Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-06
HONE TOPICS.


have to bring their " alter from distance, or who
have not the strength to lit many psilfuls of
water even when IL is close at hand. | do not
won er in the least that girls inquire of their
IN st ess before taking places In families wheth-
e. the washing il large, and whether there At
Stationary tubs with hot and cold water con-
veyed in pipes. When the water has to be
brought several rods in pals, up hill or up
stairs 1t may be, a foolish washerwoman will
sometimes omit or sadly slight some very neces-
safy processes IN the washing. have seen one
try 10 rinse whole large washing in only two
paiffuls of water. know one who will some
times wiring the clothes from the sudsing water
OR the first water after the clothes come from
tue boiier) and hang them at once upon The
line, If supply Of water is not easily obtained.
large frost-prOof cistern of soft water seems
to me one of the first necessities Of well-or-
humblest cot and have that, than TO live in
large fne house and be stinted for water.
SOME OTHER MISTAKES IN wAsHIsG.-The
directions for washing with the machines al
most always advise very hot or boiling suds.
But Il member never to put dirty clothes into
clear hot water. II ''sets the dirt" and YOU
must work very hard to get the clothes clean
removed by pouring boiling water through the
spot, but some other stains are hopelessy .'set"
by such means. 1t seems to me the safest way
either to have the water in which clothes are
washed no hotter than the HANDS can bear to
have the soiled clothes wet in either cold or
warm water before putting them into hot suds-
at least to see that table linen and garme nts
are not put into hot suds with dry stains upon
them.
Fine clothes are sometimes spoiled by boiling
IN hard water. Housekeepers may be obliged
TO wash with hard water, but it cbOuld be FIRST
made soft by alkali The most common way is
to add little I've white I've usually made by
boiling ashes in water) to each boilertul OF
water. Swimming it a. it boils. Washing soda
Is used for the same purpose. In any case skim
the wafer, and boil the clothes in a bag. Clothes
once made gray and spotted by boiling in hard
water can never be made to look very well
again. Another mistake is to boil the clothes
too long. Fifteen minutes Of good boiling will
do Half an hour is the very longest time that
should be allowed. Too long boiling makes the
clothes yellow and tender. Too strong a boil
ing suds may have the same effect.
WASHING PAINT AFTER + LY- TIMH.-No great
amount OF labor is requisite for cleaning the
traces OF flies from paint OF woodwork. No
soap is necessary. 1 wet the door or window
frame all over with a cloth th at will not drip
Then go back to the place where | began and
wash the whole over very quickly and easily,
then use a clean dry cloth. / should not think
OF mentioning this, but the other day saw a
hired girl OF considerable experience rub bling
hard and long upon door, and signing because
hy-specs were so hard to wash off-simply be-
cause she did not think to put the work "asoak.r
Not long before saw man undertake to clean,
ard greatly iDjuIe, painted piece of furniture
covered with the marks of last years II y-time,
by rubbing coat of soap all over it and then
washing of soap aud paint and dirt together.
Cold water alone would have cleaned 1t better.
Soap always Injuries paint more or less. A little
applied under the doOr-knObs and Immediately
washed away is sometimes admissible. Whiting
on fanne-clOth is recommended as still bet
ter. Soap-suds yellows white paint and duls
the lustre of all paint and yarnish. Clear water.
either cod or rather warm, is all that vanished
granting needs.
a HIRED GIRLS GRIRvAHCE-"Do Won know
how to make good bread" asked Armies new
mistress. a. les, L can make good bread" said
Annie, q but want to make my own Yeast or
else use the dry yeast-cakes." /" But I use
bakers yeast" said tie mistress. "I hate TO
use it, said Annie, 'the dough is SO apt TO
seur." "That is very true" vas the reply, ait
VIII hardly do to mix the sponge at night in such
hot weather." "Let me run down TO the gro
Gerry and get some yeast cakes. l used those at
my last place and they made very nice bread
very light and always sweet"
So Annie begged and she was allowed 70 have
her way. She went 20 work though she knew
what she was about, and the mistress would not
interfere though she had heffears for the bread
attwo or three points during the process of 10 a
king. But it came out "just beautiful" Then
Annie, who had seemed very anxious that her
bread should be just right, told a bit of her ex-
perience. She went to work for one woman
who would not let her ma Ike bread in her own
way but directed her at every step, and be-
tween them both they always spoiled the bread,
and Annie was blamed for 1t every time, espe-
cialiy she bad said, when hired. that She
could make good bread. Her mistress made the
bread alone one day, and Annie says IL was
very poor stun compared with what she knew
she could make il allowed 70 do IL in her own
way. She heard her mistress tell her hush and
and tell some OF the neiyhbors that Annie
u d..
$50 'rhamed' that she took the first prereNt for
leaving the place, and ever since has been
praised as bread maker. as she often had
been before. 1t is quite FAIR to let a hired girl
who really has had some experience, try her
own way the first time, and il il proves poorer
way than ours we can teach her better, and she
will perhaps appreciate the lesson.
POPCORN AT DESSERT think L need not
tell how to pop corn, need / ? 1t is tue best
way to have corn pepper; then you can watch
the progress OF the corn and vary the degree of
heat a. seems necessary Many imagine that
the popcorn Is more tender or brittle If taken
from the hot fire and shaken about in the cold
air as quickly a. possible. Children are apt to
stuff themselves with pop corn when they are
not in the least need of q meal. Popcorn is
toed, and such crowded condition of the
stomach produces discomfort, and SO pop corn
is supposed to be unwholesome. 1t is quite the
contrary II eaten as food with the regular meal
and properly chewed. Try il with milk and ap-
ple-sauce or with any good fruit-sauce.
JOHNNY-CAKE WITHOUT E0Gs.-I found out
Tor myself, long ago, that delicious corn cakes
could be made OF sweet new meal without eggs;
and didn't know but everybody else knew the
same. used 10 scald the meal mixed with a
little salt with Just as little boiling water as
would wet all OF the meal This mixture 1
thinned little with milk or cold water, some
times adding half a teacup or more of wheat
Hour. Then baked 1t in gem pans in a hot
oven. These corn gems are good too when
the meal is fresh and sweet.
Lately have been trying to use up some fine
white corn meal that seemed triie bitter
scalding. and wanted to Disguise the slight
bitterness. So l went to the receipt-books
They all dictated eggs and butter or lard. 1t
was impossible for me to get fresh eggs, IL
threw away four of the last dozen, and have
lived for six weeks using only three eggs OBJ
tanned from neighbOr and shortening is one
OF the things steer as clear of possible SO
this is the way we made good job nny-caAe un-
der the circumstances described above:
Scald about pint Of meal at night with boil
ing water. In the morning thin il with milk.
add a teaspoon of salt, Zone level full, a big
tablespoonful OF sugar, and, lastly. a teacup.
full OF sitted white -four well mixed with a tea
spoonful of ba king powder. The batter should
be rather thicker than for griddle cakes, as the
meal has swelled some during the night and no
; vance need be made for that. cannot see
here the necessity for shortening comes in a.
these johnny-cakes are certainly tender
little cream spread over the crust Improves il
The above recipe makes two thin cakes if baked
in common square tins" When the milk is
sour, soda lin the proportion OF a small tea
spoonful of soda to large pint OF milk is used
instead Of baking powder.
ECONOMY IN COoKING.-I sometimes meet
people who seem to think that all economy es-
peclaliy IN cooking, Is meanness. People who
nave everything ~ buy soon learn If they are
attentive that butter and eggs and sugar are
very expensive items IN the family. Ihey are
all good in their place, but they are often used
l..