE SINGLE WOMAN 15 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 suffi- cient safeguard, since many girls are clever enough to ''cram up" sufficiently to pass the examination who have not had the perse- verance necessary to master the subjects they are to teach, not to speak of that in- terest in the broad subject of pedagogy, without which the application of its prin- ciples 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 genera- tion. There is a general complaint that the salaries of school-teachers are too low, measured by the rewards of persons of cor- responding 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 ac- corded the teacher by the community and 16 THE SINGLE WOMAN 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 increas- ing, so that the school-teacher is more cer- tain than the member of any other profes- sion that she will be rewarded worthily in the future. The establishment of the Car- negie pension fund for retired college pro- fessors 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 v/oman wdio 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 prac- tise is the most entertaining as well as the most improving play in which women can join. There is also a demand among women w^ho 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 THE SINGLE WOMAN IT prizes at the game. Then, too, a greater amount of time is spent at it than is legiti- mate for recreation. For moral reasons, therefore, the teaching of it cannot be rec- ommended. Straight whist is also played oc- casionally for money, but this practise, hap- pily, 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 maga- zines, to literary style and construction. The average reader assimilates only a small per- centage of what he reads. The careful thought which the author puts into his man- ner of presentation, no less than into the matter, is appreciated by very few of his readers, and by these only to a limited ex- tent. Especially is this true of fiction. If one wishes to become an author, he should first cultivate this power of criticism, al- ways accompanying the study by exercises in reconstruction of faults in the author read. Thus, wherever a sentence appears awkward in expression, the reader should 18 THE SINGLE WOMAN revise it; wherever there is a seeming er- ror in the logical development of a subject, or the psychological development of a fic- titious 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 ar- tistic error, false to psychology, her heroine being doomed to unhappiness by her char- acter. After creating his characters, and placing them in situations where their in- dividuality 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 indi- cation of shallowness than the desire to read only about pleasant subjects and char- acters and events. It is akin to the habit of ignoring the existence of everything dis- agreeable in life, which Dickens has satir- ized 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 THE SINGLE WOMAN 19 a grown woman than to be "sweet" and "in- nocent," in the limited sense of these terms. A woman, Hke a man, should "see Hfe steadily, and see it whole." The foundation of a critical habit in read- ing 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 pay- ment 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 Car- negie and others, is offering to thousands of American women. The salaries are low, but in considering entering upon the work. 90 THE SINGLE WOMAN weight should be given to the opportunities for Hterary knowledge and culture it af- fords 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 in- ventory of her intellectual store-house will be invaluable. It matters not how small the library is, for ''intensive l Uivation" is as profitable in mental culture as in agri- culture. 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 appreci- ation of art. The only true connoisseur is the one who can enter into the delight felt by the artist in creating his work. Exer- cise leads to invention. The ancients well said that the contortions of the sibyl gen- erated 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 THE SINGLE WOMAN 21 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 un- married woman, no less than the married, need only be mentioned here, as their ap- propriateness for the girl at home is obvi- ous, and they are fully discussed elsewhere in this serie^r It should be suggested, how- ever, that the greater leisure of the unmar- ried woman enables her to try experiments in these subjects while the married house- wife is too fully occupied by the routine of her duties to undertake them. Indeed, if a woman become a notable cook after mar- riage, 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 sympa- thy, however separated from her in dis- tance. Therefore, when she lives at home, what a special obligation is there to be her 92 THE SINGLE WOMAN mother's comfort and dependence! Even though she acquire greater skill in house- hold 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 dimin- ish. In respect to the direction of children, the elder daughter should take a hint from the manner in which the school-teacher sup- plements 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 al- ways 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 leader- ship to the married women, and, after them, to the professional teachers. Religious, so- cial, and civic matters, wherein as a church member and a citizen she is on an equal iooting with wives and teachers, afford her THE SINGLE WOMAN 23 ample scope for exercising her instinct for leadership. Every unmarried woman who lives alone should, whether or not she possess an in- come, 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 econ- omic 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 mat- ters women are apt to be either too com- plaisant 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 de- mand acting in the labor market allots wages between workers with natural jus- tice — certainly more equitably than the in- 24 THE SINGLE WOMAN terested opinion either of employer or em- ployee. It will be seen that the woman in business needs to study the fundamental elements of political economy even more than the house- wife. 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 fel- low 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 be- tween 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 starva- tion point, but for this condition the em- ployer, 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 THE SINGLE WOMAN 25 it is this class that the low-paid workers should blame, and, as citizens, take meas- ures 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 loy- alty 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 m.eet 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 fash- ion 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. 26 THE SINGLE WOMAN 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 con- fidences 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 obliga- tion 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 busi- ness. This she may do indirectly in the case of character, and directly in the case of nature of business. If the employer re- fuses 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 effi- ciency, and has seen that it is producing THE SINGLE WOMAN 27 an amount of returns to the business of which she is not receiving her proportion- ate share, it is her right and duty to ask for an increase in wages. If she fails to receive this, she should investigate the con- ditions 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 em- ployment 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 M a r r i a g e — T h e Woman's Crime in Marrying for Sup- port — Her Blunder in Marrying an In- efficient 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 dis- charge 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 sym- pathize in his sorrows, divert his fatigue, and share his pleasures. H 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 be- cause it is of general expectation and reali- 28 THE WIFE 29 zation. 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 compen- sating society by other services for this lost opportunity. Marriage for a woman means attainment first and fulfilment after, the re- ward given in advance of labor, and there- fore 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 responsi- bility 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 earn- ing the living of the home sometimes has the effect of making her careless about ex- penditure. 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, a*^d even 30 THE WIFE 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 need- ful 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 her- self in those household avocations and so- cial 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 oflFerings 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 THE WIFE 31 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 neces- sarily 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 hap- piest where a wife can also enter into sym- pathy 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 com- panion 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 32 THE WIFE 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 useful- ness to him will be in her strengthening his weak points, and cultivating his right in- clinations until they are confirmed habits. Yet in this work she should realize the im- perfections 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 lov- ing tact, especially in the improvement of her husband's habits and traits, even though he realizes it, he is at heart grateful for it. THE WIFE 33 and proud of his wife's superiority in these points. In those matters where the characters of husband and wife are strong enough to per- mit frankness, this should always be em- ployed. 