The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-23
Planning for Summer Comfort.

1here IS Sucn tnlnS as organizing
and creating comfort in the home, which
many home-makers do not enough
study. If it is hot, they seem to think
there is nothing to do but sweat, and
fret, and fume-and wait for cooler
weather. If they can't 60 away to the
cool sea-shore or mountains, they give
themselves up to unhappiness and en-
durance at home-in each of which eX-
periences they can easily excel the men,
if they give their minds to it
But good many things can be cured
that have hitherto been endured-or at
least can be prevented or greatly miti-
gated. The mind and the temperament
the way of looking at things and feel
ing about them-have more to do with
hot-weather discomforts than the state
of the thermometer or the location of
the person. Every body must have seen
the familiar summer tourist who goes
flying through the country with a fan in
one hand, and big bandanna in the
other, with which to mop his streaming
forehead-one eye on the thermometer
and the other on the weather reports
talking all the time about his sufferings,
and looking in vain from June to Octo-
Der for "cool place. to stop. Such
fellow wouldn't keep cool in an ice
house. He would stew himself into q
perspiration, worrying for fear the ice
should give out. A good many of the
stay-at-homes are equally lacking in
sense and philosophy and it is to flank
their propensitieS, as well as to add to
the general comfort, that the good
house wives should forecast the hot sea-
son in settling the home for summer.
Every well regulated house ought TO
have summer room," as well as a
winter room. Select the northeast or
northwest parlor or sitting-room, or the
coolest apartment in the house; take
up the warm and dusty carpet, cleanse
and pack it carefully away until au-
tumn; cover the floor with clean, cool
mating the stuffed furniture
to the g spare-room or attic, and sup
plant it with willow or rattan set, if
you can afford it, or at least with cane
seat and other summer chairs change
likewise even the pictures and adorn-
ments of the room, to give it a new and
fresh appearance. With plenty of taste
and very little expense one can fit up a
summer-room at home-spacious, neat,
airy and attractive-quite equal to the
7x9 chambers that are thought good
enough for summer boarders at the fash
ionable resorts!
In the hot weather, give the room a
thorough ventilation during the night,
and until four or five O'Clock in the
morning, and then shut the windows
and blinds. and keep them resolutely
closed through the day, and the curtains
down. No amount of shade will keep
a room cool if the heated outside air is
permitted to enter freely.
If there is veranda or porch availa-
BILE, fit up comfortable out-of-dOor seats,
and swing a hammock in the shade.
Two are better than onei and very
good hammocks can now be bought for
couple of dollars. Screen the kitchen
and dining-room windows and outside
doors with gauze, to keep out flies, and
put up canopies or bars if there are mos
quitoes. We have been surprised, in our
summer travels, to find how few village
and farm houses are protected in this
way-all civilized houses ought to be. A
very little money, reinforced with a
moderate supply of gumption, will keep
these summer pests from destroying the
comfort of the household.
If our farmer friends acted on our re-
peated advice last winter, and laid in a
stock of ice, they will have one of the
greatest of all helps TO hot-weather
comfort. And where it can be bought
at moderate prices, nobody should re-
gard it as luxury-any more than
bread, or water, ora bath-tub. Ice,
like coal, is "portable climate and
should be made the most Of
Give your minds to it little, good
friends, and see if you can not surprise
even yourselves with your success in
providing for summer comforts in the
hot months coming.-Golden Rule.