Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-10-21
The Kitchen.

hope / shall not be considered rs slurring
groundlessly or too severely the moral and in
tellectual taste Of the w orld when i say that
l believe the Kitchen is the department in
which a woman's excellence is most appreci-
ated and commended, Your kitchen should be
rs near your dining-roo,n as possible, and also
to the room you habitually occupy as sitting
room; TO the last, because while training young
servants in your ways, you can, through an
open door, direct them without neglecting your
own pursuits. A little hail between your
sitting or family room and the kitchen, with
doors opposite, allows the same convenience
and obviates the objections To direct COMMUNE
cation occasioned by heat and Odors.
The cistern, or some supply OF water, should
be convenient TO your kitchen, also an abund-
ant supply Of good wood ready for use, under
shelter; and the cellar for winter vegetables
cannot be more favorably situated than under
the kitchen. -.1
Ifyour kitchen is to be used for cooking
room only, as is certainly the best, 1t need not
be very large. A pantry, or storn-rOom, should
communicate with it. There should be two
closets in the kitchen; one in which vessels
and supplies not constantly used can be kept.
We object TO open shelves, however pictorial
the bright tin and well-scrubhed trays look;
flies and dust are no respecters of housewives,
however notable. The room should be well
lighted, but have shutters to darken with, when
not used. In Western kitchens, where hard
usage is the habit a close ceiled plank wall is
preferable on account of durability and clean
illness, TO plastering. This should be painted
some plain, SulEtDie COi0r, also the OUTSIDE 81
all the vessels. The shelves Of the pantry and
closets, as well as the kitchen floor, should be
oiled. This can be cheaply done.
Have your hot.plate or stove of the best
pattern, and kept in good order, and a suffici-
ent number OF first-rate cooking utensils. Be
sure your kitchen is really comfortable; il is
not in human nature to work cheeffully> and
well when shivering with cold, or sweltering
in heat, or cropping in twilight
After every meal see that your kitchen is put
in perfect order. Make all your arrangements
for dinner as soon as your kitchen is cleaned
in the morning in your afternoon visit, direct
a cook whose honesty, neatness, and skill can
be depended on, and teach her TO depend on
herself. Teach her every branch Of her own
business. The housewife who has to go out
and help about every dish, especially while
the friends she has invited but for a day have
to sit alone is to the least of it, to be pitied
There is no more merit in your making your
cakes and preserves than their would be in
making your bread and coffee for every break
fast. Nor is there any excuse for your not be-
ing able to do all of these things, and to do
chserfully when necessary, j. e. after you have
had time to learn them, If your model mother
forgot to teach you.
Remember not to follow my example n Thus
int ruding kitchens into good company. The
results of your kitchen labor il good, will be
highly appreciated-and any shortcomings
will as soon be forgiven you rs bad dinner.
Still, the details of your achievements are sell
IN agnifcent air-castles TO ashes with your
kitchen fires-dO not dim the perspective of
your young friends in the parlor with smoke
from your kitchen: You may feel martyred-
they will fell bored.-HETTIE HAYFIRLp. az
valley Farmer.