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 hus- band 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 propen- sity 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 Tempor- ary 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. 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, occu- pied 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 34 THE HOUSE 35 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 out- side 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 hu- man interest in the people of their street, or ward, or village, for influence in civic re- form 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 play- mates are moral or vicious in their ten- dencies. 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 gen- erally found to be the local causes of bad neighbors. 36 THE HOUSE Of course, a neighborhood should be se- lected where there are good public schools, churches, and allied institutions for educa- tion and culture. It is always a loss to a child in this democratic country to be edu- cated 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 refin- ing 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 mar- ried 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 plumb- ing, 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 pre- vailing 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 ap- propriate for rent. As a rule, this amount is not more than one-fourth of income. When an apartment house has been prop- THE HOUSE 3T erly 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 de- signs 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 ar- rangement, the furniture should be chosen with a view to its adaptability for a house. Thus folding-beds should be avoided, and 38 THE HOUSE other articles that gain space by complex- ity, 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 else- where, should be slipped into covers har- monious 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 desir- able 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 pil- low cushions harmonious with the decora- THE HOUSE 39 tion 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, how- ever, the lower part of wall space is de- sired to give room for articles of furniture such as couches, shelves can be built, be- ginning 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 vol- 40 THE HOUSE ume 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 with- out 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 inde- pendence 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 sub- urbs, the cost of the husband's transporta- tion to and from the city should be added to the rent to keep this within the proper THE HOUSE 41 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 provi- sion men are w^ont to buy in the city mar- kets, and add the cost of transportation back from the city, and an additional profit for the transaction, to the price to the con- sumer. Owing to the close competition for house- holders among real-estate men, it is now almost as easy to purchase a suburban home as it is to rent one, and it is there- fore 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 con- siderably exceed the diminution in the value of the improvements. Indeed, owing to the constant advance of cost of building 42 THE HOUSE material in recent years, there is often en- hancement rather than depreciation in the house value. For these economic reasons it is advis- able 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 lead- ing 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 ex- pense 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 in- terest 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 THE HOUSE 43 these will be of great value to him in clari- fying his hazy ideas, but he should not settle upon any one of them without ex- pert opinion. He should employ a local architect, or at least a builder with prac- tical 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 prop- erly." The woman's wish should be paramount in planning the building. The home is her workshop, and she should have every con- venience she requires to do her work prop- erly. Things that appear of minor impor- tance 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 44 THE HOUSE special details of the improvements she de- sires, 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 wxll to employ a contrac- tor, arranging for thorough, satisfactory work, and holding him strictly to the con- tract. The prime requisite in a house is that it be adapted for home life, be a comfort- able 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 com- fort of the family comes that of the out- side world. It is desirable, though not es- sential, 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 fol- lows : 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 prac- ticed, storehouse and pantry may be com- bined, 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 45 46 THE HOUSE parlor may be properly converted into a library and music room, altliough 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 grand- eur 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 HOUSE 4>r 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 be- tokens use, such as magazines on the cen- ter-table, or of papers on the desk, is here not inappropriate. Indeed, it gives a home- like 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 decor- ations 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 uten- sils. Indeed, these have become so ex- pected 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 th^ shelves containing the china. A butlerV pantry is not an essential when such ar- rangements as these are made. 48 THE HOUSE 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, how- ever, that the cellar is, from the standpoints of sanitation and comfort, the most im- portant part of the house. There should be no attempt to save expense by limiting its proper size, materials for walls, win- dows 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 cel- lar 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 THE HOUSE 49 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 con- crete, should rise above the ground far enough to permit small windows, and pre- vent 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. I 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- lieating, hot-water heating, or hot-air heat- ing 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 penetrat- ing 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 50 THE HOUSE the rafters to increase the facilities for stor- age. 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 es- sential, this shelf may be removable, per- mitting 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 HOUSE 51 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 pro- tection from dust, flies, dampness, etc., and for the canned goods in immediate requi- sition. The stove or range should be selected with reference on the one hand to the amount of cooking to be done for the fam- ily, 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 as- sure a suflicient 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 cov- ered with a good quality of linoleum. A perforated rubber mat may be placed at 52 THE HOUSE 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 rub- ber 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 HOUSE 5a the closet the better, for, by using rods at- tached to the back of the closet and pro- jecting 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 3ed 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 keep- ing 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 54 THE HOUSE 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 iron- ing. When thoroughly secured from in- trusion, 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 deli- cate 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 fore- thought 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 THE HOUSE 55 by association. This imagination is spe- cially essential in the planting of trees, ar- rangement 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 de- pendent 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 56 THE HOUSE or soda, or by boiling, in the latter case the lime in it being precipitated to the bot- tom 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 inter- vals, since if they are permitted to accumu- late 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 ad- vantages. 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 in- THE HOUSE 57 ventions 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 pro- duce 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 extin- guishing the light, permits the escape of the gas, is more dangerous than a poison- ous 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 Wels- bach and other incandescent burners. iS8 THE HOUSE Where these are not employed, care should be taken to select the most economical kind of gas tips, and to see that when these be- come impaired by use they are replaced. In the large cities there is constant com- plaint of defective gas-meters, so much so that inspectors have been appointed to cor- rect this abuse. It has been found, how- ever, that many complaints have been un- founded because the housewives were not able properly to read the meter. Directions how to do this will therefore be found use- ful. A gas-meter has three dials marking up to 100,000 feet, 10,000 feet, and 1,000 feet respectively. The figures on the sec- ond 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 set- ting 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 THE HOUSE 59 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 preced- ing gas bill. 12,600, amount of gas for which current bill is rendered. Equal care must be exercised when kero- sene is used for illumination, since, while it is not so dangerous directly to life, it is the chief source of the destruction of prop- erty. Accordingly the nature of kerosene and the way it illuminates is a profitable subject of study if we would prevent de- structive 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 oxy- gen 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 qual- ity, care should be taken to see that it is of 60 THE HOUSE high "proof" in order to prevent explo- sions. The proof required of kerosene dif- fers in various States ; that in some is as low as I GO 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 pres- ence 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 teaspoon- fuls 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 run- ning down into the lamp and causing an explosion, the wick should be soft, filling the burner completely. The highest effi- ciency in the form of illumination is ob- tained by round burners, especially those in lamps which admit air to the inside of the wick and so induce the largest possible THE HOUSE 61 amount of combustion. Such a lamp pro- duces 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 instru- ment. 