The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-14

rooms and a bit of a kitchen on the
grnlnd-hg or and two chambers and
small store-room above. No closet ex-
ceptinp a small one IN the bedroom. a
small dish-closet IN The dlning-room.
No mantle in the house. She used the
front room fol- parlor and sitting
room the next tor dining room and
kitchen bedroom opened out OF thlsl,
doing the rough work in the small
kitchen. OF course, there must De
somewhere to put things 50 n set
about making bags and boxes. and,
with the help of her husband n two
little girls, made over thirty. Now
don't laugh, and | will tell you how she
made some Of them and what she put
in them. Let us begin in the rough
kitchen. Here are several bags, all
made alike, of striped b~ed-tlcklng,
gored toward the top, both edges
bound together, and, instead of having
a string run in, hung by two stout
loops at the top. A slit SIX or elght
inches long made in the middle OF the
front. faced and a button and button
hole fastens it, to prevent h contents
falling out. One is for clOtheSplnS
one for papers, bags, and twlnes; one
for scouring-cloths, dOw-cloths;
for rags. As there is no sink. a able
has to do the duty of one, and a box,
painted drab, with a hinged cover,
lined vito tin. holds the iron kettles,
etc. a similar one holds the wood.
Another holds the ironing sheet and
bosom board, the latter covered like a
bag, to slip off when soil q. A small
box on the shelf over the stove holds
kertle holders, which are mace with
covers like a bag, SO as to slip off to
wash. One more box holds stove
blacking. scourables, and so on. A
large dry-goods box, stood on end,
filled with shelves, makes quite a cup
board for tins and baking-dishes, One
thing mOre-not a bag II box, but very
Where the machine part had been was
a large hole, of course. This is covered
with a thin board another is fastened
on the bottom and casters put On.
When there are b~utter-cakes to fry or
any cooking requiring a number of
dishes. there you have them together,
and it can be trundlCd anywhere with
out effort.
Let lis step into the dining-room.
Under one of the windows is a long
box, on casters, with hinged cover.
covered with furniture patch, stuffed
OIL t1lt Top llhc d IbSIliOIl, IuU Oil pain
on the sides and finished with a box
plating on the edge Of the cover. In
side it IS lined with paper and divided
by a partition. One side holds face
and dish-towels, the other table-cloths
and napkins. Another made like this
holds pieces and cut work, and various
boxes for buttons, extra spOols of silk,
thread, yarn, braid. etc. The sewing
machine stands nea for this room is
used for sewing, as we'll as for eating.
Behind it hangs the scrap-bag, made of
red yarn and white cotton, and over it
the newspaper-holder In another place
is a l~etter-caSe.
In the e~ntry-way leading to the
stairs from this room is a large pocket
made of bed-ticking, bound with scar
let braid and feather-stitched on the
white stripe with red yarn. 1t has
-four places for slippers and rubbers. A
similar one, only smaller, holds gloves
and mittens. \ painted box holds
boots. Opening out OF the dining
room is the bedroom. Here is a trunk,
covered with cretonne, laid in side
plai's on the body of the trunk, fast
tened top and bottom with small tacks;
the top stuffed like a cushion, with a
box-plaited rutfie to finish it. This is
used for extra bed-clothing. A long
box, on casters, covered with the same
cretonne, holds sheets and pillow-slips.
Inside the the closet door is a large
shoebag or pocket, made of buff hol-
LAND, bound with scarlet braid. Above
it one of same material, divided into
four pockets. holds patterns for cutting
clothes for each II Of the family. The
window has a lambrequin, made of the
cretonne as hat on the trunk.
The curtain is a yard wide, unbleached
cloth, open IN the centre, and a stripe
of the cretQnne stitched on each edge.
On the bureau are ioilet-matS, boxes,
and other things too numerous to men
ton.