The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-01-28
JACKSON STANDARD.
THURSDAY, JAN. GS, 1869.
Small Economics.

The woman who "spoons ont at the
window faster than her husband can
shovel in at the door," has domestic
history continuous as the generations
of men. Many of us have known her
we think--and have marvelled at her
wasteful ways; few ofus would willing
ly believe that the spoon finds place
in our own households. s
We have never expended half the
proceeds of a summers harvest upon
embroidered curtains and costly mir
ror; neither do we allow our house
change to melt away in the presence
of the tempting little "fxings," that
clutch at our purses from dry goods
counters and millinerIs windows-coy-
sting every pretty thing we see.
Neither do we in smaller spooufuls
throw away the precious Titles which
so soon, so very soon, grow into
"mickle." We have known house.
keepers to let their bread over-rise and
turn sour in the pans; to burn black
whole bakings Of pies; some who hab-
itually leave clothes-lines and ciothe-
pins exposed to the weather; who throw
soap grease into the swill-pail, and rags
into the fire-whose fine towels are al
ways getting into kitchen use, along
with damask napkins doing service as
ironing-holders.
But these ways are not our ways,
We never thrust the blueing-bag moist
into the starch-can, nor leave new
bright tins half dried, to treckle into
yellow specks OF rust. Our meat bar
rels, pickle tubs, and fruit cans are well
watched. In the washing of paint, it
is not our way to make such use of soap
as to leave sthe natural color of the
wood" in picturesque spots around door
handles, and on window seats. Our
clothing is not sent unmended from the
ironing table 10 the drawers. We save
the good "fnger's length" on the tops
of stocking, whose feet have retired
from service. Our oil-cloths and car
pets are not half raw-edged to be iretted
away by the broom. These things,
trihing, but important from their con-
slant recurrence, 10 housekeeper Ofany
pretensions to thoroughness, will con
slider beneath her notice, ,s ".,',Z "a.
But there are other small leaks, of
which even careful housekeepers some
times remain surprisingly unconscious
or neglectful. There arc bedqulIts
"come to rags" and laid away unused,
which might be tackled in pairs, new
covered and used as comforters. There
are breadths of carpeting thrown by as
useless, which need only to have the
worn places cut out and the remainder
sewed in convenient lengths, requiring
the merest triAe Of time and labor.
In many houses, faded articles
shawls, curtains, boys clothing, table
spreads, ribbons, etc. accumulate by
trunks full, which need but a few dimes
worth of coloring stuff and days work
to make them nearly as good as new
| know an overcoat, made Of cloth that
seems almost indestruCtable, which was
laid away in a garrett sevea gears, be.
cause il had faded in the most exposed
places; and the task Of coloring it "look.
ed like mountain" TO the unskllled
housewife
There is clothes-press where are
kept sacks, cloaks, basques, capes, and
other garments which have been left
behind by the fashion. They are Ol
good material, not much worn, and do
notneed dyeing. Their need Is cutting
over in newer shapes. There is plenty
of cloth in the large circle to make Q
sack OF good Dimensions the long old
style basqtane can be shortenedi the full,
flowing sack can be gored to suit the
figure and the fashions the short one
can be heightened, and the seam hid
den by aiudicious disposal of trimming
But the housekeeper lacks time, OF
ingenuity, or she has no pattern, and
to procure a sewing-girl or to run
to the milliners is great deal OF
trouble. So garment after garment
is bought or made new, while the old
ones hang unused, expected perhaps to
come in play when the fashion comes
round again. This coming round,
however happens only at very long in
tervals modistes understand their own
interests too well to permit it to be 9th,
erwise; and the cast-off garments gen
orally end as food for moths or go
into atrayelling peddlOr's pack, in ex-
change for a pair ofred andwhite vases,
warranted genuine Bohemianto or else are
bestowed upon the poor, which ismuch
the best bestowment ofthe three What
economy failsto appropriate, let charity
dispose .of, yet is charity poor excuse
for wastefulness, II. l., B.
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