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 con- stantly bringing up oil by capillary attrac- tion, 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 62 THE HOUSE seeming shortcomings. There are many simple, inexpensive ways of making it con- form 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 per- mit better lighting and ventilation. Very often a room can be made to exchange pur- poses 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 sleep- THE HOUSE 63 ing 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, o-q into the country and alter in this fashion old and even abandoned houses into houses admired for their charming individuality. Illustrations of such "hermitages" fre- quently appear in the magazines, and may be studied for suggestions. Sometimes the alteration is of the exterior only. The re- painting 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 bal- cony, 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 Furni- ture — Home-made Furniture — Semi- made Furniture — Good Furniture as an Investment — Furnishing and Deco- rating the Hall — The Staircase — The Parlor — Rugs and Carpets — Oriental Rugs — Floors — Treament of Hard- wood — 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 pur- poses for which furniture was designed. And to-day the order of development re- mains also the order of importance. The first things to be desired in any article of furniture are durability and simple appli- 64 FURNITURE AND DECORATION 65 cation 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 el- bows upon with ease ; in short, that the furniture conforms to his bodily require- ments, 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 fur- niture has become a branch of art, like sculpture or painting, with a large liter- ature and history of its own. Since most authorities on the subject largely ignore the questions of utility and comfort, devoting themselves to the ques- tions of aesthetic style, it v^dll 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 adapta- tion to purpose, and the beauty of what 66 FURNITURE AND DECORATION they called ''homeliness," or, as we would now say, since this term has been per- verted, of "hominess," the suggestion of adding to the pleasure of the household. The quality of "hominess" is greatly in- creased 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 fur- niture. 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 work- shop. A vast amount of labor will be saved thereby in unpacking, adjusting, repairing, and polishing the old and the new house- hold 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 ar- FURNITURE AND DECORATION 67 tide, 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 part^ 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 fur- niture 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, du- rable articles, even though a little expens- ive, 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 68 FURNITURE AND DECORATION 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 ma- terial and labor alone, and competition has reduced these to the lowest terms, the pur- chaser is certain to get the worth of his money when he pa3^s 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 arrange- ment of furniture and choice of inharmoni- ous 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 resi- dence 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" FURNITURE AND DECORATION 69 houses and ''Craftsman" furniture are de- signed by the same business interest. Since, however, the average American home is something of a composite in archi- tectural design, the housekeeper* may be per- mitted to exercise her taste in making selec- tions from the infinite variety of styles of furniture that are offered her by the manu- facturers of the country. It is advisable, however, that the furniture in each room be in harmony. Let us briefly examine the articles of fur- niture 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 Brace- bridge 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. Grad- ually it was divided off into rooms for spe- cific 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 OA^ercoats, um- 70 FURNITURE AND DECORATION brella holder, a chair or so, or a settee for the guest awaiting reception, etc. Often the chair or settee is of the most uncom- fortable design, conspiring with the narrow quarters to make the visitor's impression of the house and its inmates a very disagree- able 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 ar- tistic design, and a jardiniere holding grow- ing 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 deco- rations 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, be- cause of the amount of this shown in the stairs. FURNITURE AND DECORATION 71 Dark red is a very suitable color for the stair-carpet. The best way to fasten this is by a recent invisible contrivance w^hich 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 cheer- ful in decorative tone. The presence of the stairway, especially if this is broken by a landing, permits quite a variety of arrange- ment. The line of ascent should be fol- lowed 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 deco- rated 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 73 FURNITURE AND DECORATION evening costumes. But this decoration is not advisable in the case of the average American home, since it is too fine and friv- olous for the reception of neighbors in ordi- nary dress. A quieter, more dignified col- or-scheme should be adopted ; such as gold- en 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 wall- paper, for they are of the nature of artistic household treasures, and so rise autocratic- ally 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 lead- ing from it into the parlor may shade off from this into more golden tones. The de- sign of the rugs should be unobtrusive. The homemaker should not feel that Ori- ental rugs are too expensive for considera- tion. Every once in a while their is a glut of them in the market, owing to an extens- ive 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 bar- gains oflfered are real ones, for rug-stores, FURNITUBJS AND DECORATION 73 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 com- pound 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 va- rieties 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 74 FURNITURE AND DECORATION than that in jelly form, as it is more con- venient. It is dissolved and should be ap- plied with a broad paint-brush. The appli- cation should be very rapid to prevent con- gealing: 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 condi- tion. The number of coats must depend upon the absorbent nature of the boards. One coat must be allowed to dry thor- oughly before another is applied. Over night is a sufficient time for this. Varnish- ing 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 Par- lor — 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 fill- ing, 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 deco- ration. When carpets are used, those in the hall, 75 76 FURNITURE AND DECORATION parlor, and dining-room should not be fit- ted into the corners, but a space should in- tervene between their edges and the walls. This may be filled with wood-carpetry, which, like all devices which suggest contin- uation 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 briglit- ened 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 ma- hogany finish. A small table, of similar de- sign 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 mantel- piece, 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 FURNITURE AND DECORATION 77 evident artistic merit. There should be no suggestion of amateurishness. Family at- tempts at drawing or painting, crayon por- traits, etc., all photographs, with the excep- tion 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 con- tents 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 cheer- fulness 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 appear- ance, an instrument of any finish is allow- able 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 instru- ment than the "concert grand" often found in a small parlor, where its piercing notes, especially in combination with operatic sing- ing, are so confined that tones and over- tones, which should assist each other, min- 78 FURNITURE AND DECORATION gle 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 pre- served, if only for practice by the children. In case such an instrument has "over- strung" 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 fur- niture should be heavier and larger, indicat- ing 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 Mis- sion, made comfortable by leather cushions. If leather is thought too expensive, there FURNITURE AND DECORATION 79 are fair substitutes for it in such materials as pantasote. But leather should be pro- cured if possible. It looks better and wears longer, and even when shabby keeps its re- spectability. With the Mission furniture may be mingled an old-fashioned uphol- stered chair or so, such as a large ''Sleepy Hollow." A Morris chair is almost as com- fortable 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 appro- priately placed, or copies of an ancient sta- tue, and on the wall above, between the cases of shelves, may hang a few pictures^ 80 FURNITURE AND DECORATION not necessarily bookish in suggestion, but reposeful in subject and tone, such as land- scapes 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 there- fore an old-fashioned article with a sloping top, which, when let down, serves for the writing board, is an ideal form. Manufac- turers continue to make these desks for home purposes. The library table should be large and sim- ple. One that is oval in shape is the best for the family to gather about, and there- fore gives the most homelike appearance. The illumination of the library should cen- ter 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 present- ed 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 diction- ary 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 FURNITURE AND DECORATION 81 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 com- fort. Thus, the sofa should be replaced by a wide divan, which may also serve on occa- sion 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 un- comfortable excess, and has gone out of fashion. The most appropriate style for an American house is American Indian. The brilliant and strikingly designed Nav- ajo blankets may be used for both rugs and couch covers, or hung up as wall-orna- 82 FURNITURE AND DECORATION ments. Moqui basketware serves equally well for useful purposes, such as scrap-bas- kets, and for ornamentation. The pottery of the Pueblo Indians, being naive and primitive in design, is much more intimate and therefore appropriate than the Japa- nese 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 chil- dren. 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 be- come 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 cov- ered with a thick rag-carpet, preferably of a nondescript or **hit-and-miss" design. If the housekeeper thinks that this is "homi- FURNITURE AND DECORATION 83 ness" 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, Hght in color. Very ar- tistic 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 econo- my 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 house- hold 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 deco- rated 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 se- lects should be distinguished by the 84 FURNITURE AND DECORATION quality of dignity. Here is the one room in the house where formality is thor- oughly 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 advan- tage. Comfort and cleanliness are the qualities which condition the equipment and decora- tion 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 indiffer- FURNITURE AND DECORATION 85 ent consideration. There is no better kind of a bedstead than an iron or brass one, be- cause of cleanHness and strength and the ease with which it may be taken apart and put together again. The pillows deserve almost equal consideration with the mat- tress. 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 hygi- ene, single beds rather than double are coming into favor. Even Vv^iere two people occupy the same room they will be more comfortable in different beds. It is a mis- take 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 86 FURNITURE AND DECORATION bed, or, indeed, take them off and hang them over a chair in the sunhght. 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 care- fully 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 grate- ful to the bare feet, at the bedside and in front of the bureau, dressing-table and doorway. Where space is limited, a com- bined bureau and dressing-table, or even a chiffonier with a mirror, may be used. A child's bedroom may very appro- priately have a wall-paper of a design in- FURNITURE AND DECORATION 87 tended 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 chamhre de luxe of the house, the place in which every conceivable article is intro- duced 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 ele- gance 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 pil- low-shams and bed-cover, which he con- ceived 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, oth- erwise green or blue. In recent years shut- ters, or outside blinds, have come somewhat into disuse. This is, on the whole, perhaps 88 FURNITURE AND DECORATION an improvement, for they are rarely manip- ulated 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 them- selves admirably to decoration. One form of these, known as Venetian blinds, con- sisting 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 Man- ners — His Bath — Cleansing His Eyes and Nose — Relief of Colic — Care of the Diaper. But one upon earth is more beautiful and bet- ter 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 new- born 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. 89 90 THE MOTHER Unless illness prevents her from feeding her own child, or she is of a moody and un- happy disposition, it is the mother's place to give her breast to the infant. The con- dition 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 eas- ily digested. Anything that tends to make her costive, such as fruits or green vege- tables, should be partaken of with discrimi- nation. 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 MOTHER 91 the breasts secrete a laxative element which acts as a sort of physic upon the child, clearing its bowels of a black, tarry sub- stance, 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 in- convenience and the baby will suffer be- cause of the disarrangement of the sys- tematic 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 tem- per. 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 wean- ing comes in the heat of the summer, when there is danger of his becoming sickly or 92 THE MOTHER peevish. Preparatory to weaning, the baby should be accustomed to the bottle. Pro- vided the bottle holds half a pint or four glasses, the number of bottles may be in- creased 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 meth- od of approach the act of permanently re- fusing 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 wdiich 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 stom- ach 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 THE MOTHER 93 in clean, sealed bottles, preventing the ad- mission of any dirt or deleterious substance from the time it leaves the dairy till opened. The milk for the baby should not be pur- chased from the can. Milk that has been sterilized, that is, bot- tled 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 constitu- ents 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 be- ing 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 94 THE MOTHER mother's milk, and to a slightly lesser de- gree, 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 put- ting 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 dis- ease in the stronger body of the adult, may do so and often do so in the more suscepti- ble physique of the child. Just as the child was trained to the bot- tle 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 THE MOTHER 95 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 po- tatoes moistened with gravy, and rice pud- ding. The pudding is made of two table- spoonfuls of clean rice, half a teaspoonful of salt, one-third of a cupful of sugar in five cups of milk. Bake in buttered pud- ding 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, pref- erably 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 un- wise to let it have this outside of its regu- lar diet. Pure candy does not hurt the child by impairing its digestion so much as 96 THE MOTHER by interfering with its appetite for plain food. The child should never be allowed to form an inordinate appetite for any- thing, as this is certain to cause a corre- sponding 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 per- mitted 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 man- ners, 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 nurs- ing days, after each feeding, she should rinse its mouth out by a weak boracic acid solution, since particles of milk may re- main 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 THE MOTHER 97 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 bod- ily. 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 thor- oughly 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 stom- ach, 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 inflam- mation, and therefore require special at- tention in the way of cleansing. This can be done best by the use of the boracic so- lution 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 individ- ual nature and disposition of her child, in order to know what to do for it when it 98 THE MOTHER cries, for a cry may mean over-feeding as well as under-feeding, colic, or a wet dia- per. 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 re- ceive 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 Col- lecting 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 al- v/ays be toasted. INIuffins are better for ^9 100 THE MOTHER him than pancakes or waffles, which, how- ever, should be allowed him occasionally as a treat. As this kind of a breakfast largely con- sists of starchy foods, it should be eaten slowly, as starch requires thorough masti- cation. 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, prefer- ably several small ones of different kinds, rather than one or two large ones. Bis- cuit sandwiches are generally more palata- ble to a child than plain bread ones. Be- sides 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 tgg, 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. Oc- casionally 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, (corn- THE MOTHER 101 meal), which is an ideal food when thor- oughly prepared, the meal being slowly sprinkled into the pot, which was stirred constantly all the while. The North Ital- ians prepare cornmeal in this fashion ; the mush, which they call ^'polenta," forms an accompaniment of meat stews, thus af- fording all the elements of a "perfect ra- tion." American cooks should employ cornmeal far more than they do. Mush in particular has the advantage possessed by King Arthur's bag-pudding, what can- not 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 physi- cal exercise to perform, an exception may be made of fried mush and fried eggs, be- cause their base is so nutritious that the heated fat can do little to impair their di- gestibility, while it certainly whets the ap- petite 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. 102 THE MOTHER The mother should closely follow the work of the child at school and aid this in every way at home. She should pa- tiently 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 guid- ing 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 com- plaining that the mother, Xanthippe, treat- ed 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, per- suaded 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 op- portunity 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 THE MOTHER 103 girls sewing, embroidery, etc., and the fa- ther 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 lit- tle 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, botannical, fau- nal 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, spec- imens of which may be found in the home 104 THE MOTHER library. That a child is not fond of read- ing 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 ex- ercises which are both recreative and use- ful 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 cloth- ing even more than using the money solely for his pleasures. Healthful sports should be encour- aged, and games, such as chess, that de- velops the intellect. There are many card games, such as "Authors," that impart use- ful instruction in literature, history, natu- ral 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 intel- lectual 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 THE MOTHER 105 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 moth- er's chief struggles, to make the children clean themselves, will be abolished. It is natural for a child to get dirty, and there- fore it should be made as habitual an im- pulse 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 innutritions 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 re- fuses to bring its gums together on any- thing, 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 com- ing 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 106 THE MOTHER wears shoes, these should conform as much as possible to the shape of the foot. With such footwear, the active child may fomi for life the habit of a natural gait, espe- cially if parents will point out the beauty and advantages of this, and praise the men and women of their acquaintance who pos- sess 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 moth- er should quote to her the line of the ^neid 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 dress- ing 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 conven- ience 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 THE MOTHER 107 skirt distinguishes the girl, bloomers or knickerbockers of the same material be- neath, approach the ideal of dress for com- fort, 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, es- pecially in color. The universal seizure by the sex upon the boy's "Tarn o'Shanter" as peculiarly suited for a play and school- hat, is therefore right and proper. For a more showy style, lingerie hats are justi- fied. But the most beautiful and appro- priate 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 108 THE MOTHER the hump — the monstrosity of the modern woman's bonnet, which of late years has by terms imitated a flower garden, a vege- table 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' de- sire 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 so- cial instinct to conform to the custom of one's fellows, and the children have reached "the age of consent" in matters of fash- ion. Their fathers and mothers may lend their influence to abolish foolish customs, or to modify them in the direction of wis- dom, but it is best that this be in their ca- pacity 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 Em- ployment — Recipes for Toilet Prepar- ations — Nail-biting — Fragile Nails — White Spots — Chapped Hands — Care of the Skin — Facial Massage — Recipes for Skin Lotions — Treatment of Fa- cial 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. "Cleanli- ness 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 109 110 CARE OF THE PERSON family in dress and manners and care of their persons, gives up all thoug-ht of stand- ing 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 con- verted to it from one of her fine dresses. Nothing gives an impression of slattern- liness 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 occa- sions for use which occur in every station of life. The purchase of several good ar- ticles 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 CARE OF THE PERSON m be bought in four years, whether tliis is done simuhaneously or successively, but there is the physical reason that a dress, like a person, that has regular periods of rest, becomes restored in quality. Ac- cordingly, 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 gar- ments and hats may be adapted to the pre- vailing mode (although the arbiters of fashion, in the interests of manufacturers, try by violent changes of style to render this impracticable). These adat/tations may not be in the height of fashion, but they will be in good form and taste. In- deed, it is never good taste to folow ex- tremes of style. The well-knowr^ lines of Pope on the subject hold true in e'ery age: " . . . .in fashions the rule wi^ hold. Alike fantastic if too new or/)ld ; Be not the first by whom the nev are tried. Nor yet the last to lay the yd aside." Some of the best-dressed >^men in ar- tistic and musical circles Resign their clothes wholly to suit theii^personal ap- pearance, with such succes^hat their in- 112 CARE OF THE PERSON dependence of the prevailing mode of larg'e or small hats or sleeves, striped or checked fabrics, etc., wins universal admira- tion. 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 im- pression 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 red- ness in the skin. But these are matters of commcn knowledge to all women. The trouble is, that in their desire to be "in style," many women forget, or even de- liberatey ignore these fundamental princi- ples of irt in dress. Fondness for a par- ticular -olor, as a color, causes many women b wear it, regardless of its rela- tion to t-eir complexion ; and there have been worr?n of mystical mind who, believ- ing that ei:h quality of soul had its corre- spondent i a particular hue, wore those colors whio they thought were significant of their cl>f traits of character — with weird result as you may imagine. It is unne-ssary, in this book of "prac- tical suggestns," to discuss in detail the CARE OF THE PERSON 113 question of etiquette, which may be defined as "the prevaiHng fashion in social inter- course." Styles in visiting cards change from year to year, and the social usages of one city differ from another. If it is re- quired 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 eti- quette, just as good morals form the foun- dation of law, although there are discrep- ancies 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 con- sists 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 happi- ness, not with a view to his making a re- turn 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 114 CARE OF THE PERSON indicate whether or not he and you have that community of interest which is essen- tial to friendship. If you are the new- comer, it is your duty to show your appre- ciation 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 discon- tinue it if it is not. Indeed, in every situa- tion you should give the other party this choice. Friendship is one of the most valu- able 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 re- mark. After the brightening effects on mind and spirits of social intercourse comes the advantage of toning up the personal ap- pearance. A decent self-respect in dress should always be flavored with a touch of CARE OF THE PERSON 115 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 whole- some suggestions. It is 'Veil-groomed." A well-groomed woman is not only a well- gowned woman, but one who, like a favor- ite mare, is always spick and span in her person, and happy in her quiet conscious- ness of it. And every woman, whether she possesses a maid or not, indeed, wheth- er 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 with- out heart ; We may live without friends ; we may live with- out books ; But civilized man cannot live without cooks. ("Owen IVIeredith") — Lucile. All the other duties of the housewife are subsidiary to the great subject of pre- paring food for the household. The care of the home, the care of health, etc., all either bear upon this work or require abil- ity to perform it. With decks cleared for action, therefore, we will proceed to discuss the fundamen- 116 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 117 tal 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 fol- low plain directions, and that she is famil- iar with the methods of preparing the or- dinary 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, sal- ads, 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 be- ing 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 118 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 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 agricul- ture, is rightly taking the lead in the scien- tific 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 De- partment of Agriculture has issued a book- let, 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 prepara- tion of inexpensive meat dishes. This has become generally known as "The Govern- ment Cook Book." By the permission of the Department we here present portions of the informiation it contains, together with those recipes which best illustrate the principles of meat cookery for the home table. PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 119 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 di- gested as the costlier ones. The value of meat as food depends chiefly on the presence of two classes of nutrients, (i) protein or nitrogenous com- pounds, 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 mainte- nance 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 120 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING materials only, and this is done in the Arc- tic regions, where vegetable food is lack- ing; 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 con- tains 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 con- cerned, 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 com- plexities of food values to make sure that her family is getting enough of this nu- trient. 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 lOO grams or 3I/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 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 131 well as meat. The remainder is taken in the form of bread and other cereal foods and beans and other vegetables. The por- tion of cooked meat which may be referred to as an ordinary ''helping-/' 3 to 5 ounces (equivalent to 3^ to 5^ ounces of raw meat), may be considered to contain some 19 to 29 grams of protein, or approxi- mately half of the amount which is ordi- narily secured from animal food. An Qgg 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 wull be supplied by bread, cereals, and other vegetable food. The nutrition investigations of the Of- fice 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. 123 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 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 or- dinarily 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 expen- sive as porterhouse steak and two-thirds as expensive as the round. But apparent econ- omy is not always real economy, and in this case the bones in the three cuts should be taken into account. Of the chuck ribs, m.ore than one-half is bone or other mate- rials 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^ PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 123 cents ; in buying porterhouse, she gets sev- en-eighths of a pound for 25 cents, mak- ing the net vakie about 28^^ cents a pound. The relative prices, therefore, of the edible portions are 22^ 16^, and 285^2 cents; or to put it in a different way, a dollar at the prices assumed will buy 4^ pounds of solid meat from the cut, known as chuck, 6 pounds of such meat from the round, and only 33^ 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 se- cured 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 uti- lized, but this must be done by a separate process from that of cooking the steak it- self. Texture and Flavor of Meat Although meats vary greatly in the amount of fat which they contain and to a 1£>4 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 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 ani- mals and in those parts of older ani- mals in which there has been little muscu- lar 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 bun- dles by a thin membrane which is known as connective tissue. This membrane, if lieated 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 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 125 water, the proportions of the two depend- ing 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 con- verted into a palatable dish. Flavor in meat depends mainly on cer- tain nitrogenous substances which are called extractives because they can be dis- solved out or ''extracted" by soaking the meat in cold water. The quality of the ex- tractives 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 ten- der cuts, but owing to the difficulty of mastication this fact is frequently not de- tected. The extractives have little or no nutritive value in themselves, but they are of great importance in causing the secre- tion of digestive juices at the proper time, in the right amount, and of the right chemi- cal character. It is this quality which justi- fies the taking of soup at the beginning of a meal and the giving of broths, meat ex- 126 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING tracts, 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 mat- ter 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 concentra- ted by evaporating the water. General AIethods of Cooking Meat The advantages of variety in the meth- ods of preparing and serving are to be con- sidered 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. PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 127 An experienced teacher of cooking, a woman who has made very valuable con- tributions to the art of cookery by showing- that most of the numerous processes out- lined 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 con- sists 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 gar- nish. 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 128 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING yet requiring so much time that there is danger of the meat being rendered taste- less unless certain precautions are taken, such as searing in hot fat or plunging into boiHng water. There is a wide difference between ex- terior and interior cuts of meat with re- spect to tenderness induced by cooking. When beef flank is cooked by boiHng 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 ten- derness of the fibers as at the beginning. On the other hand, in case of the tender- loin, there is a decrease in toughness of the fibers throughout the cooking period which is particularly marked in the first few min- utes 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 libers themselves are of different tex- ture from those in the raw meat. In pre- paring 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 soft- ening and the fibers are gradually chang- ing in texture. The former is the thing to be especially desired, but the latter is not. For this reason it is necessary to keep 129 130 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING the temperature below the boihng point and as low as is consistent with thorough cook- ing, 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 sim- mering process. Losses of elements vary considerably with the method of cooking employed, be- ing of course greatest where small pieces of meat are subjected to prolonged cook- ing. The chief loss in weight when meat is cooked is due to the driving of¥ of water. When beef is cooked by pan broiling — that is, searing in a hot, greased pan, a com- mon cooking process — no great loss of nu- trition 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 simi- lar 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 smiall though much of the fla- voring 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 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 131 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 propor- tional 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 contin- ued. When pieces of meat weighing i^ 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 char- acter of the roasting pan and similar fac- tors, thus the total loss in weight is nat- urally greater in an open than in a closed pan as the open pan offers more opportun- ity 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 132 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 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 house- keeper can best judge which to use in her own case. From a careful consideration of the subject it appears that the various sug- gestions which have been made on the sub- ject may be grouped under the following general heads : Economy in selection and purchase so as to take advantage of vary- ing market conditions ; purchasing meat in wholesale quantities for home use ; serving smaller portions of meat than usual or us- ing meat less frequently ; careful attention to the use of meat, bone, fat, and small portions commonly trimmed oft" and thrown away and the utilization of left-over por- tions 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 prefer- ences of its members. Careful considera- tion 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 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 13S 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 house- keeper is in a better position to hear of variations in prices and so be in a position to get the best values. Ordering iDy tele- phone 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. Eacli house- keeper 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, vv^ell 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 134 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING is given at each serving than the person vrishes 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 quan- tity with other materials to make a large dish, as in meat pies, stews, and similar dishes. By buying in large quantities under cer- tain conditions it may be possible to pro- cure 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 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 135 the housekeeper understands the art and has proper storage facilities and a good- sized family. When a hind quarter of mut- ton, 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 pre- ferred, 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, ordi- narily 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 ani- mal 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 ten- derloin 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 136 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 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 pur- chase beef which has been dried in large establishments. The general use of refrig- erators and ice chests in homes at the pres- ent 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 dif- ferent 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 re- sults. If butter is the fat used in making crusts for meat pies, and in preparing the cheaper cuts, there is little economy in- volved; 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 par- PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 13T ticularly 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 connec- tion 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. An- other example of the use of bones is boiled marrow bone. The bones are cut in con- venient lengths, the ends covered with a little piece of dough over which a floured cloth is tied, and cooked in boiling water 138 PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 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 al- ^vays be put to good use in the soup ket- tle. 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 in- volve the use of such left-overs. Others will suggest themselves or may be found m 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 — Turk- ish 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 knowl- edge 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, watch- fulness, willingness, and readiness of appli- ance. It means the economy of your great- grandmother and the science of modern chemistry; it means much tasting and no 139 140 MEAT DISHES wasting; it means English thoroughness, French art, and Arabian hospitahty ; 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 extend- ing the meat flavor through a consider- able quantity of material which would oth- erwise be lacking in distinctive taste are to serve the meat with dumplings, general- ly 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 ap- MEAT DISHES 141 preaches 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 J/2-inch cubes. 14 onion, chopped. % 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 min- utes before serving. Thicken with the flour di- luted 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 brown- ing 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 cook- books. 142 MEAT DISHES MEAT DUMPLINGS 2 cups flour. 4 teaspoonfuls baking powder. 2/3 cup milk or a little more if needed. J/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 Jnch, and cut with biscuit cutter. In some coun- tries it is customary to season the dumplings themselves with herbs, etc., or to stuff them with bread crumbs fried in butter, instead of de- pending 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 min- utes. 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 vege- tables. 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 or- dinarily 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, some- times with small pieces of vegetables, a gravy is poured over the meat, the dish is MEAT DISHES 145 covered with a layer of dough, and then baked. Most commonly the dough is Uke that used for soda or cream-of-tartar bis- cuit, 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. Oc- casionally 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 prob- ably 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 otherv/ise, 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 usin^ 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 144 MEAT DISHES 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, espe- cially when beef is used. The pie will need to be baked from half an hour to an hour, accord- ing 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 com- mon in the Orient and well known in the United States, is of this character and eas- ily made. When there is soup or soup stock on hand it can be well used in the pilaf. TURKISH PILAF 5^ cup of rice. ^ cup of tomatoes stewed and strained. I 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 MEAT DISHES 145 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 substi- tuted 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 nutri- tious. 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 discuss- ing the matter. Nevertheless, when beans are served with meat the dish is almost as 146 MEAT DISHES 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 dis- tinctive flavor. Cowpeas boiled with ham or with bacon are also well-known and palatable dishes. HARICOT OF MUTTON 2 tablespoonfnls of chopped onions. 2 tablespoonfnls of butter or drippings. 2 Clips of water, and salt and pepper. iy2 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 mak- ing this dish. MEAT SALADS Whether meat salads are economical or not depends upon the way in which the MEAT DISHES 147 materials are utilized. If in chicken salad, for example, only the white meat of chick- ens 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 ac- ceptable 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 mayon- naise 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 1J/2 pounds of meat, for a 148 MEAT DISHES dozen eggs weigh about ly^ pounds and the proportions of protein and fat which they contain are not far different from the proportions of these nutrients in the aver- age 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 fa- miliar to all cooks. ROAST BEEF WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDING The beef is roasted as usual and the pudding made as follows : 3 eggs. I pint milk. I cupful flour. I 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 York- shire 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 MEAT DISHES U9 hash. This suggests a way of utilizing the small amount of corned-beef hash which would other- wise be insufficient for a meal. Housekeepers occasionally use up odd bits of other meat in a similar way, chopping and sea- soning 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 im- possible 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 be- side 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. 150 MEAT DISHES Mock duck is excellent served with currant or other acid jelly. VEAL OR BEEP BIRDS A popular dish known as veal or beef birds or by a variety of special names is made by tak- ing 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 re- duce her meat bill by using the less ex- pensive cuts, she commonly has two diffi- culties 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 Horse- radish Sauce — Stuffed Heart — Braised Beef, Pot Roast, and Beef a la Mode — Hungarian Goulash — Casserole Cook- ery — Meat Cooked with Vinegar — Sour Beef — Sour Beefsteak — Pounded Meat — Farmer Stew — Spanish Beef- steak — Chopped Meat — Savory Rolls — Developing Flavor of Meat — Re- taining Natural Flavo r — Round Steak on Biscuits — F 1 a v o r 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 num- ber of ways without being allowed to reach the boiling point. With the ordinary kitchen range this is accomplished by cook- ing on the cooler part of the stove rather 151 150 MEAT DISHES 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 tak- ing 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 re- duce her meat bill by using the less ex- pensive cuts, she commonly has two diffi- culties 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 Horse- radish Sauce — Stuffed Heart — Braised Beef, Pot Roast, and Beef a la Mode — Hungarian Goulash — Casserole Cook- ery — Meat Cooked with Vinegar — Sour Beef — Sour Beefsteak — Pounded Meat — Farmer Stew — Spanish Beef- steak — Chopped Meat — Savory Rolls — Developing Flavor of Meat — Re- taining Natural Flavo r — Round Steak on Biscuits — F 1 a v o r 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 num- ber of ways without being allowed to reach the boiling point. With the ordinary kitchen range this is accomplished by cook- ing on the cooler part of the stove rather 151 152 MEAT DISHES than on the hottest part, directly over the fire. Experience with a gas stove, particu- larly 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 be- come 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 tem- perature of 200° 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 pur- pose 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 kerosone lamp or a gas jet. In this connection directions are given for using some of the toughest and less promising pieces of meat. MEAT DISHES 153 STEWED SHIN OF BEEF 4 pounds of shin of beef. I medium-sized onion. I whole clove and a small bay leaf. I sprig of parsley. lYz tablespoonfuls of flour. 1 small slice of carrot. ]/2 tablespoonful of salt. yz teaspoonful of pepper. 2 quarts of boiling water. i^ tablespoonfuls of butter or savory drip- pings. 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 min- utes, 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, make 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- 154 MEAT DISHES opening: One cup broken bread dipped in fat and browned in the oven, i 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, FOT 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 prepara- tion. 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 fla- vor of the dish is secured by browning the meat and by the addition of the seasoning vegetables. Many recipes suggest that the vegetables be re- moved before serving and the liquid be thick- ened. 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 tneat 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. MEAT DISHES US HUNGARIAN GOULASH 2 pounds top round of beef. A little flour. 2 ounces salt pork. 2 cups tomatoes. I stalk celery. 1 onion. 2 bay leaves. 6 whole cloves. 6 peppercorns. I 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 im- provised by using any heavy earthenware dish 156 MEAT DISHES 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 expen- sive dish in good hotels and restaurants, may be easily prepared in the home, and casserole cook- ery 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 casse- role 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 cook- ing-, 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- MEAT DISHES 157 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 suffi- cient, it may be soaked for a few hours in vine- gar 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 disad- vantage 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 158 MEAT DISHES 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 con- venient 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 ad- vantage in that they may be cooked quick- ly and economically. Chopped raw meat of almost any kind can be very quickly made into a savory dish by cook- ing it with water or with water and milk for MEAT DISHES 15» a short time, then thickening with butter and flour, and adding different seasonings as relished, either pepper and salt alone, or onion juice, cel- ery, or tomato. Such a dish may be made to "go further" by serving it on toast or with a bor- der 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 princi- ples 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 im- proved by laying thin slices of salt pork or ba- con over them, which keep the surface mois- tened 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 suffi- ciently 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 unsea- soned pork meat with the addition of a little sage. 160 MEAT DISHEH DEVELOPING FLAVOR OF MEAT The typical meat flavors are very palat- able 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 with- out attention being paid especially to fla- vor. 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 pal- ates. Aside from these two ways of in- creasing 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 ex- tremely difficult to retain the flavor-giving extractives in a piece of meat so tough as to require prolonged cooking. It is some- times partially accomplished by first sear- ing the exterior of the meat and thus pre- venting the escape of the juices. Another device, illustrated by the following recipe, MEAT DISHES 161 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 unchang-ed flavor of the meat itself comes the flavor which is se- cured by browning the meat with fat. The outside slices of roast meat have this browned flavor in marked degree. Ex- cept 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 but- ter. 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 eat- ing burned fat. When fat is heated too high it splits up into fatty acids and glyce- 163 MEAT DISHES rin, and from the glycerin is formed a sub- stance (acrolein) which has a very irritat- ing effect upon the mucous membrane. All will recall that the fumes of scorched fat make the eyes water. It is not surpris- ing that such a substance, if taken into the stomach, should cause digestive disturb- ance. 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 cov- ering 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 : MEAT DISHES 163 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'' 3^2 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. 164 MEAT DISHES 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 un- derlying the makiixr of all sauces or gravies whether the liquid used is water, milk, stock, tomato juice, or some com- bination of these. For ordinary gravy 2 level tablespoonfuls of flour or ly^ table- spoonfuls 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 drip- pings 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 dan- ger of getting a lumpy gravy. Many per- sons, however, think it is not a wholesome method and prefer the old-fashioned one MEAT DISHES 165 of thickening the gravy by means of ilour mixed with a Httle cold water. The latter method is, of course, not practicable for brown gravies. The good flavor of browned flour is of- ten 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 cur- rant 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. I tablespoonful of bottled meat sauce (which- ever is preferred). I tablespoonful red-currant jelly. I 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 loveli- ness/' — John Ruskin — Sesame and Lilies. The following recipes are tried and ap- proved ones, useful for housecleaning, laundry work, etc. In a number of in- stances they give instruction in the mak- ing 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 ref- erence : 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. 166 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 167 BARRELS — TO CLEAN The ordinary way of washing a barrel is with boihng water, and when cool ex- amining 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 thimble- ful 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 gal- lons of hot water upon the bed slowly, and let it drip through. Rinse with clear water ; 168 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 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 at- tention 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 de- stroy all insects. The boards should be HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 169 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 I oz. of oxalic acid in one pint of soft water. Rub it on the brass with a 170 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 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 rot- tenstone, 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 pol- ish for brass may be made of ^ a lb. of rottenstone and i 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 : yz a lb. of finely-powdered whiting, a wine- glass of sweet oil, a tablespoonful of soft soap, and 3^ an oz. of yellow soap melted HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 171 in water. Add to these in mixing suffi- cient spirits — gin or spirits of wine — to make the compound the consistency of cream. This cream should be appHed 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 pol- ish thus given will last for a long time. BRUSHES — TO WASH Dissolve a piece of soda in some hot wat- er, 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. 172 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 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 mix- ture of beef-gall, fuller's-earth, and water enough to form a paste; put this on before tacking the carpet down. Use tacks in- serted in small leather caps. Carpets in bedrooms and stair-carpets may be kept clean by being brushed with a soft hair- brush frequently, and, as occasion requires, being taken up and shaken. Larger car- pets 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 ma- terial, 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. HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 173 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 car- pet 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 I oz. of gum-mastic in a quan- tity of highly-rectified spirits of wine ; then soften I 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 ^ of an oz. of 176 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 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 recti- fied 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 re- moved entirely by a little sulphuric ether, dropped on the spot, and a very little rub- bing. 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 in- jurious effects from rubbing. Eau-de-Co- logne 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 chlo- ride, and dip immediately into cold water, to prevent the texture of the article being injured. Fresh ink-spots are removed by HOUSEHOLD RECIPES ITT 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 in- jury 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, man- ufactured purposely for cleaning combs, may be purchased at a trifling cost ; the comb should be well brushed, and after- wards wiped with a cloth or towel. 178 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES CUPBOARDS, DAMP TO DRY Leave a quantity of quicklime in the cup- board 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 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 179 laid, it will soon burn up ; the stream of flame from the wood and paper soon com- municating to the coal and cinders, pro- vided 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 burn- ing 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 sev- eral minutes before hanging to dry. Blan- kets are washed in the same way. 178 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES CUPBOARDS, DAMP TO DRY Leave a quantity of quicklime in the cup- board 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 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 179 laid, it will soon burn up ; the stream of flame from the wood and paper soon com- municating to the coal and cinders, pro- vided 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 burn- ing 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 oiT 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 sev- eral minutes before hanging to dry. Blan- kets are washed in the same way. 180 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES FLEAS TO DRIVE AWAY Use pennyroyal or walnut leaves. Scat- ter 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, repeat- ing 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 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 181 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 Sep- tember. FURNITURE GLOSS GERMAN Cut ^ of a lb. of yellow wax into small pieces and melt it in an earthen vessel, with I 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 182 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES •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 fur- niture 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